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NCT Number: NCT07818200

Developing Post-falls Management Principles in Care Homes

Falls are common among older people living in care homes and can cause serious injuries. After a fall, older people require post-falls management. This involves timely risk assessment and immediate action to manage potential injuries and reduce risk of further falls. Residents may need support from several organisations. However, coordinating post-falls management can be challenging. Organisations may have different ways of working. There may be differences in opinions about the best course of action. Care home residents, relatives, staff and health professionals have highlighted that post-falls management guidance is needed.

This research aims to develop principles for post-falls management for older people in care homes. The principles are intended to support a consistent approach and shared understanding across health and social care organisations. The first component (an online national survey) is already underway to map current post-falls management organisational processes for older people who fall in care homes and is not included in this protocol. This protocol includes the final three components of the research: 1) patient journey mapping to understand decision making process after a fall, 2) semi-structured interviews to explore different perspectives on factors affecting post falls decision-making and key areas for inclusion in the principles, and 3) an online modified Delphi to develop a consensus on key principles for consistent post-falls management in care homes. The research follows an implementation science approach and the Behaviour Change Wheel will be used to structure the work.

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Key information

Conditions

Fall Fall Accident

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust

Nottingham, United Kingdom

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Fran Hallam-Bowles

CONTACT

[email protected]

07595284862

About this study

A mixed methods, sequential exploratory design will be used to co-develop principles. This study includes 3 components:

Retrospective patient journey mapping
Semi-structured interviews
Online modified Delphi method using cross-sectional surveys at 3 time points.

Who can participate

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Patient journey mapping:

Resident living in a care home in Nottinghamshire or Lincolnshire
Aged 65 or over
Has experienced a fall in the last six months
Has not fallen within the last two weeks
Is capable of providing written or verbal informed consent as assessed by the researcher in line with the Mental Capacity Act or has a diagnosis of dementia and has a personal or nominated consultee who can advise on the person's feelings and wishes

Interviews:

Resident or relative of a resident taking part in the patient journey mapping
Care home staff in England with experience of post falls management with older people in care homes
Healthcare staff in England working in primary, community, emergency and acute settings with experience of post falls management with older people in care homes
Ability to communicate verbally

Delphi:

Care home staff in any role or healthcare staff in any role working in a primary, community, emergency and acute settings
Work in a care home or healthcare setting in England
Has any previous experience in supporting older people immediately after a fall in a care home as part of their role
Aged 18 years or over

Exclusion criteria

Patient journey mapping:

Outside of stated location
Outside of stated age range
No falls in the last six months
Fallen within the last two weeks
Unable to provide written or verbal informed consent and a personal or nominated consultee cannot be identified for residents with a diagnosis of dementia

Interviews:

Residents or relatives who did not take part in the patient journey mapping
Care home and healthcare staff outside of England
Staff working outside of stated settings
Care home and healthcare staff with no experience of post falls management with older people in care homes
Residents who do not have mental capacity to provide informed consent (written or verbal) and do not have a personal consultee who can advise on the person's feelings or wishes.
Unable to communicate verbally

Delphi:

Care home and healthcare staff working outside of England
Staff working outside of stated settings
No experience in supporting older people immediately after a fall in a care home as part of their role
Under 18 years of age

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

Identification of principles for consistent post-falls management with older people in care homes using the Behaviour Change Wheel.

Time frame: 18 months

Principles will be classified to the relevant level of the Behaviour Change Wheel: sources of behaviour, intervention functions, policy categories. The classification of principles will be recorded.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Fran Hallam-Bowles

CONTACT

[email protected]

07595284862

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Development of Post-falls Management Principles for Older People in Care Homes

Important dates

Study start: 2026
Primary completion: 2027
Study completion: 2028
First posted: Sep 14, 2026
Registry last updated: Sep 14, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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