Falls prevention

We want to provide the residents of our borough with all the support they need to live a long, healthy, independent life. Falls and fractures in older people are often preventable, however, every year people in Cheshire West and Chester fall and injure themselves, sometimes severely. In addition, many people who fall have to be admitted to hospital. The human cost of falling includes, distress, pain, injury, loss of confidence, loss of independence and even death.

In response to this, reducing the number of older people who fall and need to be admitted to hospital has been identified as a key outcome within the Cheshire West Place Plan 2022-2024. The Place Plan, developed by the Council and the local NHS, sets out a vision for the health and wellbeing of our residents.

This strategy also has a clear relationship with other strategic and operational plans across the borough. These include the:

• Cheshire West and Chester Council Plan (2020-24) - building greener, fairer and stronger communities that tackle inequalities and to have healthier communities, living longer more independent lives.
• All Age Carers' Strategy (2021-26) - joint strategy by the Council and Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group that focuses on carers of all ages and backgrounds to feel valued, empowered and have access to the right support at the right time.
• Cheshire West and Chester Ageing Well Accommodation and Support Strategy (2022-2026) - focuses on helping our residents to stay independent for longer and enabling them to make informed decisions on the care and support services they may need.
• Cheshire West and Chester Climate Emergency Response Plan - how we can all as residents, and organisations, individually and collectively act to reduce the detrimental effects of climate change in the way we deliver services and live our lives.
• Strategies within the Health Improvement Strategy 2022-24 - healthy eating and being active; smoking; alcohol and drugs misuse - all focus on reducing health inequalities and improving the health and wellbeing of people in the borough. In turn, enabling our residents to live more fulfilling, independent and healthy lives.

This strategy focuses on the next two years, strengthening our priorities in light of the impact of COVID-19, whilst building upon the falls prevention work that has taken place since 2017.