Steady on your feet

Falls are the most frequent and serious type of accident among the over 65 age group. A fall, reminds Pamela Holmes, can destroy confidence, reduce independence and increase isolation. Nearly a third of people over 65 living in the community will fall in a year. This rises to around half of those aged 85 and over.

Half of hip fracture patients lose their ability to live independently and up to 33% of hip fracture patients die within one year of their accident. Falls are a major factor leading to premature admission to permanent residential care.  

Simple ways to help a relative (or yourself) avoid a slip, trip or broken hip

• Get active to improve  balance, strength and co-ordination. Yoga is good for strength and coordination, but any exercise helps.  

• Get any medicines checked regularly by the GP or pharmacist  

• Make the home a safer place by removing clutter and keeping it well lit, especially in halls and on stairs  

• Eat plenty of Vitamin D and calcium to keep bones healthy  

• Take advantage of free eye tests if you are over 60 but watch out if using bifocal and varifocal glasses outside - they can more than double risk of a fall.   

• Best to have separate pairs of glasses for reading and for distance.  

Free leaflets offering simple and practical information to help reduce chance of having a fall are available from the DTI Publications Orderline on 0870 1502 500 or via the AgeUK website www.ageuk.org.uk .

Free Banana Skins Video

A limited number of Banana Skins videos, giving simple and practical advice on avoiding falls are available free of charge by emailing emma.spragg@helptheaged.org.uk    

The above article is part of the features section of laterlife.com called laterlife interest. laterlife interest contains a variety of articles of interest for visitors to laterlife.com written by a number of experienced and new journalists.

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