Health chiefs are aiming to help older Argyll and Bute residents to Move and Improve, according to a new report.
Plans are in place to provide exercise programmes in the community which will help elderly people reduce the risk of being hospitalised due to a fall. These will take place under the Move and Improve project launched by the NHS last year, which consists of three levels of standing and balancing exercises. The document, which went before a meeting on Tuesday, revealed that the area has a quarter of the population aged over 65 – far higher than the Scottish average. The report was delivered on Tuesday at a meeting of NHS Highland, which runs Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) together with the council.
Stephen Whiston, head of strategic planning and performance with the HSCP, said: ‘It has been the HSCP that we require falls admission data at a hospital and locality level to understand who is being admitted, where and why. ‘We have work starting this year with the national falls programme, the Information Services Division and Active and Independent Living and Improvement Programme to develop a quality dashboard for falls for incidences of admissions due to hip fracture and falls. ‘Argyll and Bute is taking action to reduce falls and each locality has an action plan based on the national minimum standards. ‘We are working with partners to provide evidence- based exercise programmes in our communities for older people to improve strength and balance which reduces the risk of falls.’