Walsall Manor Hospital patients and residents whose worn out slippers have seen better days will be able to exchange them for more fitting footwear – thanks to an initiative this Falls Awareness Week.
Walsall Connected and Bloxwich Community Partnership have funded 240 pairs of new slippers for the Slipper Swap Scheme.
A week-long focus on preventing patient falls is being held across Walsall Manor Hospital’s elderly care wards this week with a host of activities and information to help families and staff prevent harm.
Nursing leaders at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust have devised a five day programme to cover all aspects of factors that can lead to falls and raise awareness of what can be done to avoid them. And Footwear Friday is one of the highlights of the focus.
Loose fitting and worn slippers are a major cause of trips and falls at home and the Slipper Swap Scheme aims to reduce the risk of injury by encouraging patients – and members of the public – to swap their unsuitable slippers for a new, well-fitting pair.
There are a limited number of slippers available so the public offer is strictly on a first come, first served basis.
Garry Perry, Associate Director Patient Voice (Experience) at Walsall Healthcare, said: “Falls Awareness Week across our elderly care wards is hugely important and staff have worked hard to put together this week’s programme of activities to help make us all aware of the factors that can cause falls.
“The Slipper Swap Scheme ties into Footwear Friday as old or ill fitting slippers are often the cause of falls which can cause considerable harm to people in hospital or at home. We’re grateful to have slippers donated by Walsall Connected and Bloxwich Community Partnership and will prioritise our inpatients while also being able to offer some to elderly people in our communities.”
Footwear Friday will also see Podiatry and Chiropody teams visiting patients.
Slippers will be available from the Walsall Connected island outside the Antenatal Clinic on Route 122 of the Manor Hospital from 9am on Friday 20 September. To be eligible, people must be an older adult (aged 65 plus), have worn out slippers and want to help themselves to remain independent at home. As part of the exchange, staff will also talk to people about other support in their communities that they may find helpful.
Falls Awareness Week is also looking at nutrition and hydration, with an afternoon tea open to carers and families on Wellbeing Wednesday (tomorrow, 18 September).
On Thursday Pets as Therapy dogs will visit the wards along with the Trust’s choir and Chaplaincy Team and volunteer groups will spend time talking to and reading to patients.
The week is being supported by Walsall Healthcare’s Well Wishers charity too which has provided the afternoon tea as well as patient packs and boxes for dentures, glasses and hearing aids.