Steady on, stay safe... why falls are not an inevitable part of growing old

Every year around 130,000 older people have a fall, with many suffering significant and in some instances, life-changing injuries.

A person who falls can suffer decreased mobility, loss of independence, and even long-term hospitalisation. 

Falls cost the NHS an eye-watering £2.3bn a year, with £1.1bn attributed to treating hip fractures alone. Studies have also shown that when an individual falls once, they are twice as likely to fall again.

But it’s really important to remember having a fall is not simply an inevitable part of getting older. And while the impact of falls is huge on individuals, their families and the organisations which provide care and support, many incidents are avoidable by taking some simple measures to reduce the risks.

That’s why during October we’ll be focusing on this range of measures, the lifestyle adjustments that will also help reduce falls and the organisations that can provide practical support, such as home adjustments and personal alarms.

“The impact of a fall on someone’s life can be huge and goes far beyond the physical implications,” explained Swansea Bay University Health Board’s Quality Improvement Lead for Falls Prevention, Eleri D’Arcy.

“It can impact people’s lives in many different ways and can result in a loss of confidence. This can cause people to withdraw from their daily activities, impacting their physical and mental health.

“But falls are not an inevitable part of ageing and there are many things we can do to reduce the risk of them happening.

“We don’t want to wait until a fall has happened – we want to get the preventative measures in place early and think about what can be done to reduce any risks as much as possible.”

Measures to consider include something as simple as looking around your home environment or the home of a loved one; are there any trailing wires or is there a rug at the bottom or top of a flight of stairs? – don’t forget rugs and mats can slip when someone steps on to them, so remove them if possible.

Even something as simple as a nightlight next to your bed, which can be easily switched on if you or your loved one needs to get up in the night, can go a really long way to limiting the potential risk of falling in the dark.

With the temperature dropping as we edge close to winter, frost and ice can lead to slippery surfaces in gardens and on pavements, so perhaps consider going outside, getting some exercise or going to the shops once things have warmed up.

Over the next few weeks we’ll also look at the practical support available to help prevent falls, how eating well and staying hydrated can make such a difference and why trying to stay active, doing all you can to keep your muscles and bones strong, is so important.

It’s also important to recognise how even the ‘little’ falls - the 'just a stumble' moments that didn’t cause a great deal of pain but more embarrassment, should never be dismissed or brushed off.

Below you’ll find links some useful links to organisations which can provide advice and support around the subject of preventing falls.

Follow this link to access falls prevention information on the Age Cymru website.

Follow this link to find more tips about preventing falls on the Care & Repair Cymru website.

Follow this link to read more about preventing falls on the Age Connects Wales website.