Falls Awareness Week 2013 – Monday 17 – Friday 21 June 2013
Helping Hands supports Age UK’s Falls Awareness Week 2013 and its aim is get people to put their ‘best foot forward’ by keeping their feet healthy to prevent falls in later life.
Our Registered Nurse and Carer teams support our customers by highlighting how important it is for everyone to keep their feet healthy in order to maintain mobility and independence throughout life. Foot conditions can result in foot pain, which in turn can cause problems with balance, walking and sensation in the feet – all of which can lead to falls. With around 30% of over-65s and 50% of those aged over 80 falling every year, Age UK and Helping Hands is calling on older people to attend local activities during Falls Awareness Week to learn how to prevent falls and keep feet healthy all year round.
Helping Hands Registered Nurse, Hannah Gambrell comments, “We support our customers and their families by assessing each person’s risk and then providing guidelines on what can be done around the home to minimise risk. Our Carers constantly look out for hazards and help their customers with foot health and simple exercises.”
If you are a Carer or care for a loved one, consider these questions:
Is the person on four or more medications per day?
Does the person have a diagnosis of Stroke or Parkinson’s Disease?
Is the person unable to rise from a chair of knee height?
Check the environment – are carpets torn or loose, remove slippery mats and rugs, remove clutter from walkways and tidy trailing flexes and leads.
Is the home correctly lit – especially on the stairs and in corridors?
Helping Hands Top Tips
- Wear good supportive non slip footwear both indoors and out
- Have regular eyesight tests – glasses should always be clean and worn and exercise caution with bifocals and varifocals
- Considered the use of pendant alarms and hip protectors
- Slow down. Give yourself plenty of time – don’t rush to the toilet, use prescribed continence aids where necessary
- There’s lots of help out there – research assistive technologies to help make life easier
- Switch on a bedside light before getting out of bed in the night
- Reduce alcohol intake especially if regular medications are taken
