Falls Prevention

The exact nature of any intervention to reduce the risk of falling will depend on the results of the assessment. However, the key components of any intervention are likely to be:

• strength and balance training;
• home hazard assessment and intervention;
• vision assessment and referral;
• medication review with either modification or withdrawal.

People living in the community with a history of recurrent falls and/or balance and gait deficit are most likely to benefit from a muscle strengthening and balance programme. This should be individually prescribed and monitored by an appropriately trained professional.

The guidance recommends that "older people who have received treatment in hospital following a fall should be offered a home hazard assessment and safety intervention/modifications by a suitably trained health care professional" and "home hazard assessment is shown to be effective only in conjunction with follow-up and intervention, not in isolation".

Older people on psychotropic medications should have their medication reviewed and discontinued if possible to reduce their risk of falling. Those people on more than one medication should also have this reviewed.

The NHS site sets the following things that people can do to prevent a fall:

In the home

• mop up spills straight away;
• remove clutter, trailing wires, and frayed carpet;
• consider getting handrails for the bathroom;
• use non-slip mats and rugs;
• use high wattage bulbs so you can see clearly;
• organise your home so that you keep climbing, stretching, and bending to a minimum, and don't bump into things;
• get help to do things you can't do safely;
• slow down in your regular routine and take things gradually;
• consider using a personal fall alarm system;
• don't walk on slippery floors in socks or tights;
• avoid wearing loose-fitting trailing clothes which might trip you up, and keep your home warm - cold muscles can lead to accidents.

Your health.

• have regular eye tests;
• look after your feet, and wear well-fitting sensible shoes with thin soles, high sides and good grip;
• hip protectors worn under clothes reduce the risk of hip fracture by at least 50%;
• get a flu jab - being unwell can make people more prone to fall;
• don't mix alcohol with medication - it may cause dizziness and loss of balance;
• let your GP know if you feel dizzy, and review your medication with your GP regularly;
• if you feel unwell, let your family, friend, or neighbour know;
• jerky movements may make you feel dizzy, particularly if you have arthritis;
• have enough calcium and vitamin D in your diet to keep bones strong and reduce the risk of fracture. Calcium is found in dairy products (choose lower fat ones) and vitamin D is found in oily fish and meat.

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