Falls prevention for older parents
NICE guidance (NG249) reports that around a third of people aged 65 and over fall at least once a year, rising to around half of people aged 80 and over, and that falls among the over-65s caused about 234,800 emergency hospital admissions in England in 2019/20. Falls are rarely caused by one thing: muscle weakness, balance and mobility conditions, low blood pressure, medication side effects, eyesight and hearing problems and dementia all contribute.
This guide covers the home hazards worth fixing this week (clutter and trailing wires, loose rugs, grab rails, non-slip bath mats, better stair and landing lighting, and safe footwear), the strength and balance referral route in Hertfordshire through a GP falls risk assessment, the council's Strength and Balance classes and Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust's Integrated Community Team, and what to actually do after a fall, including when to tell the GP. AirCarers Companion helps with the ordinary parts: decluttering hallways and landings during a visit, building confidence with regular walks, and picking up repeated mentions of falls or near falls in visit notes as a safeguarding pattern we follow up. Visits across Ware, Hertford, Hoddesdon, Broxbourne, Bishop's Stortford and Sawbridgeworth, from £25 an hour.