Falls Prevention Week 2021

falls prevention week

Published: 20 September 2021

The challenge for us all over the last 18 months has been to keep active and well. For some losing their routine has resulted in a less active lifestyle and all that entails.

As children, falling over is all a part of the learning and developing our balance muscles and steadiness, even as a young person a fall is, usually, nothing to worry about. As we gain maturity and certainly into older age, falls can be an indicator of other things. Many of which we are able to do something about.

Keeping active strong and steady is vitally important and our need to be more purposeful in our activity levels is reflected in the Chief Medical officer’s recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate (getting puffed out through activity) activity a week in addition to twice weekly 20-minute sessions of strength and balance. All over Devon there are ways to keep active available.

During the first lockdown a well know organisation called Later Life Training (LLT – a not for profit organisation) started the Make Movement Your Mission 3 times a day; 8am, 12pm and 4pm. These are live short exercise slots with evidenced based exercises to stay active, strong and well balanced on Facebook. This has created quite a community of followers and has been recognised by numerous organisations including the British Geriatric Society.

For anyone that misses these live videos and would like to catch up, they will be available on the Make Movement Your Mission Facebook page, and they’ll also be uploaded onto LLT’s Youtube channel shortly after the live stream ends

Locally in Torbay and South Devon you can refer yourself for strength and balance classes by calling the Healthy Lifestyles team on 0300 456 1006. If you have not exercised before we recommend that you speak to your health care professional first or should you come for an assessment the team will help you find the right class for your needs.

Diet and hydration are also proving to be far more important in the healthy ageing arena too. The Eating well advice sheet can be found online.

Improving residents’ hydration in care home locally reduced falls by 20% and falls leading to a hospital admission by 50%. Aiming to improve your fluid intake (other than alcoholic drinks) generally can help you be more alert, strong and engaged in life.

Get up and Go booklets, developed by physiotherapists are full of useful advice on keeping well into older age and can be downloaded free from our website.

Alternative, one can be posted if we can send you one if you phone 01803 219700 and press option 1

Make today count towards the new you.

  • Make a start
  • Get involved
  • Find the ‘new you’