The 'Managing Falls and Fractures in Care Homes for Older People good practice resource' is a revised and improved edition of the resource pack launched in 2011.

This resource pack will help staff in care homes to assess how well falls prevention and management and the prevention of fractures is being addressed in their service.

It aims to provide the answers to many of the questions care home managers have, and can also act as an educational tool for new or existing care home staff. It provides practical help, guidance and tools and signposts to resources available online.

There are a number of changes and additions in the 2016 edition.

The self assessment is still your starting point when using the resource pack; you will notice it has a few additional ‘good practice statements’ in line with the updated practice. It will help you identify what improvements, if any, you need to make in your care home to prevent falls.

Section 5 - 'Learning from falls' emphasises the importance and value of learning from the information you gather about falls. Section 2 'Guidance for improving the quality of care’ is a new section which has been added to support you to identify, plan, test and implement lasting improvements in your care home. Section 4 ‘Keeping well’ is another new section, focusing on 10 common risk areas and includes guidance, points to consider, tools and links to useful websites.

Care home stories have been added throughout the resource pack to give examples of new ways of working. To emphasise the importance of working with the wider health and social care team Section 6, ‘Working together’  has been added, which suggests ways to develop and improve links.

And finally, some tools in the toolkit have been updated and new tools added including a falls data spreadsheet to gather and analyse information about falls in your care home (this is accessible on the internet along with instructions for its use) and a DVD education pack that goes with the falls awareness DVD that came out with the original pack.

Please make use of the revised resource in a way that fits with the needs of the staff and residents in your care home. We hope you find it useful, comprehensive and easy to use. Most importantly we hope it supports you to improve the care and lives of older people at risk of falling.

The resource can be downloaded here or by clicking on the image above.

Resource Tools

• Self Assessment Form 

• Tool 1a The Model for Improvement

• Tool 1b The Model for Improvement and PDSA cycle planning and progress proforma

• Tool 1c The Model for Improvement example

• Tool 2a Improvement log

• Tool 2b Action plan 

• Tool 3 Preadmission falls questionnaire

• Tool 4a Multifactorial Falls Risk Screen (MFRS) and falls care plan 

• Tool 4b Care home resident falls and fracture risk/intervention tool 

• Tool 5 Falls: Information for family and friends

• Tool 6 Falls management checklist 

• Tool 7a Wheelchair safety inspection guide

• Tool 7b Wheelchair safety inspection record 

• Tool 8 Falls prevention monitoring form 

• Tool 9 The Abbreviated Mental Test (AMT) 

• Tool 10 Protocol for measuring lying/standing blood pressure (BP) (checking for Orthostatic Hypotension) 

• Tool 11 Resident environment and orientation tool 

• Tool 12 Generic falls environmental risk assessment 

• Tool 13 Bedrail risk assessment

• Tool 14 Seating matters

• Tool 15 Post fall pathway for managing a resident who has fallen or has been found on the floor

• Tool 16 Telecare matters: A quick guide to technology enabled care and support 

• Tool 17a Guidelines for completing a post falls/incident report form

• Tool 17b Post fall/incident report form

• Tool 18a Care home monthly falls diary guidance

• Tool 18b Care home monthly falls diary

• Tool 19 Fall data spreadsheet

  • How to use the falls data spreadsheet

• Tool 20a Procedure for the use of measles chart/falls plotting

• Tool 20b Measles chart example 

• Tool 21a Guidance on completing the falls safety cross

• Tool 21b Falls safety cross

• Tool 22 Training database 

• Tool 23 Managing falls and fractures in care homes for older people: DVD education pack (This links with the falls awareness DVD which is available below)

• Tool 24 Service directory

Watch the falls awareness educational video here.

We first published the resource in 2011 and carried out and evaluation in 2012. You can read the full evaluation report here.

For more information please contact Fiona Currie, Improvement Adviser at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Strength and Balance DVD to prevent falls and keep well

A DVD has been produced by Active Fife in partnership with Paths for All and is accompanied by their 'Walk Your Way to Better Strength and Balance' leaflet.  Anyone outside of Fife who wishes to get copies of the DVD or leaflet can get them directly from Paths For All or through their local health walking group.

The videos contained within the DVD are also available through Paths for All on YouTube. 

Useful information 

A feasibility study and pilot randomised trial of a tailored prevention program to reduce falls in older people with mild dementia