A free interactive post falls assessment tool devised by the West Midlands Ambulance Service has officially launched and is now available to download on both iOS and Android devices.
The new App has been launched to support carers and care assistants to be able to assess fallen residents and to make the informed decisions whether they can lift the faller themselves safely and with the appropriate lifting equipment.
It is part of a continuing initiative to decrease the amount of unnecessary ambulance callouts to un-injured fallers which is currently costing the NHS over £50 million a year and to safeguard the lives of residents living in care homes; as clinical research has shown that delayed initial recovery (a lie greater than 10 minutes but less than 1 hour) and long-lie (a lie greater than 1-hour post fall) can result in serious health implications for the faller, such as, skin damage resulting in pressure sores, kidney failure and pneumonia. (ROSPA 2017)
In the Mills, S & Whitehead, R (2018) Amber Review it highlighted that; “the longest waits for patients in the community must reduce.”
Mangar Health, a manufacturer and supplier of moving and handling equipment, the ELK and Camel Lifting Cushions worked closely with the Welsh Ambulance Service and the West Midlands Ambulance Service to launch the new ISTUMBLE app.
Simon Claridge, CEO at Mangar Health explained, “We are very proud to be involved in another project where we are having a direct impact on safeguarding the lives of care home residents and helping to reduce unnecessary ambulance callouts.
This is another great example of how the public and private sector can work hard together and strive to reach our joint goal of creating better healthcare outcomes for all involved.”
The free ISTUMBLE App takes carers through a series of questions, such as, ‘Does the person who has fallen have new neck or back pain?’ to help distinguish whether the carer can safely lift the resident themselves with lifting equipment or if they need to call an ambulance immediately.
If you would like to download the free post falls assessment tool, please visit the Apple Store or Google Play Store and search for ‘ISTUMBLE’.
