Avoiding trips and falls

Across the health and care system in Somerset, we understand that the risk of having a fall is a concern for many individuals, especially as we age.

As you get older, you may find that your muscle strength is reduced, and you are less steady on your feet. Some movements, such as leaning sideways or turning quickly, can cause a loss of balance. This can begin earlier than you may expect: from your early fifties onwards.

Falls are the most common accidents for adults and can cause serious injury at any time of life. However, the risk does increase with age and every day in Somerset, around 8 people are admitted to hospital because of a fall and each year in the UK about one-third of people over 65 will fall.

Preventing falls

There are many things we can do to reduce our risk of falling, including:

Wearing appropriate, well-fitting footwear
Being regularly active and doing strength and balance exercises
Identifying trip hazards such as wires and rugs
Removing excess clutter
Knowing where your pets are when moving
Looking after your eyes and ears and making an appointment to have a sight/hearing test if you're concerned
Staying hydrated. Try to drink at least 6 to 8 cups of fluid every day, including water
Making sure you follow a healthy balanced diet and maintain a healthy weight can reduce the risk of falling and of suffering more serious injuries.

Sloppy Slippers

According to the University Hospitals of Leicester, 24,000 over-65s in the UK fall over at home, every year, because of poorly fitting footwear. Most of these falls are caused by wearing 'sloppy' slippers’ - poorly structured and ill-fitting slippers.

Loose, worn, or backless slippers can increase the risk of slips, trips and falls in adults within our communities. This type of footwear can cause poor balance and gait, and make it difficult for people to stay steady on their feet.

Whilst our 'Sloppy Slippers' events have concluded for now, the importance of proper footwear for fall prevention remains a year-round concern. Sloppy slippers, worn-out shoes, and footwear with poor grip can significantly increase your risk of slipping, tripping, and falling.

This website provides valuable resources to help you take steps to prevent falling and make informed choices to keep you steady on your feet.

Building strength and balance

Regular physical activity can support our bodies to remain fit, and able to cope with everyday living tasks, and reduce our risk of falling.

Building strength and balance exercises into our daily lives, in addition to exercise that raises our heart rate and makes us breathe faster, can help to maintain, or even improve our stability and lower our risk of falls. This can include activities like walking, dancing, yoga and gardening. It also helps to boost our mental wellbeing too!

SASP provide FREE resources and videos for you to try at home, using resistance exercises and balance for healthy ageing and falls prevention.

Find out more

Quick self check

Do you find it more difficult walking through narrow spaces?

Do you feel unsteady or find it hard getting in and out of the car, or getting off the bus?

Do you feel the need to stop or slow down when talking and walking?

Do you need to use your hands to get in and out of a chair?

If you have noticed any of these changes, it would be beneficial for you to complete the exercises on the SASP website.

Find out more

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What to do if you do fall

If you fall try to stay calm. Take time to assess the situation as it can take a few minutes to feel pain from injuries. What you do next will depend on if you’re hurt and whether or not you’re able to get up without help.

Check for injuries

The first thing you need to do after a fall is work out if you’re hurt. Take a few minutes to check your body for any pain or injuries, then:

if you’re not hurt, try to get up from the floor
if you’re hurt or unable to get off the floor, call for help and keep warm and moving as best you can while you wait

Click on the box below for information on how to get up from a fall.

Getting up from a fall

If you’re not hurt and feel well enough, you could try to get up from the floor. The best way will differ from person to person, but as a guide, you can:

Roll onto your side.
Push yourself up to a side sitting position.
Slowly get onto your hands and knees.
Crawl towards a sturdy piece of furniture that can support you to get up – such as a solid chair or sofa.
Kneel side-on to the chair or sofa with your strongest leg next to it, then slide the foot of your strongest leg forward so that it’s flat on the floor. Your other knee should remain on the floor.
Put both hands on the chair or sofa.
Raise and turn your body, pushing through your hands and foot until your bottom is safely on the chair or sofa.
Sit for a few minutes before you try to do anything else and check again for injuries.

To improve your confidence and technique, it’s a good idea to practice getting up from a fall in different rooms of your house and using different types of sturdy furniture for support. For your safety, ask a friend or relative to be with you when you practice.

Exercises at home

There are a range of exercises you can do in your own home to improve your strength and balance. These include,

Heel to toe standing and walking
Single leg balance
Side leg raises and sideways walks
Sit to stand
Stepping up a step

These could be done while you are making a cup of tea, brushing your teeth or have a family member or friend over to give you support.

Why not try SASP’s free resource, Move More with Bands which takes you through a series of resistance exercises targeting all the major muscle groups, both in sitting or in standing. The exercises are available on the SASP website, however if you don’t have internet access or the confidence to find them online, please contact SASP to request a hard copy.

Classes in the community

If you would like to join a falls prevention class, to meet others or simply improve your strength and balance, you can self-refer to Stay Strong Stay Steady or Get Strong Get Steady classes by visiting: www.ageuk.org.uk/somerset/activities-and-events/stay-strong-stay-steady/

Or phoning: (01823) 345614 or emailing: fallsprevention@ageuksomerset.org.uk

You can also use the Somerset Moves Activity Finder to find out what’s on near you. From walks to classes and community clubs, it’s a one-stop shop for all physical activity opportunities for Somerset residents. https://somersetmoves.activityfinder.net/

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Healthy eating

Making sure you follow a healthy balanced diet and maintain a healthy weight can reduce the risk of falling and of suffering more serious injuries.

Older adults who are malnourished have a higher chance of falling (they are 64% more likely to fall). People who are overweight can also become malnourished because of an unbalanced diet.

Strength to stand comes from strong muscles and bones, and staying hydrated (drinking enough).

Having a healthy, well-balanced diet is more important as you get older. This is because you lose muscle mass (the amount of muscle in your body), which affects your strength.

The British Dietetic Association (BDA) has a wealth of information on eating, drinking and ageing well. They also have different guidelines for older adults and those with various long-term conditions and these are available at www.bda.uk.com.

Somerset Council’s Public Health team have recipe cards available to download from the Healthy Somerset website Healthy Somerset – Public Health portal for Somerset.

Change4Life also has lots of healthy eating tips and recipes, and fun ways to exercise. Change4Life is also there to help you eat well and move more.

You can also find out more about eating well on the NHS website.

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