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There are 200,000 osteoporotic fractures in the UK each year. |
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60,000 of these are at the hip.
90% of fractures are in people over 50 years of age and
80% are in women
10-20% of women over 70 who break their hip die as a result.
Many more are left with impaired mobility or chronic pain
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| While we can do a lot to treat thin bones, another approach is to try and reduce the number of falls that people have. |
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| There are lots of things we can all do to try and stop older people falling. |
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| Dizziness - Many older people are dizzy when they walk about. This may be due to some of their medication, in which case their GP may be able to find a substitute. It may be something that needs a tablet to treat it. |
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| Some people find they are dizzy when they first stand up. This is called Postural Hypotension and again it may need treatment from the doctor, but it can be helped by getting up slowly and waiting till the dizziness passes before walking. |
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Using a walking stick or frame may be very important to stop someone falling. |
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Ask the physiotherapist, health visitor or district nurse for an assessment to see if one of these aids would help. |
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Poor eyesight - Many people don't see very well and this means they trip over things in their way. |
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Have regular eye checks and make sure you have the correct glasses. Conditions like cataracts can treated with surgery. Discuss this with the doctor or optician. |
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Make sure there is plenty of light in the house, especially if anyone has to get up at night.
Sometimes a commode in the bedroom saves having to walk along a dark hallway at night. The district nurse or health visitor should be able to help with this.
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Assessing the house - A lot of falls are caused by people tripping over things. It is very important that hallways, corridors and areas that we walk in are kept free of clutter. |
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Make sure there are no loose bits of carpet and that any rugs lie flat and don't move (or better still, get rid of the rugs!) |
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Make sure that there is plenty of light so that obstacles can be seen and negotiated. |
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Always have well fitting shoes or slippers. |
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Be particularly careful if there are small animals in the house. It's surprising how many people trip over their own dog! |
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Outside - Make sure paths and steps are kept clear and well maintained. Be very careful in the winter, when there may be slippery wet leaves or ice on the path. If in doubt ask someone else to do your outdoor jobs. |
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Your local occupational therapy department can help assess a house to see if extra rails or other aids would make it safer. |
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Contact your commissioners if you feel that there are roads or paths that need more street lighting or repairs. |
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And let us know any other ideas for improving safety! |
