Falls are the biggest cause of accidental injury in the home, resulting in a staggering 80% of hospital admissions for accidental injury to people aged 65 and over in the UK. Community-based studies suggest that one in three over-65s, and half of over-80s, will experience at least one fall every year.
RoSPA estimates 212,000 falls are suffered by older adults in England’s housing association households every year. This is thought to be a very conservative figure based on single occupancy households and without consideration of the disproportionate impacts of deprivation and poor health outcomes felt by social renters.
Falls impose an immeasurable burden on society through physical and psychological harm. Between 5 and 20% of falls cause serious injuries - for example hip fractures or traumatic brain injuries. These often require expedited property adjustment, adaptation or relocation, placing a strain on housing services that is difficult to forecast and plan for.
Injuries, dampened confidence and lost independence can lead to property neglect and reliance on care and social support - all of which damage community adhesion. Some falls might trigger a negative spiral, leading to increased vulnerability, safeguarding issues, and further complexity to interactions between renter and their social landlord.
Based on a hugely successful pilot at Staffordshire-based housing association Trent & Dove, RoSPA has developed a toolkit aimed at reducing the impact of tenant falls in social housing. The model combines staff training, home safety checks and effective partnership working to address fall risks and facilitate a measurable reduction in number of falls suffered by participants.
The 3-component toolkit contains novel materials developed specifically for the social housing sector. It includes practical ideas to support tenants reduce their falls risk and home safety check sheets to ensure tenants are given consistent and reliable advice.