Falls Awareness Week: Home Instead Wandsworth’s Director attends King’s College Hospital training
Discover how the owner and director of Home Instead Wandsworth, Lambeth, and Dulwich attended a training session at King’s College Hospital for Falls Awareness Week 2024.
Ahead of this Falls Awareness Week, 23–27 September 2024, we were excited for our owner Tony O’Flaherty to attend King’s College Hospital London. Invited by their Hospital Falls Team, Tony participated in their falls awareness week training and discussed plans for driving awareness and action around preventing falls.
As a CQC-rated Outstanding home care provider, we know the importance of taking proactive steps to protect the health and independence of older adults in our local communities.
According to the UK government, “Falls and fractures in older people are often preventable. Reducing falls and fractures is important for maintaining the health, wellbeing, and independence of older people.” *
At Home Instead Wandsworth, Lambeth and Dulwich we are committed to continuing learning and collaborating with local health professionals to ensure our clients are supported with the best care possible. Tony’s attendance at King’s College Hospital’s specialist training this week allowed us to discuss how we can continue driving awareness and action around preventing falls in the wider community.
Collaborating with King’s College Hospital in London
King’s College Hospital is a highly respected teaching hospital serving the boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham, and Bromley in South London. We were proud to be invited to training alongside their dedicated Falls Team, led by Loretta.
Loretta – pictured here with Tony – began her career as a surgical nurse at King’s College Hospital 25 years ago, and has found her passion as the head of the Falls Team, where she brings her experience to help older adults avoid falls and their potentially life-altering consequences.
Loretta’s work is focused on keeping older adults out of hospital by preventing falls, which can lead to a reduced quality of life or premature death. Her drive to make a difference aligns perfectly with our mission at Home Instead Wandsworth. Lambeth and Dulwich: to ensure older adults in South London can live safely and independently in their own homes.
Why ‘Falls Awareness Week’ matters
Falls Awareness Week is a national campaign designed to highlight the risks associated with falls, especially for older adults. The 2024 theme, “From Awareness to Action,” encourages families, caregivers, and communities to adopt practical steps that prevent falls. Falls are the leading cause of injury for older adults, often leading to long hospital stays or a loss of independence.
Simple steps to prevent falls at home
As part of Falls Awareness Week, we encourage families to take simple measures to create a safer home environment for older adults. Here are a few practical tips, for more information please speak with your GP or local healthcare team:
Clear clutter: Ensure living spaces are tidy and pathways are free of trip hazards.
Install support rails: Handrails and grab bars in key areas like staircases and bathrooms can provide extra stability.
Improve lighting: Ensure well-lit areas throughout the home. Nightlights in hallways and bedrooms can help with navigating at night.
Regular health checks: Keeping sight and hearing checks up to date is really important for helping older adults to remain aware of their surroundings.
A shared mission to keep older adults safe and well at home in South London
At Home Instead Wandsworth, Lambeth, and Dulwich, while we recognise the importance of Falls Awareness Week 2024, our commitment to fall prevention and the wellbeing of older adults goes far beyond this week.
Throughout the year, we take proactive steps to reduce fall risks for our clients through careful, individualised care planning, comprehensive risk assessments for vulnerable individuals, and our award-winning training for Care Professionals. These efforts are key to ensuring our clients remain safe, independent, and confident in their own homes.
We are also proud of our ongoing local collaboration with King’s College Hospital, where we hold our regular Butterfly Cafe, a dementia-friendly group. This collaboration strengthens our local community ties, and we are excited about the potential to launch a joint community campaign aimed at raising awareness about falls prevention across South London. Together, we aim to provide older adults and their families with the knowledge and tools needed to stay safe at home and live confidently.
If you or a loved one would like more information about our home care visits or live-in care services, to provide support in living well at home, please call us to get in touch with our local team today or send us an enquiry online.
*Source: UK Government Guidance on Falls https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/falls-applying-all-our-health/falls-applying-all-our-health