A new report has analysed over 2,000 documented falls, 853 residents and 3,000,000 transitions to learn about preventable falls in care homes.
The Teton Research Report looked at 46 care-home departments to analyse each fall stage by stage, from the conditions that preceded the fall to the minutes afterwards, to identify any recurring patterns and recommended actions.
The analysis took place between October 2025 and March 2026 and included care communities in the US, UK, Denmark and Switzerland.
The report states that falls “are the single largest source of preventable harm in residential care, and one of the largest sources of preventable cost,” but that most care providers lack “a clear, evidence-based view of which falls are actually preventable and where intervention creates the greatest impact.”
Identifying high-risk transitions for preventable falls
According to Teton, almost 8 in 10 falls (79%) are preventable in that they “involve an identifiable intervention opportunity” – meaning that there is a transition moment before the person falls when the risk can be identified, and the fall prevented. For the remaining 21%, the transition and the fall happen in the same minute.
Other findings of the report include:
- The fall risk of an individual getting out of bed is 2.5 x greater than that of any other movement
- The fall risk from getting out of bed is also significantly higher (63%) at 3am than it is at 3pm
- Residents who use a walking aid make up roughly a third of the care home population (32%) but account for more than half of falls (52%), and the majority of these (two thirds) happen when the aid is not in use
- Homes that act on these identified patterns can reduce falls by up to 82%
As well as getting out of bed, the Teton Research Report identifies other “dangerous transitions.” These include:
- Getting up from a chair – falls are 1.6 times more likely
- Going to or from out of view (along a corridor)
- Going from bed to out of view and vice versa
Factors that increase risk of preventable falls
As indicated above, the majority of falls happen during the evening and night-time. The report puts this down to: “Reduced staffing, darkness, disorientation from waking, and medication effects […].”
Night-time monitoring in care homes can therefore address high preventable risk.
Other factors that were seen to increase fall risk are:
- Long periods of inactivity before moving
- A previous fall – residents who have experienced a fall in the last 90 days are 5 times more likely to fall again in the next 30 days. This was found to be the strongest predictor across the data
- The use of a walking aid – in 63% of these cases, the aid is not in use. In 43% of these falls, the aid is in the resident’s room but out of reach. Positioning walking aids within easy reach can therefore reduce risk
- The use of a wheelchair – transitioning in and out of bed is high risk for people who use wheelchairs, with the risk increasing from 2.5 times more likely to 3.5 times more likely, but targeted monitoring can reduce this risk
- Sleep irregularity and increased respiration rate – these can act as early warning signals, showing meaningful correlations to fall risk. They appear days or weeks before a fall, enabling care providers to intervene to mitigate risk through targeted monitoring
The report makes the following recommendations:
- Placing the right alarms with the right residents
- Reviewing video footage of any falls
- Monitor continuous health insights, such as sleep regularity, respiration, walking-speed trends and stationarity
Training to prevent harm in care
First Response Training (FRT) is a leading, national training provider.
They deliver over 7,000 courses each year in the fields of health and safety, first aid, fire safety, food safety, mental health, health and social care and other special focus topics.
Their diverse portfolio includes training awards designed for health and social organisations, such as Prevention of Falls, Risk Assessment in Care, Person Centred Care and Support, Promoting Dignity in Care, Safeguarding Adults, Duty of Care, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Understanding Mental Health and many others.
A trainer from FRT explains:
“Preventable falls can have serious impacts on people using care and support. As this report indicates, once a resident has experienced one fall, they are more likely to experience another and to experience other poor outcomes.
“It’s important that those working in health and social care are aware of the risks, can develop a robust risk assessment, and provide targeted support to prevent falls.”
For more information on the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.