Falls Prevention &
Fear of Falling

Falls in older adults are common and can have devastating consequences. 1 in 3 people aged over 65 will fall every year equating to more than 3 million falls per year. The rate increases to nearly 1 in 2 for adults over 80. 10-25% of fallers will sustain a serious injury and over half of people who have a fall will fall again within the next 12 months.

Many factors can play a part in increasing the risk of falls, including weak lower limb muscles, poor balance, environmental hazards and a lack of safety awareness, leading to unsafe behaviours.

Physiotherapy can play a crucial role in falls prevention in older adults. In your first session, we will carry out a multifactorial falls assessment to identify your main falls risks and formulate a treatment plan to reduce those risks. Your treatment plan may include advice to make your home environment safer, exercises to improve strength and balance and mobility practise, for example, outside on uneven ground.

We understand that you may now be fearful of falling again and therefore improving confidence also plays an important role in our therapeutic interventions.