Frailty and falls are the main cause of injury related disability, and death in older people and affect over 30% of community-dwelling ≥65 year olds p.a. Associated NHS costs are estimated to be in excess of £2.3bn p.a. and growing. Around 40-60% of falls result in major lacerations, fractures, or traumatic brain injuries; 10-20% result in hospitalisation and/or death. During the pandemic, a disproportionate number of older adults have been affected and need support to recover due to functional decline, deconditioning and falls after shielding. PHE surveys report over 1/3 unable to walk as well as before and an additional 250,000 falls modelled. To counter this, evidence from systematic reviews concludes that strength and balance exercises reduce falls by 42%; yet levels of exercise in over 65s are generally low without therapist input. Digital interventions with behaviour change techniques show promise in engaging older adults to engage in regular exercise. The NHS approved, 'KOKU' digital falls prevention program provides tailored strength and balance exercises plus health literacy games (see [https://kokuhealth.com][0]). We are seeking funding to add a user-focused, cyber secure data dashboard with intelligent analytics to measure outcomes and further personalise the system to optimise use; recurrent stakeholder meetings have highlighted this requirement for Greater Manchester, national and international scale-up.
[0]: https://kokuhealth.com/