British journal of nursing (Mark Allen Publishing)
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As practitioners, we need to have an awareness and recognition of how policy affects our professional practice. The NHS has undergone major policy changes in recent years, many of them affecting older people. These include national policies and guidance intended to prevent and reduce falls in the older adult. ⋯ Nurses have an active role to play in assessing older people who have fallen. They are also pivotal in implementing falls-prevention programmes and in influencing policy that will change practice. If falls prevention policies are to be effective, it is imperative that effective training systems are in place and healthcare professionals are trained and equipped to deliver the quality of care needed to help reduce falls in the older adult.