Exercise Referral Service for Secondary Falls Prevention

Descriptions

The overall aim of the service is to prevent the recurrence of falls and injurious falls that result in hospital attendance and loss of independence. The objectives of the service are to: •Motivate and support patients to build the level of exercise gradually to improve muscle strength and balance •Provide tailored, evidence based practical exercise programme •Enable patients to learn to get up off the floor if they fall •Reduce patients' fear of falling and improve confidence •Increase patients' independence and functional ability •Improve patients' social contacts •Provide appropriate support to patients to continue to take regular exercise after the programme •Help patients understand the wider health and wellbeing benefits of exercise •Work with commissioners to ensure consistent delivery of high quality, effective and cost-effective services 3.2Service description/care pathway The Service will: •Recruit potential instructors with the required background qualifications, training and experience willing to deliver sessions and offer the Postural Stability Instructor (PSI) training course and a refresher course for any identified PSI instructors requiring this. •Set up a bank register of PSI qualified instructors able to provide sessional work, ensuring the instructors are PSI trained and have indemnity insurance, a current Disclosure Barring Service online check, and other relevant training and professional registration. •Have in place a robust referral process; provide referrers and patients with information about the service, referral process, inclusion criteria, contact details and complaints process. •Maintain patient records in accordance with NHS guidelines. •Set up and deliver Postural Stability Instructor (PSI) group programmes (12 to 15 participants per week) including undertaking monitoring and evaluation e.g. functional assessment using appropriate tools e.g. Timed up and Go at the start and end of the programme. •Deliver the Postural Stability Instructor (PSI) group programmes in ways that encourage patients to undertake exercise as instructed at least twice a week in between sessions and after the programme; and enable them to learn to get up off the floor if they do fall. •Follow up patients post-programme around further falls and continued exercise.