A critical analysis of the NSF for Older People standard 6: falls

As practitioners, we need to have an awareness and recognition of how policy affects our professional practice. The NHS has undergone major policy changes in recent years, many of them affecting older people. These include national policies and guidance intended to prevent and reduce falls in the older adult. The prevention and management of falls among older people is a priority in the Government's public health strategy, which aims to reduce falls by at least one fifth by the year 2010. Standard 6 of the National Service Framework for Older People was developed to reduce the number of falls in older adults and to ensure effective treatment and rehabilitation of those who have fallen. However, a recent national audit has highlighted inadequacies and deficiencies in fall prevention services. Falls in older adults have a significant impact not only on the individual but also on the NHS. Nurses have an active role to play in assessing older people who have fallen. They are also pivotal in implementing falls-prevention programmes and in influencing policy that will change practice. If falls prevention policies are to be effective, it is imperative that effective training systems are in place and healthcare professionals are trained and equipped to deliver the quality of care needed to help reduce falls in the older adult.