Services Database Community Pharmacy Falls Prevention – Pilot

The service is aimed at Dudley residents aged 65 and over and who are at risk of falling.

If a service user requests or would like to take part in the service, the trained member of staff will complete the Community Falls Prevention and Exercise Programme Referral Assessment Screening Tool with the service user. Following completion of the screening tool the service user is given a Falls Prevention Information Pack to take away. Where appropriate service users are also signposted to other relevant services.

As part of the service, slipper replacements will be available – mandatory training will be provided so pharmacy staff have the skills to ensure that the replacement slippers are ‘well fitted’.

A two hour mandatory training session will be provided for one member of staff from each pharmacy, who will then deliver the training to their colleagues who will be carrying out the customer assessments. It is compulsory that each pharmacy sends at least one member of staff on the training, if no one attends the training that pharmacy will not be able to deliver the campaign. The training will be delivered by Dudley Community Falls Service and consist of the following:

• Brief Intervention Falls Prevention Training - 1 hour;
• Background to the Falls Care Pathway and guidance on completing the Step 1 Community Falls Prevention and Exercise Programme Referral Assessment Screening Tool – ½ hour; and
• Guidance on ensuring the replacement slippers are well fitted – ½ hour.

Further training and guidance will be provided as and when required by Dudley Community Falls Service and Dudley Office of Public Health.