Background
Falls are the most common reason for ambulance call-outs resulting in non-conveyance. Even in the absence of injury, only half of those who have fallen can get themselves up off the floor. Many remain there for over an hour, increasing complication risks.
It is feasible to teach people techniques to help get themselves up off the floor, yet these techniques are rarely taught. To date, there is no published data on attitudes towards teaching and learning these techniques.
Aims
Our study aimed to investigate older people, carer and staff attitudes towards seeking help and using techniques to get-up following a fall.
Activity
We conducted a focus group and qualitative interviews with 28 participants including; community-dwelling older people who had experienced a non-injurious fall; carers; physiotherapists; occupational therapists; paramedics and community first responders.
Following analysis we developed a model of factors affecting an individual’s capability to get up following a fall.
Outputs
National British Geriatric Society Spring 2020 meeting D Swancutt, SV Hope, B Kent, M Robinson, V Goodwin. “I’m on the floor and can’t get up and it’s really annoying”: A qualitative investigation of patient and staff perceptions of options for getting up from the floor following a fall. British Geriatric Society (BGS), Nov 2020.
Physiotherapy UK Nov 2020 V Goodwin, D Swancutt, B Kent, M Robinson, SV Hope. “I can’t get up and it’s really annoying”: A qualitative investigation of getting up following a fall. National Physiotherapy Conference.
NHS Inform ‘What to do if you fall’ and ‘Upwards and Onwards’ resources
NIHR Alert: Getting up after a fall: training could encourage older people to get themselves back up
Next steps
We are working with the PenARC Patient and Public Involvement Group to develop participant feedback materials and dissemination
Publications
D Swancutt, S Hope, B Kent, M Robinson, V Goodwin. Knowledge, skills and attitudes of older people and staff about getting up from the floor following a fall: A qualitative investigation. BMC Geriatrics. 2020 20(385).