Gillian Walker

Gillian Walker, an Occupational Therapist at Northern Ireland Hospice, Belfast, was the proud winner of the Cosyfeet OT Award 2017. The £1000 award helped fund the OT department’s pioneering project to increase falls awareness among Day Hospice patients, and among the carers who assist them. Here she reports on the project.

Having received an award of £1000 from Cosyfeet, the Northern Ireland Hospice OT department commenced delivery of a falls prevention programme in September 2017. The aim of the project was to increase falls awareness, primarily among patients but also among families, carers, volunteers and staff.

Day Hospice is an invaluable service offered by NI Hospice, providing multidisciplinary intervention and a therapeutic programme to patients with life limiting conditions, including cancer, COPD, MND and dementia, to name a few. Many of our patients are at an increased risk of falls due to their conditions, symptoms, medications and co morbidities and often are referred to Day Hospice having received no falls prevention education.

Day Hospice offers a service three days a week, with patients typically attending once weekly. Therefore, it was decided to hold three sessions over a one week period to accommodate all attending patients.

Please click here to view the full report.

NI Hospice OTs (left to right) Patricia Hutchinson, Gillian Walker & Anne Adams