Is this course for me?

Probably! This course is for people who want to learn more about looking after older people with frailty. It is designed for health and social care professionals who work with people who have frailty, and may even be even be involved in frailty related services but wouldn’t consider themselves experts across the breadth of geriatric medicine.

You may be someone who is a specialist in one area e.g. falls or polypharmacy, but want to learn how this fits in with the rest of a person’s care.

You may be someone who hasn’t been trained in frailty or geriatric medicine but finds yourself looking after more and more people with frailty related issues. You may work in the community or the voluntary or social care sector and wish to learn more. The course covers the following learning objectives and is broadly mapped to tier 2 of the frailty framework: those who regularly work with older people with frailty but who would seek support from others for complex management or decision making.

We make reference to specific services e.g. community services, in Leeds, but the course is suitable for all, and the principles of how and when to use these services, are generalisable.

What if I need training at a higher level?

We have had some experienced community matrons and general physicians enjoy the course, but if you already have a high level of knowledge of frailty and its related syndromes, we would recommend the BGS e-learning course which is pitched at tier 3 level: professionals with “a high degree of autonomy, able to provide care in complex situations and who may also lead services for people living with frailty.” This would be well suited to local frailty leads or those leading frailty related MDTs.

It would also be suitable for those that just want to learn more, and may be a useful port of call after doing our course.

Where else can I learn more?

We would recommend the British Geriatrics Society website and conferences for those that want to learn more to a higher level. The CGA in community settings series is a good place to start but the Fit for Frailty resources, Joining The Dots document and. The Acute Frailty Network also has several useful resources. Age And Ageing is a useful journal to keep up to date with the latest debates and research.

There are also useful links on my blog Some of our teaching sessions are based upon these blogs. A useful starter blog would be “21 tips for looking after older people.”

What is the format of the course?

We teach topics in around 45 minute chunks. We recognise that someone talking over slides can be quite monotonous so we have broken up each of these topics further with videos and group exercises. We have a variety of speakers who regularly teach on the course so they know their material and the intended audience well.

The course is run in hybrid format. We have around 50 people in the room sitting around tables. There is the opportunity to network and have meaningful conversations.

We also have around 100 people attending virtually. The screen is at the front of the room with the slides delivered from within the online platform. This allows people in the room to see people attending remotely and allows remote attendees to answer/ask questions to the room (although bear in mind due to time constraints and the number of people attending not everyone will be able to speak.)

We also have one of our faculty manning the chat function online so you can ask questions as the talks are going on, or after they have finished.

People in the audience ask questions or comment via microphones so that everyone attending remotely can hear the discussion in the room.

We believe you will get the most out of the course by attending in person, especially if you like to be part of conversations but to make it as accessible as possible, for as many people as possible, we run the course in a hybrid format and try to involve people attending remotely by taking some questions and comments by video call.

How much does the course cost?

The course costs £120 for a 2 day in person course and £80 for a virtual 2 day course. This is very competitive for a course of this length and quality that is externally accredited for 12 CPD points. Any profits made are invested back in to the course or kept by Leeds Teaching Hospitals. We have not set this course up to make profit but we do need to cover costs and ensure we have enough money to keep it going.

We have run some courses for free when we were piloting the course, or for specific staff groups like care homes staff or Leeds Teaching Hospitals nurses. Some of these courses have been commissioned so that staff members could attend for free.

How can I make sure I get the best out of attending remotely?

Please note the guidance given to you before the meeting. We will be playing videos so please find a quiet place that has reliable high speed internet access and speakers. Please familiarise yourself with basic settings like sound and camera.

When you are in a breakout room for a group exercise, please turn on your camera and talk to other people in your room as a matter of courtesy.

Where is the course held?

At the historic Thackray Museum in Leeds. This is a museum with interactive galleries covering the history of healthcare. Details of public transport and parking options are here. Leeds is a wonderful city with historic architecture, vibrant culture and a thriving independent food scene. It is also the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales, just a short journey away. Why not turn your educational trip into a mini-break?

What are the refreshment options?

We will provide tea, coffee and biscuits at regular intervals. We serve a sandwich lunch. If you have any special dietary requirements, please let Annette.Clarkson@nhs.net know.