Public Health Wales – Guidance on recommending exercise for older people to reduce risk of falls (2019)

This guidance is intended for anyone who works with or supports older people living in the local community, as these people are most likely to gain from strength and balance training (NICE 2013). It includes information that will help to:- • understand why physical activity is important for older people at risk of falling •…

Exercise and Osteoporosis. Expert Statement from the Royal Osteoporosis Society (Dec 2018)

In Dec, at the ROS Conference in Birmingham, an Expert Statement on Exercise and Osteoporosis was launched. Alongside some QUICK GUIDES, the statement is for professionals working with people with Osteoporosis and promotes the positive message of DO MORE. The evidence for maintaining bone health is mostly around weight bearing impact exercise and progressive strength…

PSI sessions show significant social return on investment

Public Health England, in Jan 2017, published their Falls and Fractures Consensus Statement and confirmed that FaME sessions delivered by PSIs were cost-effective (PHE 2017). More recently, Gateshead Older People’s Assembly had independent research done on their return on investment (GOPA, 2017). “Gateshead Older People’s Assembly is a unique community-based organisation working with and for…

Falls and Fractures Consensus Statement (PHE) and Resource Pack for Commissioners

In January 2017, the member organisations of the National Falls Prevention Coordination Group (NFPCG), hosted by Public Health England, published the ‘Falls and fracture consensus statement: supporting commissioning for prevention’. This was aimed at local commissioners and strategic leads with a remit for falls and bone health and detailed key interventions, approaches to commissioning and…

FaME (PSI) reduces falls even in low risk older adults (but not OEP) – Gawler et al. 2016

Sheena Gawler has published the results on falls reduction in a low risk population of older adults after a 6 month PSI intervention and a 6 month OEP intervention. Conclusions: Community-dwelling older adults who joined an exercise intervention (FaME) aimed at increasing MVPA did not fall more during the intervention period, fell less and had…

PSI sessions significantly increase habitual physical activity as well as reducing falls (ProAct65+)

New research published this week shows that FaME sessions delivered by PSIs to the general older population through primary care (not high risk fallers) for 6 months, significantly increased habitual physical activity (self reported moderate physical activity) by 15 minutes a day even a year after the intervention finishes. These sessions also significantly reduced the…