Free four week falls prevention course aimed at anyone caring for elderly

We have news of a free online course from Newcastle University which is sure to interest care home staff, home carers and anyone who cares for older people professionally or at home.

The four week, “Ageing Well: Falls” course explores why people fall, discovers practical methods to reduce the risk of falling and recognises when to seek expert help.

Starting on 5 September, the course has been designed for people affected by falls and for carers who support those at risk of falling. It is delivered in bite sized chunks on the FutureLearn platform enabling learners to work through the course materials at their own pace. 

• ‘This course was excellent, it gave a lot of good information and dispelled many myths about “only old folks have falls”, as well as giving resources to check when problems arise.’

• ‘I liked the interaction between participants. It makes you feel you are not alone in your experiences.’

During the course, learners meet people who have been affected by falls through a series of video case studies, and discuss together the important issues they raise. 

The course draws on the knowledge and experience of world leading experts at Newcastle University through the Meet the Experts series. This includes work with the award winning Falls and Syncope Service (FASS) at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary – the largest unit of its kind in Europe, recognised internationally for its innovative work in the field of falls and blackouts.

This course has been developed by Newcastle University, Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the NIHR Newcastle Training School as part of the NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre in Ageing and Chronic Disease.

For further details and to join the course, visit: www.futurelearn.com/courses/falls

_{Pictured: Lead Educators Prof Julia Newton and Dr James Frith.}