Its ‘Falls Prevention Week’ from 20th – 24th June and this year’s focus is on encouraging people in later life to find out more about falls prevention and taking part in local activities to reduce their risk of falling.

A slip or fall can happen to anyone, but health conditions such as muscle weakness, poor eyesight, balance and mobility can increase the risk of injury, which means that older people are much more vulnerable.

In support of the week, NHS Warrington and Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Trust are urging anyone who may have experienced a fall, or is worried about the risk of falling, to speak to their GP about getting some support. As we get older the chances of falling become greater and the consequences can become more serious, both physically and emotionally.

Research by Age UK, which combines Age Concern and Help the Aged, has found that up to one in three people over 65 fall each year in the UK, which is around 3.4million adults and with more than 400,000 older people in England attending accident and emergency departments as a result of falls, its vitally important that people seek professional advice in order to protect themselves.

Information from the North West Ambulance Service shows that every year they are called out to around 3000 homes in Warrington by people who are injured after falling.

Hip fractures are the most common serious injury related to falls. In 2001, this cost the NHS approximately £1.7 billion per annum (DoH, 2001). The UK population is ageing and therefore the cost of falls incurred by the NHS is also expected to rise.

Jannette Norton who manages Health Ageing programmes for NHS Warrington said: “Falls are not an inevitable part of ageing and much can be done to reduce the risks. Psychological factors such as increasing your confidence can play a big part in helping you to stay safely mobile and it’s also proven that problems with vision can also greatly improve the risk of falling. Having regular eye-health checks is a simple step we can all take that can help prevent us from falling.”

A number of prevention initiatives are currently delivered in Warrington to help reduce the numbers of local people injured by falls. The PCT is working with the towns nursing and care homes to reduce the potential for such incidents to happen on their premises. This intervention programme provides vital training to staff responsible for the care of vulnerable and elderly residents, helping to reduce person and environmental risk factors before they occur.

Bridgewater Community Healthcare provides a Community Falls and Rehab service for Warrington from Woolston Clinic. The service is delivered by a multi-disciplinary team and provides local people with support in falls and osteoporosis risk. The service is only available through referral from health professionals including GP, District Nurse and Occupational Therapist.

Sandra Leigh, Community Matron for Falls and Osteoporosis for Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Trust said “Falling can have a serious impact on an older person’s health and quality of life. Falls prevention services play an important role in helping them to maintain their independence”.

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