Falls Prevention Campaign
Why are we running this campaign?
Between January 2018 until December 2018 there were 1872 falls that required hospital treatment for patients over the age of 65 in Morecambe Bay. As many falls are preventable, we want to share messages about how to prevent falls and if you do fall, what to do next.
It’s important to try and stop people from falling over in the first place. So many serious injuries and complications can result from a nasty fall and the main reason behind this campaign is to improve health outcomes for our communities. Falling is not the norm, usually there’s a reason behind it whether that be an underlying health problem or a balance issue, so it is vital that you tell your GP or healthcare professional if you have a fall.
What have we shared so far?
- In December 2018 we worked with North Road Primary School in Carnforth to share a fun and festive video with tips about preventing falls.
- The first theme which kicked off the campaign was launched as April Falls Day - a lot of falls can be associated with poor balance so this focused around exercises which can improve your balance.
- Planning for a fall - although the aim of this campaign is to prevent falls - if you do have a fall then getting help quickly is vital.
- Case Study: Marie Lilley fell and injured her leg while out walking her dog and now takes precautions to help prevent another accident.
Useful resources
- NHS Balance Exercises - These simple balance exercises can be done at home to help improve your health and mobility.
- SAGA Get up And Go Leaflet - a guide to staying steady.
- Getting up safely after a fall - The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents have produced a short video showing how to get up safely after a fall.
- Stay on Your Feet: Falls Action Plan - printable action plan to complete yourself.
- NHS Inform: What to do if you fall - tips and advice in case you fall.