Research project

CAtCH-Falls - Community alternatives to acute hospitalisation for older people who have fallen

Project overview

Each year 30% of older people living in the community fall and are often taken to hospital for assessment. National guidelines recommend that after a fall, older people have a thorough check up and help to prevent further falls. We currently don’t know what the best assessment is for older people who fall and are assessed at home.

There are several health services which can assess people in the community without a hospital visit. These can be described as “Community Alternatives to aCute Hospitalisation” (CAtCH) services. In different areas in the country these services have different team members, resources and ways of working. Research is needed who and what is needed to work in CAtCH services, particularly to support older people who have fallen.

This study plans to look at previous work in this area by looking at published articles, service reports, government documents and internet resources to find out what is essential for these services. We also plan to survey and interview people who work in CAtCH services in the UK to understand what is available for older people who have fallen. The research findings will be used to develop resources for patients, the public and healthcare workers to showcase CAtCH services. The team also plan to produce a report for healthcare commissioners and support policy-makers. It will also allow the team to apply for further research funding in this area including further projects to look at public awareness of CAtCH.

Staff

Lead researchers

Dr Sara Mckelvie DM, MSc, MRCGP, DGM, MBBS, MA

NIHR Clinical Lecturer in Gen Practice

Research interests

  • General Practice
  • Healthcare for Older Adults
  • Community-based alternatives to Hospitalisation
Connect with Sara
Other researchers

Dr Rachel Dewar-Haggart BSc (Hons) MSc PhD CPsychol

Public Health Teaching Fellow

Research interests

  • Primary care
  • Health psychology
  • Qualitative methods
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Miss Lois Woods

Senior Research Assistant

Research interests

  • Lois collaborates on projects across the university to provide information specialist support or as part of SHTAC’s review team.
  • Evidence synthesis contributions to a rapid review of the effectiveness of digital tools to improve recruitment and retention of participants in randomised controlled trials (project led by Southampton Clinical Trials Unit).
  • Information science support for a realist review of strategies to prevent urinary tract infections in older people in care homes https://www.southampton.ac.uk/stoputi/ (StOP UTI project)
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Collaborating research institutes, centres and groups

Research outputs