As we get closer to the winter months there is an increase in falls. In 2020/21 alone in the UK there were reported to be 216,075 fall in adults over 65 years old (HES 2020). You are at a higher risk of falls if you have had a recent fall within the last 12months. Fall related injuries can be fatal dependent on the circumstances, leading to hospital admission or cause permanent disability. “Falls remain a major cause of injury and death amongst the over 70s and account for more than 50 per cent of hospital admissions for accidental injury” (Age UK 2022).
Causes of falls:
- Poor balance
- Environmental factors (wet or icy floor, trip hazards, uneven floor)
- Muscle weakness
- Visual impairment or vestibular problems (such as vertigo, balance or perception problems)
- Cognitive impairment
- Medications
- Poor footwear
- Low confidence when walking out and about (due to feeling unstable on your feel or just unsafe if you do not have anybody with you)
- You’re at higher risk if you have osteoporosis or over the age of 65 years (due to a reduction in muscle mass and strength especially if not very active)
- Consuming alcohol (can reduce your balance and your sense of surrounding)
- Cluttered home environment (can make it harder to move around due to trip hazards or things you are having to manoeuvre around)
Things you can do to help reduce your risk of falling:
- Strength and balance training (can help reduce falls risk by up to 55% [Age UK 2022]), starting with just practicing sit to stand and balancing double and single leg using your worktop to help aid balance. To help build up your muscle strength and improve your balance and stability
- Wear supportive footwear with good grip
- Take smaller steps to help maintain your centre of gravity, and reduce your risk of slipping
- Take your time when out and about, as rushing can increase your risk of falling
- Avoid going out if icy where possible
- Use aids to give you extra stability such as handrails, walking stick, someone else
- Doing some brisk walking or gentle exercise classes such as Tai Chi or Pilates
- Getting your vision checked to ensure you do not need glasses/prescription changing
Things we can do to help reduce your risk of falling:
- Assess your falls risk, to see if you have any predisposing factors potentially leading to future falls which we may be able to help with or advise you on
- Injury assessment of any prior injuries that are not quite back to normal, or any known niggles or weaknesses you perceive to have which may be causing your falls or reduced balance and/or confidence
- Assess your balance and provide you with a personal exercise plan, to help improve your stability and balance while also working on your confidence
- Improve range of movement of your joints and muscles, to help improve your gait pattern
- Advice on how to help prevent falls relevant to yourself. Whether that be gait analysis and advice on how to improve your walking, posture and balance, while also seeing if there are any other factors leading to your falls
- Teaching how to get up off the floor to help if you do have a fall, so that you know how to safely return to a standing or seated position, and to give you additional confidence in knowing that you are able to safely get up from the floor if you do fall
References:
Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), NHS Digital for the respective financial year, England. Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) Copyright © 2020, Re-used with the permission of NHS Digital. All rights reserved. Local Authority estimates of resident population, Office for National Statistics (ONS) Unrounded mid-year population estimates produced by ONS and supplied to the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities.
Overview | Falls in older people: assessing risk and prevention | Guidance | NICE
Falls in the over 65s cost NHS £4.6 million a day (ageuk.org.uk)
