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Background

Accidental falls are by far the biggest killer in the home. An estimated 1,000 older people die each year from a fall on stairs and falls cause the most deaths and long-term health problems amongst older people.

Problems Falls Can Cause

• Falls can lead you to have a long stay in hospital.
• Falls can result in you experiencing a loss of confidence, self esteem and reduced independence.
• Falls can often result in a 'long lie' if you are unable to get up from the floor. This can have potentially serious consequences such as hypothermia, broncho pneumonia and pressure sores. A 'long lie' of 12 hours or more can seriously affect a person's recovery from a fall.
• Falls can often result in fractures (broken bones) to you, most commonly in the hips and wrists. People with thin bones, as a result of osteoporosis, are likely to sustain fractures more often.