In the busy corridors of care homes across the UK, one of the most persistent and underestimated threats to resident wellbeing continues to play out every single day: falls.

Though often accepted as an unfortunate consequence of ageing, the reality is far more urgent—and preventable. Falls are not just a clinical statistic or a tick box in regulatory compliance; they are moments of real human impact.

Behind every fall is a resident who may suffer bruising, a fracture, or worse. And alongside them, a care team navigating emotional stress, documentation demands, and the complex reality of balancing reactive care with the aspiration for something better.

The Scale of the Problem

Let’s begin with the numbers.

According to data from the NHS and the Care Quality Commission (CQC):

• Between 50% to 75% of care home residents experience at least one fall each year.
• Older adults in care homes are three times more likely to fall than those living independently.
• Falls are responsible for 40% of all injury-related deaths among people aged 65 and over in the UK.
• The NHS spends approximately £2.3 billion annually on falls and fall-related injuries.
• Each care home resident falls on average three times per year, creating recurring cycles of anxiety and risk.

Now imagine a typical 60-bed care home. That’s potentially 180 fall incidents every year, each one requiring assessment, intervention, possible hospitalisation, and a conversation with family.

This isn’t a minor operational issue. This is a full-scale clinical and human crisis.

The Human Cost

Falls affect far more than bones and balance. Many residents develop a lasting fear of falling—a condition that leads to reduced mobility, withdrawal from social interaction, and a dangerous decline in physical and emotional health.

Confidence is eroded.

Autonomy fades.

What begins as a single fall can evolve into a cascade of complications that undermine a resident’s dignity and quality of life. And the toll on staff is just as real.

Care workers must respond quickly and compassionately, often under conditions of limited time and high emotional load. A single fall may occupy 1 to 2 hours of staff time between response, documentation, monitoring, and family communication.

Multiply that by dozens of incidents annually, and it becomes clear how deeply falls divert energy away from proactive, relationship-based care.

Regulatory Pressure

The CQC has made it clear: falls are a critical indicator of safety in care. During inspections, providers are evaluated on their ability to prevent, record, and learn from fall incidents. Failure to address fall risk can impact ratings, regulatory outcomes, and the public reputation of a care provider.

But it’s not just about passing inspections. Preventing falls is an ethical imperative.

When we fail to prevent preventable harm, we fall short of the care mission itself.

A Culture of Resignation

Despite all this, many care environments still operate under a veil of resignation.

Falls are seen as inevitable—a symptom of frailty, a fact of institutional life. Devices like pendants and alarms are installed, and staff are trained to respond quickly.

But the assumption remains: the fall will happen. We’ll just try to be there when it does.

This mindset, though deeply embedded, is no longer tenable. Not with the knowledge we now have. Not with the technology now available.

And not with the expectations of families, regulators, and, most importantly, the residents themselves. The time has come to challenge the norm.

Reframing the Conversation

At Arquella, we believe that fall prevention is not a dream - it’s a deliverable. What we are talking about is not just a sound bite, but fall prevention in it's truest form. We can, and must, rethink how we address fall risk. We must shift from a reactive culture to a proactive strategy.

This starts with recognising that:

• Falls are not just unfortunate—they are largely predictable.
• Injuries are not just treatable—they are often preventable.
• Technology is not just for alerting—it can foresee, warn and prevent.

When we begin to see falls not as a normal consequence of ageing but as a clinical and operational failure that we can address, everything changes.

In the ebook (and remaining blogs) that follow, we will unpack how care providers can:

• Transition from reactive to predictive care
• Leverage cutting-edge AI technology without compromising dignity
• Empower care staff through real-time data and intelligent alerting
• Redefine falls as a preventable phenomenon, not a statistical inevitability

Because when fall prevention is done right, detection becomes the backup, not the plan.

Download the full e-book here