Falls Prevention in Older People

For care-home and home-care staff, this course explores falls risks, changes to report, assessed care plans and safer daily routines. Learners consider consent, independence, mobility-support limits, fear of falling and appropriate help after a fall. Fictional scenarios support decisions within the care-worker role. It does not provide clinical falls assessment, exercise prescription, floor-lifting or practical moving-and-handling training.

Study online at your own pace using eight teaching modules, fictional written practice and a separate final knowledge assessment. Estimated total structured learning: 2 hours 37 minutes. This is a planning estimate; individual study time varies.

Module 1 — Falls and Person-Centred Risk

This module develops awareness of falls and person-centred risk, using factual information and the person’s current individual arrangements to explain decisions within the care-worker role.

By the end of this Module, learners will be able to:

✓ Explain falls risks in care and the course population.
✓ Recognise individual preferences when considering proportionate support.

Workplace example: Maeve values preparing a snack independently. A recent near miss and her preferences are known, but no professional assessment result is supplied.

Application: Explain proportionate, person-centred support and identify what needs review. Do not impose blanket restrictions or use a prediction score as a guarantee.

Module 2 — Recognising Changes and Reporting Risks

This module develops awareness of recognising changes and reporting risks, using factual information and the person’s current individual arrangements to explain decisions within the care-worker role.

By the end of this Module, learners will be able to:

✓ Identify changes and risks to report.
✓ Prepare a factual handover without diagnosing or adding facts.

Workplace example: During a home-care visit a person reports new dizziness compared with their usual presentation. The cause is not known.

Application: Prepare a factual handover and obtain appropriate advice through the care pathway. Do not diagnose the cause, alter medicines or dismiss the change as normal.

Module 3 — Care Plans and Professional Assessment

This module develops awareness of care plans and professional assessment, using factual information and the person’s current individual arrangements to explain decisions within the care-worker role.

By the end of this Module, learners will be able to:

✓ Distinguish frontline observations from competent professional assessment.
✓ Separate plan implementation from clinical decisions in a fictional brief.

Workplace example: A current care plan is available, but a worker is asked to diagnose repeated falls and design a new exercise programme.

Application: Separate following agreed instructions from professional assessment and treatment decisions. Report changes and refer the proposed clinical decisions to the appropriate professional.

Module 4 — Safer Environments and Daily Routines

This module develops awareness of safer environments and daily routines, using factual information and the person’s current individual arrangements to explain decisions within the care-worker role.

By the end of this Module, learners will be able to:

✓ Recognise environmental and routine improvements.
✓ Explain how consent and role boundaries affect changes in a home or care setting.

Workplace example: Loose leads and poor lighting are noticed in a person’s own home. The person does not agree to an immediate rearrangement of their kitchen.

Application: Discuss practical concerns and agreed improvements while respecting consent, property and role boundaries. Record and escalate unresolved concerns rather than forcing changes.

Module 5 — Mobility, Equipment and Role Limits

This module develops awareness of mobility, equipment and role limits, using factual information and the person’s current individual arrangements to explain decisions within the care-worker role.

By the end of this Module, learners will be able to:

✓ Follow individually assessed mobility-support requirements.
✓ Identify a mismatch in staffing or equipment and seek appropriate help.

Workplace example: An individually assessed mobility arrangement requires equipment and staffing that are not currently available.

Application: Identify the mismatch and seek appropriate assistance. Do not improvise a transfer, substitute equipment or assume one staffing rule applies to every person.

Module 6 — Supporting Participation and Confidence

This module develops awareness of supporting participation and confidence, using factual information and the person’s current individual arrangements to explain decisions within the care-worker role.

By the end of this Module, learners will be able to:

✓ Encourage agreed participation within the person's plan.
✓ Respond respectfully to fear of falling without prescribing exercise or forcing activity.

Workplace example: A person is worried about falling and declines a usual social activity. Their current plan supports agreed participation.

Application: Use respectful communication, preferences and the existing plan to discuss participation and appropriate review. Do not prescribe exercise, force activity or promise that no fall can happen.

Module 7 — Responding to a Fall and Recording

This module develops awareness of responding to a fall and recording, using factual information and the person’s current individual arrangements to explain decisions within the care-worker role.

By the end of this Module, learners will be able to:

✓ Choose appropriate urgent help after a fall.
✓ Record supplied observations and actions without assuming an unwitnessed fall caused no injury.

Workplace example: A person is found on the floor after an unwitnessed fall and reports hip pain. The worker does not know whether other injuries occurred.

Application: Seek emergency help for possible hip injury, follow emergency advice and do not lift the person or assume there is no injury. Record supplied observations, known timings and actual actions.

Module 8 — Falls-Prevention Scenarios

This module develops awareness of falls-prevention scenarios, using factual information and the person’s current individual arrangements to explain decisions within the care-worker role.

By the end of this Module, learners will be able to:

✓ Choose a source-led response in care-home and community scenarios.
✓ Explain how consent, proportionate support, escalation and records fit together.

Workplace example: One colleague proposes stopping a person from moving independently after a stumble. The person wants to continue ordinary daily activities.

Application: Explain proportionate support, consent and the need for appropriate assessment and plan review. Combine safe escalation with independence and factual records rather than a blanket restriction.