Implementing the Action Falls Program Into Care Homes in England (the FinCH Imp Study)

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Healthcare Management
• Public Health Interventions

Background:

• Falls in care home residents are a significant cause of morbidity, mortality, and increased healthcare costs.
• The Action Falls program, a multifactorial intervention, has previously demonstrated a 43% reduction in falls.
• This study assesses the implementation of the Action Falls program in care homes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore barriers, facilitators, and feasibility of implementing the Action Falls program into daily care home practice.
• To evaluate staff readiness, training uptake, and costs associated with the program.
• To assess the feasibility of collecting falls data.

Main Methods:

• An implementation study utilizing Normalization Process Theory over 12 months.
• Training and support provided to care home staff.
• Data collection through questionnaires (Normalization MeAsure Development), collaborative events, and falls data reporting; analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively.

Main Results:

• 60% of staff received training; questionnaires indicated increased confidence in adopting Action Falls.
• Barriers included staff turnover, time constraints, and challenges integrating the checklist into digital records.
• Average training cost was £331.60 per home; 88% of homes returned falls data.

Conclusions:

• Care homes were engaged and motivated, demonstrating the program's implementability at a modest cost.
• Ongoing support, digital integration, and policy backing are crucial for embedding Action Falls.
• Addressing logistical and technological challenges is essential for successful implementation and reducing falls.