Talking about our Strength and Balance programme, with a specific focus on Falls Prevention, who it's for and the positive impact our classes have had with participants.
Today’s blog will be showcasing our Strength and Balance programme and it’s recent collaboration with the NHS Innovation Agency. The programme has been running since 2017 and focuses on meeting objectives set out by the Cheshire West and Chester Falls Prevention Strategy. We'd like to share the successes of this programme and the benefits of early intervention regarding falls.
The Strength and Balance programmes overarching aim is to reduce falls in community dwelling older adults across Cheshire West and Chester. Falls can significantly reduce quality of life for them, including their ability to live independently.
What is our Falls Prevention service?
The falls prevention service consists of our Strength and Balance Programme. This programme is an exercise intervention for community dwelling older adults who have been identified to be at an increased risk of falls.
The Real World Validation report has been conducted by the Public Health team at the University of Chester over the past 18 months. It was conducted to ascertain and evaluate the impact of our Strength and Balance Programme. The key findings from this report can be seen below.
There was a 50% decrease in falls post intervention in both men and women who participated in the Strength and Balance programme.
Diastolic blood pressure, timed up-and-go and sit-to-stand measures post-intervention changes are statistically significant and therefore participants are more likely to be able to avoid a ‘long lie’ after a non-injurious fall.
All participants who left feedback felt they had benefited from attending the strength and Balance classes.
85% of participants felt the course had increased their confidence, with some also feeling their fear of falling was less than before the programme.
After leaving or finishing classes, 69% of participants stated they continued with activities from the classes, with 87% saying they’d joined a further class.
99% agreed that there was a positive social aspect to the class, with 64% saying they felt less socially isolated after the course ended.
45% of participants also used nutritional advice given during the classes, with 34% adjusting their diets following nutritional advice.
Programmes run online and at selected venues across Cheshire, for more information please contact jack@healthboxcic.com