BU Research Blog

With Osteoporosis Dorset, BU has recently set up a forum that brings together local professionals and representatives of older people with an interest in the prevention of falls. Dorset Alliance to Prevent falls and Promote independence (Dorset APP) is an initiative led by Samuel Nyman as part of his research in this area. Membership of the alliance is growing, but to date there are 24 members including representatives of all the local hospitals, Age UK Bournemouth, Age UK Dorchester, the University of the Third Age (Bournemouth branch), Bournemouth Older People’s Forum, Dorset Partnership for Older People Programme, among others. The alliance will be working together to enhance information sharing and generation of new ideas as to prevent falls and hip fractures in the Dorset region; similar to the alliance initiated by the National Osteoporosis Society and Age UK at the national level.

Dorset APP was launched at a conference in Bournemouth hosted by Osteoporosis Dorset on the 1^st of May. The conference, “A positive approach to preventing falls and broken hips in care homes”, included a presentation by Bournemouth University Dementia Institute (BUDI) members Sue Barker and Samuel Nyman on the prevention of falls among older people with dementia. There was a lot of interest about the alliance on the day and in the first meeting of the alliance to be held at BU within a few weeks.

More information about Dorset APP can be found on BU’s news page: http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/newsandevents/News/2013/may/ne04-bu-helps-launch-dorset-falls-alliance.html

Samuel Nyman

BUDI and Psychology Research Centre