Developing a falls management tool for adults with learning disabilities - Summer Update

Over the past year a research team from Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust has been working with people with a learning disability, their carers and healthcare professionals to develop a Guide to Action (GtA) Tool to identify falls risk factors and supports action to reduce these risks. 

What is the study about?
The study aims to develop a falls management checklist to support adults with learning disabilities (and those working with them) to think about the reasons they might fall and what could be done to reduce the chance of falling. The checklist is called the Guide to Action Tool

What have we done so far?

• We have completed our interviews with the help of healthcare professionals, carers and adults with learning disabilities. Thank you to everyone who has been involved. Nicola, our clinical researcher, is now busy writing up the first of our papers on the study 
• From the interview feedback, we have decided to make two parts to the tool- one part aimed at clinicians and the other part aimed at adults with learning disabilities and carers to be able to use
• We are starting work on the clinician part of the tool first ,and in June held a workshop with clinicians to look at the tools format .The tool has now gone to a group of clinical experts to check its content is up to date

What’s next for the study?
The next stage is to try out the tool with a local group of clinicians and adults with learning disabilities to see what they think about using it.

We need you!
We are really keen to share the results of everyone’s hard work on the study. In June Nicola presented on “Supporting Adults with Intellectual Disabilities to take part in research” at the Engage, Enthuse, Empower’ conference , and Katie is due to present study results at the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists for People with Learning Disabilities, learning event in September. 

If you know of any opportunities for the team to present our study research or would like to get in touch, it would be great to hear from you.

Please contact Nicola (Nicola.lidstone@nuh.nhs.uk).