October 2018
   Presentation for Healthcare Professionals
   Created for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy by Kate Bennett Specialist Physiotherapist
       “Falls are a common, but often overlooked, 
        cause of injury. Around one in three adults 
        over 65 who live at home will have at least 
               one fall a year, and this rises to 
              approximately half of all people 
                     aged over 80 years”
                                         Falls: applying All Our Health, Public Health England (2018).
                        www.gov.uk/government/publications/falls-applying-all-our-health/falls-applying-all-our-health
             Some facts about falls
            • Falls are the second leading cause of accidental 
              or unintentional injury deaths worldwide 
                                 Falls, World Health Organization (2018), www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/falls
            • Rate of falls among community-dwelling older people over 
              64 years of age, 28-38% fall each year. Of those who are 
              70 years and older, approximately 32-42% fall each year. 
              The frequency of falls increases with age and frailty level.
                         A Global Report on Falls Prevention – Epidemiology of Falls, Yoshida, S (2011), World Health Organization
           Impact of falls in the UK
            • Falls and fractures in people aged 65 and over account for 
              over 4 million hospital bed days each year in England alone 
                                                                        WHO, 2016
            • The healthcare cost associated with fragility fractures 
              is estimated at £2 billion a year. 
     Falling Standards, broken promises: report of the national audit of falls and bone health in older people, Royal College of Physicians (2011)
            Why people fall
      • Previous falls         • Home environment
        • Medication           • Alcohol
    • Night time mobility      • Poor strength and balance 
   • Postural hypotension      • Vitamin D levels
   • Issues with eyesight      • Vestibular issues 
 • Foot wear and foot care     • Being inactive
      • Slips and trips        • Lack of mobility
   • Long term conditions