Falls Response Service (Worcestershire)

The team attend thousands of these incidents every year; one example of how they successfully work with other agencies is an elderly man with Parkinson’s disease who lives in a bungalow with his wife in Worcester. He falls frequently and they often activate their emergency alarm for assistance; the patient has reported that the falls team typically arrive promptly.

Because the patient’s wife is too frail to lift him, the falls team frequently attends and uses a Mangar Cushion, which is well suited to the limited space in the bungalow.

Most falls occur during transfers (e.g., bed to chair), so the team prioritises safe assistance while maintaining the patient’s dignity.

Recently, the team noted a decline in the patient’s mobility and his ability to transfer safely from the Mangar to his bed, chair, or commode. Although regular carers were suggested, the patient and his wife declined as she wished to remain his primary carer; they later arranged a private physiotherapist.

In March, the falls response team attended three times within 24 hours. Concerns increased about the risk of injury if the patient could not transfer independently from the Mangar, as the team cannot lift him directly and an ambulance would be required. After a third fall, an ambulance was called due to safety concerns, and the patient was admitted to hospital.

During admission, the Falls Response Service Manager raised transfer-safety concerns at a frailty multidisciplinary team meeting (with doctor, community nurse, occupational therapist, social worker, and physiotherapist). Hospital notes showed the patient had been transferred using a Sara Steady, so the manager requested this for home use. The equipment was arranged the next day to support discharge, and the patient’s wife was trained to use it. This has improved transfer safety, reduced falls, and reassured the couple that the falls team can still assist if needed.