What is the Community Falls Strength and Balance Exercise Service?

What is the Community Falls Strength and Balance Exercise Service?

The Community falls strength and balance exercise service offers structured muscle strength and balance exercise programme for the population aged 65 and older across the Basildon (including Wickford and Billericay) and Brentwood to reduce the falls risk and rate. We deliver the exercise programme either at your home or group venues.

The service helps you with include:

  • Advice and exercises to make you strong and steady.
  • Advice to help improve safety and independence when mobilising.

Who is the service for?

Residents of Basildon (including Wickford/ Billericay) and Brentwood aged 65 and older, who are unsteady on their feet and less confident about getting about.

The service is available from Monday to Friday (08.30 – 16.30 hours), excluding bank holidays.

How can you be referred?

You can self-refer by calling us on 0300 300 1843 and speak to the Community Falls Strength and Balance Exercise Service or alternatively, speak to your GP or other Health and Social Care Professionals.

For general enquiries, please email us on FallsStrength&BalanceExerciseService@nelft.nhs.uk

For Clinicians

If you have any questions, please contact Falls Service Lead on: 0300 300 1843.

Email: FallsStrength&BalanceExerciseService@nelft.nhs.uk

Referrals

Please download and complete the referral form below, or you can use SystmOne electronic referral form (NELFT Falls Strength and Balance Exercise Service).

FPS Strength and Balance Exercise Referral Form V3 ..docx [docx] 48KB

Inclusion criteria

  1. Aged 65 years and over and living and registered with GP in Basildon and Brentwood.
  2. History of fall/s, and/or unsteady on feet, and/or fear of falling   
  3. Medically stable& able to participate in an exercise programme
  4. Ability to benefit from strength and balance exercise programme (get up & go score > 15 seconds)
  5. Able to mobilise independently or with minimal supervision with or without a walking aid.
  6. Able to follow simple movement instructions

Exclusion criteria

  1. Uncontrolled:
         Angina
     Hypertension (resting systolic blood pressure >180mmHg or resting diastolic blood pressure >100mmHg)
     Heart Failure
     Hypotension on exercise
     Tachycardia >100bpm 
  2. Uncontrolled visual or vestibular disturbance
  3. Severe breathlessness 
  4. Uncontrolled pain
  5. Unable to maintain seated upright posture due to neurological deficits
  6. Acute systemic illness (e.g. cancer/pneumonia)
  7. Sever cognitive impariment