North West London Physio & Treatment Centre

5 FACT ABOUT FALLS:

                                                                                                                                        

• 37.3 million falls that are severe enough to require medical attention, occur each year.

 

• Age is a major risk factor for fall injury. 30% of people over 65 and 50% of those over 80 years fall each year.

 

• Falls and fractures in people aged 65 are the leading cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of nonfatal trauma-related hospital admissions.

 

• Falls destroy confidence, increase isolation and reduce independence, with around 1 in 10 older people who fall becoming afraid to leave their homes in case they fall again.

 

• People can lose as much as 3% to 5% of their muscle mass each decade after age 30. Even if you are active, you’ll still have some muscle loss.lt happens faster around age 75. But it may also speed up as early as 65 or as late as 80. It’s a factor in frailty and the likelihood of falls and fractures in older adults.

 

• There are many different reasons why people fall in later life. It can happen as a result of dizziness caused by different medications or medical conditions. Falls can be caused by extrinsic factors such as poorly fitting footwear and uneven paving, or by the physiological conditions such as natural deterioration in eyesight and muscle strength, which can make it difficult to balance see and step over potential hazards. In many cases, it is not simply one, but a combination of these risk factors that leads to a fall.

 

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5 FACTS ABOUT FALLS PREVENTION TRAINING:     

 

• A tailored exercise programme can reduce falls by as much as 54 per cent.

 

• Of those people who enter falls prevention programmes, most do so only after they have fallen, by which time they may have suffered serious consequences.

 

• There are many different reasons why people fall in later life.

 

• Doing regular strength exercises and balance exercises can improve your strength and balance, and reduce your risk of having a fall.

 

• The Exercise shouldn’t be a “mission”. It should be challenging and fun!

 

 

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF THIS PROGRAM IS FOR YOU?

 

• You have a fear of falling
   

• You are using stick / walker
   

• You have stopped going out as much as you used to or you are going out with a chaperone
   

• You hold onto the furniture when walking around at home
   

• You have fallen more than twice this year
   

• You have already had surgery / impairment because of a previous fall
   

• You have been feeling much more physically weaker in the past few months
   

• You are curious about your fall risk and want to have an initial assessment to make sure you are OK!

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THE PLAN:

 

• Before beginning the program, you will need to complete a Fall Risk test. Yes, you will be given a score.

 

• The score will tell us what is your chance to fall in 90% accuracy.

 

• After the test we will talk about the areas where you need to improve and will make a detailed exercise plan for you to complete at home in between appointments. Don’t worry, it’s fun!

 

• We will continue to meet once a week for a minimum of 6 treatments and will then assess your progress.

 

• Please note that evidence based research has shown that that best results occur with 6 hours of falls prevention treatment.

 

• Every three months we will do a re-test and see your new score.

 

 

                                           

Improved Confidence    Improved Independence    Improved Life!