What are we trying to do?
The FaME programme is an evidence-based, group, face-to-face, six-month exercise programme specifically aimed at improving the strength and balance of people aged 65 and over. The FaLls EXercise Implementation (FLEXI) study is currently working to explore FaME provision in areas across England that are successful in reaching underserved groups. The projects specific focus is on three underserved groups (e.g. minority ethnic groups, male participants and the delivery of FaME in socioeconomically deprived areas).  The findings of the project will be used to enable other sites across the UK to reach underserved groups more successfully. This will enable all older adults at risk of falling access to the FaME programme and work towards reducing inequalities.

Why is this important?
Falling can cause injury, pain, loss of confidence and independence. This is undesirable for the individual and their families, and places significant demands on health and social care services.
 
Falls are not inevitable. By improving an individual’s strength and balance, alongside skills to help getting up from a fall (should this happen), the likelihood of a fall occurring or having damaging consequences, such as a long lie on the floor, can be minimised.
 
Research has shown that FaME results in fewer falls, improved confidence, and reduced concerns-about-falling. Despite this, FaME does not reach underserved groups as it should (e.g. minority ethnic groups, male participants and socioeconomically deprived areas). More needs to be understood about how best to reach underserved communities across the UK.

 

How are we doing it?
To improve our understanding of what works to better reach underserved communities in relation to FaME participation, we are conducting case-study analysis. We will collect data via observations, semi-structured interviews and document analysis from the 5 research sites to help answer our research questions. We will also be asking several sites that responded to the nationwide survey to complete a short-case study template, to further explore the provision of FaME in ‘neighbourhood’ areas where there are good examples of reach into underserved groups.

 

Who are we working with? 
This is a collaboration between NIHR Applied Research Collaborations (ARC) East Midlands who are leading the project, ARC Greater Manchester and ARC South West Peninsula. We are working with 5 research sites that deliver FaME both in-person and virtually across England (including Greater Manchester, Penrith Cumbria, Sutton Surrey, Abingdon Oxfordshire and Hampstead North-West London). These research sites were selected based on responses to a nationwide survey. 

Additionally in Greater Manchester (and Devon) there is a FaME Programme Support Offer via the National Fame Implementation Team (N-FIT). The National FaME Implementation Team is a group of experts with specific knowledge on training and delivery of FaME, falls prevention pathways and policy drivers for falls prevention. They intend to update and improve the FaME Implementation Toolkit and facilitate a Community of Practice for FaME instructors, providers and commissioners. N-FIT includes members from Later Life Training (LLT) who are a national not-for-profit organisation and leading provider of training for the FaME programme with expertise in FaME delivery and quality improvement. For the next 9 months it will also include members of the FLEXI Research Team.
 

 

Downloadable Resources

 

Contact Information

 

 

Programme Manager

 

Alison Littlewood
alison.j.littlewood@manchester.ac.uk