As we age, we’re more likely to experience falling. Having a fall can result in serious injury and is a common cause of hospital admissions. A fall can also lower your confidence and make you worry about falling again.
Top tips to help reduce the risk of a fall at home
- Remove clutter from the floor which you might trip over
- Arrange furniture so that you can move freely – do you need as much furniture?
- Secure carpets, door mats and remove ‘throw’ rugs
- Mop up spillages immediately
- Fit good lighting, especially on stairs –plug-in sensor lighting can help
- Install handrails on both sides of the stairs
- Install grab rails next to the toilet and or bath/shower
- Arrange things you use all the time within easy reach
- Get your eyes checked regularly and wear your glasses if you need to
- Wear properly fitting footwear
- Don’t rush and take your time when doing things around the house.
Contributing factors
The risk of falls can also be increased by your:
- Balance
- Behaviour
- Medication
- Medical conditions.
Keeping active
It’s important to keep active. There are some easy exercises you can do to improve your strength and balance.
You’ll find lots of really useful information, activities and things to do on our Active Ageing pages.
To contact us
Our Early Intervention Service can provide an assessment to support you to manage, reduce or avoid falls. You can contact the Early Intervention Team on-line or call the Community Adult Front Door Team on 01942 828777.