In May 21 our acute trust reported that the majority of calls from Care Homes into the Intensive Home Support Service (IHSS)/ Intermediate Care Allocation Team (ICAT) related to falls. Of these 36 residents had 2 or more falls. Falls remains the most common reason for referral into IHSS/ICAT (74% of calls March 22).
A pathway was developed with the Specialist Medicines Optimisation in Care Home (SMOCH) Team to provide structured medication reviews to residents that had 3 or more falls in a month. This was done in order to scope out and understand if medicines were a key contributing factor and if a meaningful intervention could be made.
Positive results have led to the pathway being broadened to cover reviews to residents with 2+ falls in a month by the SMOCH team and further work has been undertaken with the wider pharmacy workforce in PCN's to highlight falls medication reviews as a priority SMR.
