New app will help to prevent falls in care homes

Experts at the University of Nottingham have developed a new app that will help to reduce and prevent falls in care homes.
 
The new ‘React To Falls’ app is available to download on iPhone and Android, from the Apple and Google Play app stores.
 
Pip Logan, Professor of Rehabilitation Research in the School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham, and one of the researchers who developed the app, said: “Based on our research, we know that all care home residents are at high risk of falls, we know that families and care home staff work hard to keep residents healthy, safe and happy. We also know that falls have a huge financial and personal impact.

“That is why we have worked with care home residents and staff on this fall prevention app, which we are confident will help to reduce the number of times people fall over.”

The app will guide users through different areas that might cause a fall, giving practical tips in bite size pieces of information that have been shown to reduce falls and reduce the effects of falling over.

The app can be used by anyone wanting to prevent someone they know having a fall, including residents themselves and their families. 

The app can:

• Provide practical suggestions of what carers or care home staff can do
• Has prompts to tailor the actions to support each individual resident
• Provides detail that will give carers the confidence that they are doing the right things
• Helps carers react to falls before they happen
• Supports residents to remain active and make their own lifestyle choices
• Recognises managing falls is a continuing process

Dr Jane Horne, Senior Research Fellow & Occupational Therapist at the University and one of the researchers who helped develop the app, said: “We look forward to seeing the app being used in care homes. We hope that people will find this a useful resource, and any feedback they have to help improve any future versions is welcome."
 
The development of the new app has been a collaboration between experts from the University’s Division of Rehabilitation, Ageing and Wellbeing along with colleagues from the University’s Mobile App Product Team.  Agile delivery and scrum methodology techniques were used to ensure excellent cross department collaboration was maintained throughout and ensured that the app was efficiently and speedily released to the app stores.