Fall Risks: Supporting the Care of Those Living with Dementia with Lyra Multi

Geraldine McMurdie, Dementia Specialist at Quality Compliance Systems (QCS), discusses the links between dementia and falls and the ways in which these can have an impact on those living with a dementia.

Those living with a dementia are at a significantly higher risk of falling, with studies indicating that one in three adults over the age of 65, and half of people over 80, will experience at least one fall a year. People living with a dementia are also 5 times more likely to be admitted to long-term care after a fall.

Falls can significantly impact the confidence, health, and wellbeing of individuals living with dementia. They can also heighten the stress experienced by caregivers and place additional strain on the healthcare system.

Dementia and falls

As a dementia progresses over time effecting the brain and how it works, this can often lead to significant effects on a person’s mobility and safety awareness, leading to challenges such as reduced balance, difficulty managing dual tasks, spatial navigation issues, increased frailty, and medication side effects. These factors contribute to those living with a form of dementia experiencing falls.

Key statistics:

• Injury and hospitalisation – around 31% of people with dementia experience a fall leading to hospitalisation over a 2.5 year period
• Fracture risk – 18% of those with dementia will experience a fracture, often following a fall
• Mortality risk – falls can be a major cause of death, with higher injury-related mortality risks in those living with dementia
• Often when someone living with dementia experiences a fall an ambulance is called as the individual may not be able to convey how much pain they are experiencing or how serious the injury is. This can lead to distress and poor health outcomes if care staff do not know how to respond to the situation in a prompt, caring and appropriate manner.

Dealing with falls

Understandably falls can happen very quickly and without warning and are often a distressing time for both the individual who has fallen and the care provider who is looking after them. It is a time where decisions will need to be made quickly in order to provide the best possible care and support at the time it’s needed most. It is also important that these decisions are made in line with the individual’s care plan and the policies in place for best practice.

With Lyra Multi, QCS’s latest stage of AI technology, care providers can access all of their policies and compliance documents within seconds, helping them to make those quick decisions in a compliant and safe way. Lyra Multi connects all relevant policies, interprets them in context and converts complexity into clear, relevant and practical guidance exactly when teams need it, turning policy storage into real decision support.

At any given time, users can ask a question and get instant, tailored answers along with clear summaries and key insights. For example, if a resident with a dementia has fallen over and the care provider wants to check how support them with safe and appropriate care, they can type the message into Lyra and have all the relevant information from all of their policies provided to them in a succinct and understandable way within seconds.

Ensuring decisions are made both quickly and in a way that is compliant with regulations and policies will provide the best possible care for the individual who has fallen as well as give the care provider the confidence that they have acted in the most suitable way.

Find out more about Lyra Multi at www.qcs.co.uk/lyra