RecruitingOBSERVATIONAL

Developing Post-falls Management Principles in Care Homes

Falling is a common problem for older people living in care homes, and it can lead to serious injuries. After someone falls, it's really important to quickly check for injuries and take steps to prevent more falls. However, different organisations often work in different ways, making it hard to get consistent care. This research project wants to create a clear set of guidelines for care homes to follow after someone has a fall. These guidelines will help everyone involved – care home staff, family members, and healthcare workers – understand the best steps to take. We'll do this by talking to people about their experiences, mapping out current processes, and bringing experts together to agree on the most effective approaches. The goal is to make sure older people in care homes receive prompt and consistent care after a fall, reducing risks and improving safety.

At a glance

Status

Recruiting

Sponsor

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

Enrolment target

138

Start

28 Jun 2026

Estimated completion

01 Aug 2028

Fall Fall Accident

What is this study about?

Falls can be a big worry for older people living in care homes, and they can sometimes cause serious injuries. When someone falls, it’s really important that they get the right care quickly. This includes checking for any injuries, deciding what to do next, and taking steps to stop them from falling again.

However, this process can sometimes be difficult because many different people and organisations might be involved – like care home staff, doctors, nurses, and family members. They might all have slightly different ideas about the best way forward, or they might not always work together in the most joined-up way. This can make it hard to ensure older people get consistent and quick support after a fall. That's why this research is so important: it aims to make things clearer and more organised.

The main goal of this study is to create a set of agreed-upon guidelines for how care homes should manage older people after they’ve had a fall. To do this, we'll be listening to people's experiences – including older people themselves, their families, and staff who work in care homes and healthcare. We'll also be looking at how things are currently done and bringing together experts to agree on the best ways to help. These new guidelines will help make sure everyone involved has a shared understanding and works together smoothly, leading to better and safer care for older people in care homes.

Key takeaways

Aims to create better guidelines for care homes after an older person falls.
No new medicines or medical treatments are involved in this research.
Participation involves sharing experiences or opinions, usually through conversations or surveys.
Helps improve safety and consistency of care for older people in care homes.
You can stop taking part at any time without any impact on your care.

Who may be eligible?

This study involves different groups of people at different stages.

For some parts of the study, we are looking for older people (aged 65 or over) who live in a care home in Nottinghamshire or Lincolnshire. They should have had a fall in the last six months, but not in the last two weeks. It's important that they can understand and agree to take part, or if they have a memory condition like dementia, that a trusted family member or close friend can help us understand their wishes. We also need relatives of these residents to share their experiences.

Other parts of the study are looking for care home staff and healthcare professionals (like nurses or doctors) who work anywhere in England. They need to have experience in helping older people after a fall in a care home. This includes staff from care homes, GP surgeries, community services, or hospital emergency departments. If you work in these areas and have experience with managing falls in care homes, you might be able to take part.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Are you aged 65 or over and live in a care home in Nottinghamshire or Lincolnshire?
Have you (or your relative) had a fall in the last six months, but not in the last two weeks?
Are you care home staff or a healthcare professional in England?
Do you have experience supporting older people after a fall in a care home?
Can you understand and agree to take part, or can a family member help with this?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

Taking part in this study could involve a few different things, depending on which part of the research you're helping with.

If you're an older person living in a care home or a relative: You might be asked to talk about your experiences after a fall. This could involve a chat (interview) to understand what happened and how decisions were made. There are no visits to clinics, no medication, and no special tests involved. The total time for your involvement would be short, likely a single conversation.

If you're care home staff or a healthcare professional: You might be asked to take part in an interview to share your views on managing falls. Later, you could also be invited to complete up to three online surveys. These surveys would ask for your opinions on different ideas for the new guidelines. Each survey would take a short amount of time to complete. There are no in-person visits required; everything would be done remotely.

Overall, the study does not involve any medical treatments or follow-up appointments. It's about gathering experiences and opinions to help improve care.

Potential risks and benefits

Taking part in this study does not involve any medical risks or changes to your usual care. The main benefit is helping to improve how older people are looked after after a fall in care homes, potentially making care more consistent and safer for everyone in the future. There's a small chance that talking about past experiences might bring up uncomfortable feelings for some, but our researchers are trained to handle this sensitively. You are always free to stop taking part at any time, for any reason, without it affecting your care or your relationship with your care home or healthcare providers.

Locations (1)

Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust
Verified postcode
Nottingham, United Kingdom· Recruiting

Common questions

What is a 'post-falls management principle'?

It's a clear guideline or rule to help care homes and healthcare staff know exactly what steps to take when an older person has a fall.

Will I have to take any new medicine?

No, this study does not involve any new medicines, treatments, or changes to your current care.

How long will I be involved if I take part?

Your involvement would likely be for a short period, possibly just one conversation or a few online surveys, depending on your role.

What if I change my mind after joining?

You can withdraw from the study at any time, for any reason, without it affecting your care.

Will my personal details be kept private?

Yes, all your information will be handled confidentially and used only for this research.

How to find out more

Fran Hallam-Bowles

nuhnt.postfalls@nhs.net 07595284862 Official trial record

Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.