With, exercises, afternoon tea, toothbrushes, tea towels, new slippers, a choir, and even a welcome visit from a dog, patients, staff and visitors at Walsall Manor Hospital had plenty of food for thought in National Falls Prevention Awareness Week.

To celebrate the focus, Nursing leaders at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust devised a five-day programme to cover all aspects of factors that can contribute to falls and raise awareness of what can be done to avoid them.

Led by Jo Adams, Professional Lead for Quality, and Deb Mason, Quality Improvement Facilitator, themed events were held daily involving patients, staff and visitors, and different teams visited elderly care wards.

Walsall Together and Walsall Connected also attended daily to advise staff on what support is available. And Walsall Healthcare’s Well Wishers charity provided items totalling £1,680.16.

It provided packs for each patient containing handcream, snacks, pens, puzzle books, toothpaste, toothbrushes, cleaning wipes for glasses, and dentures boxes.

Boxes for the safekeeping of patients’ glasses and hearing aids and tea towels with the falls prevention key messages on them for at home were also paid for by the charity.

Jo said: “Falls are a common reason why elderly people are admitted to hospital. So the more awareness and support we can provide, the better informed they and their families, carers and staff will be.

“Hopefully we can reduce admissions due to falls, and reduce falls while patients are in hospital.

“A lot of elderly patients have elderly loved ones so it was important to ensure they’re aware of preventative measures they can take too.

“Along with a week of support from a variety of services, tea towels were distributed to patients’ relatives with a host of information and advice around falls prevention.”

Motivation Monday involved staff from the Trust’s Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy teams and Walsall Council’s leisure services department engaging patients with chair exercises.

They advised on what exercises patients can do when they get home, and handed out leaflets detailing activities they can access to support with keeping mobile and active, to aid muscle strength and balance.

Jo and Deb also promoted information and advice relating to postural hypertension (a form of low blood pressure that happens when standing after sitting or lying down) and how to manage it.

On Tuned-in Tuesday, the Audiology Team advised patients of free hearing tests, recognising and managing hearing deficits, and handed out batteries for hearing aids and advice on how to care for your hearing aids.

The Ophthalmology Team gave advice and information on caring for your eyesight and how to seek advice and provided the wards with boxes of lens wipes for glasses.

Staff and students wore special goggles so they discovered what it is like for patients with impaired eyesight.

There was a focus on nutrition and hydration, with an afternoon tea for carers and families on Wellbeing Wednesday, supported by the Catering and Housekeeping departments.

Here, the Dietetic and Nutrition teams services advised patients on healthy diets, providing snacks and treats, milkshakes and advice.

Speech and Language Therapists and the Oral Care Team joined them, supporting patients and advising loved ones on mouth care, and helping patients with swallowing difficulties. Toothbrushes, toothpaste and denture pots were handed out.

Time-Out Thursday was the chance for volunteers to talk and read to patients.

Songs from the Walsall Healthcare choir filled the air and there was a visit from therapy dog, six-year-old Charlie, a cavashon, and his owner Louise Foster. They see patients at the Manor Hospital every week.

Patient Stephen Chaplin, 66, from Brownhills, said: “I’ve got a springer spaniel Poppy at home so it made my day seeing Charlie – especially as that’s my nickname too!”

The Older People’s Mental Health Team spoke to patients about how those with cognitive challenges can try to avoid falls – a significant contributing factor to falls in the home and in hospital.

The Team gave advice and information on interventions and activities to support patients in respect of cognition and sensory deficits.

During Footwear Friday, Podiatry and Chiropody teams gave patients advice on foot care, and some 480 pairs of slippers were replaced or given out.

Loose fitting and worn slippers are a major cause of trips and falls and the “Slipper Swap Scheme” – promoted by Walsall Connected, Bloxwich Community Partnership and the Trust – aims to reduce the risk of injury by encouraging people to swap their unsuitable slippers for a new, well-fitting pair. The scheme will continue at the Walsall Connected desk at the Trust.

Georgie Westley, Fundraising Manager at Well Wishers, said: “We were delighted to support National Falls Prevention Awareness Week because we know what a difference this support can make to our patients.”

The following key messages will continue to be key elements of the focus for the Trust’s falls prevention improvement work:

• Keeping active
• Managing sensory deficit
• A good, nutritional diet
• Managing the challenges of cognition
• Safe footwear