Falls Service

If you have had a fall, or are at risk from a fall, our community falls service is here to help.

Our service is provided by a number of healthcare professionals including occupational therapists, physiotherapists and specialist nurses, who are part of an integrated therapy team. We will provide you with a number of services from within the community.

We work with other health care staff if you have either had a fall or help to prevent you from having a fall.

We know that a fall can have a major impact on a person’s quality of life, causing both physically and psychologically damaging effects. It’s very import that we try to prevent falls from happening.

The team will:

carry out assessments at your home
provide you with equipment and make adjustments where necessary
provide you with an exercise programme
work with social care professionals to increase awareness of falls

You will be referred to our service by your GP, community nurse or other health professional.

How to prevent a fall

You can do a number of things to help stop yourself from having a fall, including:

wear sensible footwear
have regular eye tests
make sure your home is free from clutter – be careful of trailing wires and rugs
make sure stairwells are clearly lit
safety is just as important outside of your house as it is inside – uneven paths and slippery surfaces can cause you to trip or slip
look after your feet with regular visits to a podiatrist and make sure slippers and shoes fit well
try to keep active
eat a well balanced diet with enough calcium and vitamin D.

There is more information about falls on our Living Well With Us pages.