Falls Prevention Guide

How can PhysioFunction help reduced reduce of falls?

At PhysioFunction we have trained Physiotherapists and Sports and Rehab Therapists who can assist you to reduce your risk of falls. A Physiotherapist will complete an initial assessment to identify your risk factors around falling, including looking at your strength, balance and gait.

Following assessment, recommendations will be made and may include regular 1:1 therapy sessions with a member of the therapy team, working on strength and balance, completion of an individualised home exercise programme and advice/assessment of walking aids. We can also demonstrate and teach effective techniques for how to get off the floor if you do fall. 

We can provide vestibular rehabilitation, and if orthotics are required we can either assess or make a referral to our Orthotist depending on the individual's needs.

What you should do if you fall

• Remain calm.
• If you are not hurt, and you feel able to, you can try to slowly get up. Take your time with this:
• Roll onto your hands and knees and move to a stable piece of furniture, such as a chair or bed.
• Hold on to the furniture with both hands to support yourself and, when you feel ready, slowly get up, ideally leading with your strongest leg to push you off the floor.
• Sit down and rest for a while before carrying on with your daily activities.
• Seek medical attention and inform GP as required.

• If you are hurt or unable to get up, try to get someone's attention by calling out for help, banging on the wall or floor, or using your personal alarm or mobile phone if you have one on you.
• If you do not have any way of getting assistance, crawl to a telephone and dial 999 to ask for an ambulance.
• Try to reach something warm, such as a blanket or dressing gown to put over you, particularly your legs and feet to lower the chance of developing hypothermia.
• If possible, change your position every 30-minutes to reduce the chance of developing pressure sores until assistance has arrived.

How to reduce risk of falls?

Manage your health conditions and medicines.

Ensure you are having regular health reviews with your GP and medical teams to ensure your medical conditions are optimally managed. You should have regular medication reviews, at least once a year with your GP, and if you experience any side effects such as dizziness, please ensure your GP is aware of these in case changes to your medications are required.

Keep hydrated.

Ensure you are keeping hydrated, as dehydration can cause dizziness and increase your risk of falls. You should aim to drink 6-8 glasses of fluid a day unless advised not to by a health professional. This fluid does not just have to be water, it can include tea, coffee, and low sugar/sugar free squash as well. Caffeine is a mild form of diuretic, therefore try to keep caffeinated drinks to a minimum, ideally less than 4 a day.

Get regular eye tests.

It is important to take care of your eyes and your eyesight to reduce your risk of falls. An aspect of maintaining good balance relies on adequate eyesight. You should get your eyes tested at least every 2 years to ensure your eyes are healthy and your prescription is up to date.

Investigate any hearing problems.

As well as your eyesight, your hearing is another essential aspect of maintaining balance. If you notice any changes to your hearing, ensure you go to your GP as soon as possible to have this investigated further. It could be as simple as a build up of ear wax or an ear infection or you may need to be referred for a hearing test.

Optimise good bone health.

Having strong bones will reduce your risk of falls as well as reduce the risk of injury post fall. Regular exercise and having adequate levels of Calcium and Vitamin D in your diet will help to keep your bones strong.

Foot health and footwear

If you have problems with your feet, you are at a higher risk of tripping or falling. Any changes to sensation or pain in your feet should be reported to your GP and ensure your toenails are kept short. Another common presentation with many neurological conditions is foot drop/ drop foot. This can impact balance and increase the risk of falls by tripping over. For more information on foot drop/drop foot and how PhysioFunction can help with this, please click here. Foot.Drop.Solutions.at.PhysioFunction

As well as maintaining good foot health, the footwear you use is also important when it comes to falls prevention. If you are at risk of falls, you should avoid wearing high heels, open toe shoes and shoes without a back to them. Ideal footwear should have low heels with support around the sides, thin soles and good grip. Slippers for around the house should be fitted around your feet and not be slip-on, with good grip on the bottom. You should avoid walking around the house in socks and tights.

Environment

Many falls occur in the home environment, it is therefore important to reduce this risk as much as possible. This can be done by:

• Removing loose mats and rugs around the house. If mats are required, you should make sure they are made of non-slip material.
• Ensure walkways are clear of clutter and trip hazards such as wires and excess objects.
• Consider the installation of grab rails around the house by the bath/shower, toilet and access in and out of the front and back doors. A second handrail on the stairs is also likely to be helpful.
• Ensure that there is adequate lighting around the house and if you wake during the night, ensure that there is a night light to illuminate your path to the bathroom.
• Pets, such as dogs and cats, are a trip hazard as they can get under your feet. It is important to be aware of where they are when you are walking around, using a collar with a bell could help you with this.

When walking outdoors it is also important to be aware of the environment around you. To reduce your risk of falls outdoors consider the following:

• Be mindful when going outdoors when it is icy, there are lots of wet leaves on the ground and it is starting to get dark- if required take assistance or use a walking aid.
• Consider using a walking aid outdoors as required.
• Ensure appropriate footwear is worn.
• Be aware of uneven surfaces and curbs.

Risk factors of falls

Falls and fall-related injuries are a common and serious problem for older people and people with neurological conditions. Neurological conditions, including Stroke, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's Disease, cause muscle weakness, altered sensation, reduced co-ordination, pain and balance issues, which all increase the risk of falls. Most falls do not result in significant injury, however individuals may experience some injury, pain and a loss of confidence or anxiety, which can result in a loss of independence.

Some other aspects that could increase your risk of falls are aging, cardiovascular conditions, vestibular conditions, poor eyesight, poor hearing and taking 4 or more different medications. The environment that you live in could also increase your risk of falling, for example trip hazards around the house and poor lighting.