Falls Awareness Week
Falls Prevention Awareness Week 23 – 27 September 2024
Falls Prevention Awareness Week is a nationwide effort to raise awareness on preventing falls, reducing the risk of falls, and helping us all live without the fear of falling as we age. You may think that falls prevention messages only apply to very elderly, frail people, but actually it’s helpful for us all to know the key messages and where to access support, whether for ourselves, or for our family and friends.
Our risk of having a fall increases as we age, however, it’s important to say that falling is not an inevitable part of ageing, and, even though Brighton & Hove, just like many other areas, has a growing older population, the most recent NHS data from 2022/2023 has shown that the actual number of falls requiring an emergency admission in our city is at the lowest level for 12 years!
It just goes to show, that if we all take steps to reduce our risk, we can stay strong, steady, and independent, enjoy our later life and age well. If you had more than one fall in the past 12 months, talk to your GP as you may need to be referred to Falls and Fracture Prevention Service.
Here are some of the ways you can reduce your risk of falling:
- Being active and doing simple exercises designed to improve strength and balance can make a real difference. For more information on strength and balance classes in Brighton & Hove, visit: Strength & Balance - Ageing Well.
- A chiropodist is trained to look after people’s feet and advise you on proper foot care. Ask at the GP practice to see an NHS chiropodist (also known as a podiatrist), but be aware that there may be restrictions on who can be referred. To find a private chiropodist or podiatrist, contact the College of Podiatry.
- If you have diabetes, you should have your feet screened as part of your annual diabetes review to look for, and monitor, any changes
- Sight and hearing can also affect your likelihood of falls. You can find your local NHS optician services and some also offer home visits: Sight Tests - NHS.
- You can test your hearing online or at local audiologist services: take a hearing test online
- It’s also important to have a regular review of any medications you are on as certain medicines can sometimes cause dizziness or drowsiness and, along with other factors, contribute to the risk of falling over. You can find helpful information in this guide: Falls - Patient Leaflet. If you are worried about your medications and/or your risk of falling, please contact your pharmacist or GP Practice to discuss before taking any steps to reduce them.
Visit the Council website to find out more about reducing your risk of having fall - here.
