Latest news with #falls
BBC News
03-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Ambulance service targets 'devastating' falls among the elderly
Elderly people suffering falls can have a "devastating effect" on their lives, an ambulance trust has Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) is launching a month-long campaign to raise awareness of falls and frailty,The trust said it received about 3,000 calls for falls each falls specialist Maddie Jones said "preventative and educational strategies" were aimed at reducing future falls and serious injuries. Across the UK each year, ambulance services respond to approximately 700,000 emergency calls related to falls among patients aged 65 and over, accounting for about 10% of all 999 calls. Falls among this age group are estimated to cost the NHS more than £2.3bn annually, with most expenditure related to hip said many falls were caused by a combination of factors including muscle weakness, poor eyesight and poor balance, along with hazards such as slippery floors or unsecured rugs."Beyond the financial costs, falls can have a devastating effect on the lives of older individuals, leading to serious injuries, loss of independence and a decreased quality of life," it said."Moreover, the psychological impact, including the fear of falling again, can result in reduced physical activity and social isolation."A dedicated vehicle, known as the frailty car, is crewed by a specialist paramedic from SCAS and frailty specialist specialists are able to treat patients' underlying conditions as well as assess their circumstances and provide appropriate equipment so patients can remain safely at Jones, falls car lead at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: "The frailty practitioners bring a wealth of frailty expertise from therapy and nursing backgrounds. "The ability to access such clinical expertise means a 'hospital at home' treatment plan can be immediately created on scene."The month-long campaign is also aimed at raising awareness of the work of SCAS volunteer community first responders in dealing with non-injury fall call outs to alleviate pressure on emergency will also promote ways for the public to identify and remove potential trip hazards for vulnerable people at home and covers emergencies in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Detail in how young people walk that predicts if they'll suffer a deadly health problem in your 60s, experts reveal
Scientists can now predict how likely you are to suffer a potentially deadly fall in your 60s based on how you walk in your 20s. Falls are a major cause of injury and death among older people in the UK. Official data suggests a third of over 65s suffer a fall in Britain each year and the accident is the most common cause of death from injury among this group. Falls are also the leading cause of A&E visits for older people in the nation, and treating them costs the NHS an estimated £2billion each year. But now scientists say they may have found a way to identify people at increased risk of life-threatening falls decades before they reach an advanced age. In the study, experts from Stanford University in the US found they were able to accurately predict fall risk from three simple measurements. These were how variable the width between steps was when walking, how different the timing of each step was, and how consistently they placed their feet on the ground. Writing in the Journal of Experimental Biology, the authors said each of these measurements was 86 per cent accurate in predicting if someone would fall later in the experiment. In the study, the researchers had 10 healthy volunteers aged between 24 and 31 walk on a treadmill in front of 11 special cameras. Using these, scientists were able to capture precise data on how exactly each person walked from every angle. In the second stage, each of volunteers was asked to walk on the treadmill again but this time while wearing heavy ankle bracelets, a vision impairing mask, and destabilising air jets. This combination of gear was designed to mimic the loss of balance and reaction speed to falls that comes with older age. Analysing the results, they found participants with the highest variance step width, step timing, and where they placed their feet in the first stage were more likely to fall in the second. The team highlighted how, in many countries, medics typically only assess how people walk and their potential fall risk after they start showing mobility issues. Jiaen Wu, lead author of the paper, said data like that gathered in their study could be used to help predict falls among older people before they are at risk. 'One big challenge is that small balance impairments can go unnoticed until someone actually falls,' they said. They added that stopping falls before they occur would potentially save many lives and healthcare systems billions in costs. The new research follows a recent study that showed elderly people who have a positive attitude towards ageing were more likely to recover better if they have a fall. About one in three people aged 65 years and over have a fall at least once each year, increasing to one in two people aged 80 years and over, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Official data show there were almost 220,000 falls-related A&E hospital admissions among people aged 65 years and over in England in the last financial year. Falls can cause older people to suffer fractures to their hips, which in turn can lead to worsening mobility and a greater risk of future falls and further injury. Older people are more vulnerable to falls due to a general weakness and frailty that come with age which also makes it more challenging for them to recover.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Elderly people who have a positive attitude towards ageing will recover better if they fall, study suggests
Elderly people who have a positive attitude towards ageing will recover better if they have a fall, a new study suggests. Falls in older adults are a 'major public health concern' as they can lead to disability and hospitalisation, impacting on people's ability to live independently, researchers said. The consequences of falls cost the NHS an estimated £5million a day but the experts noted not every victim experiences physical decline as they set out to investigate whether the impact of a fall could be mitigated by 'mindsets around ageing'. The teams from Imperial College London and Coventry University examined information on 694 people aged 60 to 90 in England who had not had a fall in the two years before the study. As well as studying data on falls, experts also examined survey responses that measured mindsets and beliefs about ageing. Researchers assessed their walking pace, whether or not they were active and whether they needed help with daily activities, such as dressing, bathing or getting out of bed, after they had a fall. Those who had initially shown more 'positive' ageing mindsets – such as believing that ageing was not stopping them doing what they wanted to do – appeared to have a better recovery after a fall, the academics found. 'We found that older individuals who had more positive self-perceptions of ageing at baseline were better protected against negative physical consequences following a fall,' they wrote in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. People who had the highest possible score on the 'self-perceptions of ageing' measurements – or having the most positive mindset about ageing – had 162 per cent lower odds of showing slow walking speed, 200 per cent lower odds of being dependent on others to perform daily living activities and were 123 per cent less likely to be inactive following a fall, compared to those who were not positive about ageing. About one in three people aged 65 years and over have a fall at least once each year, increasing to one in two people aged 80 years and over, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice). There are over 210,000 falls-related emergency hospital admissions among people aged 65 years and over each year, with two in three of these among people aged 80 and over. Previous studies show falls are the main cause of injury, injury-related disability, and death in older people, with around half of falls result in major cuts, traumatic brain injuries, or fractures. Dr Toby Ellmers, who co-lead the latest research at Imperial College London, said: 'Those who expressed more positive feelings about their own ageing seemed to be protected against worse physical consequences after a fall. 'There was substantial difference in the rate of physical recovery in the people we studied, and this seemed to be linked to their initial beliefs about growing older. 'Our results suggest that changing the way that some older people view their ageing process could play a key role in improving recovery and wellbeing. 'It's even possible that simple 'tweaks' to help people develop a more positive mindset around ageing, such as having discussions with a friend or relative about the positives associated with ageing, could help. 'This is something we are very keen to explore in future research.' Fellow co-lead Dr Mathew Hill, from Coventry University, added: 'Although we knew from previous research that negative mindsets and beliefs about ageing are associated with increased risk of negative health outcomes, such as stroke and mortality, this is the first research linking these specifically to physical recovery after a fall.'
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Safety call after fatal falls more than double in NI
The number of people who have died as the result of a fall in Northern Ireland more than doubled over a 10-year period, according to official statistics. There were 378 fatal falls in 2022, compared to 178 deaths a decade earlier in 2013. That is an increase of 113%, a rise which the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) described as "truly shocking". Its research manager, James Broun, said RoSPA is "fully expecting this trend to continue rising if we don't start seeing the right prevention measures". Mr Broun said falls "can affect all age groups" but older people are at more risk of death from a slip or trip. "That's typically because they are more susceptible to falling and when they do fall they often suffer more serious injuries," he explained. Death statistics from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) show 90% of fall fatalities in 2022 were people aged over 65. But even if you survive a serious fall, the consequences can be life changing. Daphne Hegarty, 82, broke her hip in a fall in 2020 and has never fully recovered. The Portadown pensioner was touring a castle in the Republic of Ireland when the accident happened. "My leg just went from underneath me and I fell, and where I fell it went down into a hollow so I couldn't really get up." She was taken to hospital in Waterford, but because the first Covid lockdown began shortly afterwards, she had to spend nearly six weeks there without family visitors. "I was isolated away to a ward on my own so I didn't see anyone." Having had serious heart issues since childhood, Ms Hegarty is well used to recovering from major surgery, but said that fall changed her life "completely". "It really set me back, because I used to be able – in my own time – potter around the house and do a wee bit of gardening," she said. "But whenever I broke the hip I was completely off my feet for about six months." Half a decade later, the pensioner still feels the effects. "I haven't the same movement in my leg," she explained. "I used to love to just sit on a stool and potter in the garden but now I'm restricted – I can't get down to get close." Despite the complications the fall caused, Ms Hegarty knows she must stay active. "I do exercises every day at home. Just like armchair exercises – keep bending my knees and lifting my feet up and moving my legs. "I always have done that because I always tried to keep myself limbered up." So why are fatal falls becoming more common? "To be honest, it's a complex question and we're not sure we have a really simple answer," Mr Broun admitted. But he insisted the rise cannot be explained solely by the fact people are generally living longer. "The population is aging, but the population hasn't aged by the same degree that falls have increased." Mr Broun added it is a known fact that "inequality and deprivation are linked to poor health outcomes". "People who are suffering from other health problems may in turn have worse outcomes when they fall." Mr Broun said there is also "anecdotal evidence" that Covid lockdowns may have exacerbated fall risks among vulnerable people. "They were staying in their house so they were losing some of their core strength by not exercising as much," he explained. However, he stressed the increase "isn't just a blip as a result of Covid" because fall deaths were on the rise before the pandemic. Most fatal falls happen at home, according to RoSPA. Among the measures it is campaigning for are changes to building regulations, including safer staircase designs. However, falling "doesn't have to be an inevitable part of getting older," according to Chris McKenna from Belfast Health Trust's Community Falls Prevention and Management Service. The physiotherapist runs weekly strength and balance classes for over 65s in Andersonstown - one of six such classes across Belfast. Mr McKenna said these classes "really empower" older people to keep their independence. "We tell people it's never too late to start exercising." The team also provides home visits, which Chris calls a "one-stop shop" of fall prevention. The checks include blood pressure monitoring and checking medications for side effects that could make a patient unsteady on their feet. They also assess the person's footwear, their gait and inspect their home for trip hazards. The Public Health Agency (PHA) leads fall prevention efforts in Northern Ireland. It said free home safety checks "are available for over 65s, families with children under five, and those who are vulnerable," subject to assessment and availabilty. Its website also lists 10 tips to help prevent a fall at home.
BBC News
17-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Fatal falls in Northern Ireland more than double in a decade
The number of people who have died as the result of a fall in Northern Ireland more than doubled over a 10-year period, according to official statistics. There were 378 fatal falls in 2022, compared to 178 deaths a decade earlier in 2013. That is an increase of 113%, a rise which the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) described as "truly shocking".Its research manager, James Broun, said RoSPA is "fully expecting this trend to continue rising if we don't start seeing the right prevention measures". Mr Broun said falls "can affect all age groups" but older people are at more risk of death from a slip or trip."That's typically because they are more susceptible to falling and when they do fall they often suffer more serious injuries," he statistics from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) show 90% of fall fatalities in 2022 were people aged over 65. Fall 'really set me back' But even if you survive a serious fall, the consequences can be life changing. Daphne Hegarty, 82, broke her hip in a fall in 2020 and has never fully recovered. The Portadown pensioner was touring a castle in the Republic of Ireland when the accident happened."My leg just went from underneath me and I fell, and where I fell it went down into a hollow so I couldn't really get up."She was taken to hospital in Waterford, but because the first Covid lockdown began shortly afterwards, she had to spend nearly six weeks there without family visitors. "I was isolated away to a ward on my own so I didn't see anyone."Having had serious heart issues since childhood, Ms Hegarty is well used to recovering from major surgery, but said that fall changed her life "completely". "It really set me back, because I used to be able – in my own time – potter around the house and do a wee bit of gardening," she said. "But whenever I broke the hip I was completely off my feet for about six months."Half a decade later, the pensioner still feels the effects. "I haven't the same movement in my leg," she explained. "I used to love to just sit on a stool and potter in the garden but now I'm restricted – I can't get down to get close."Despite the complications the fall caused, Ms Hegarty knows she must stay active. "I do exercises every day at home. Just like armchair exercises – keep bending my knees and lifting my feet up and moving my legs."I always have done that because I always tried to keep myself limbered up." A legacy of lockdowns? So why are fatal falls becoming more common?"To be honest, it's a complex question and we're not sure we have a really simple answer," Mr Broun admitted. But he insisted the rise cannot be explained solely by the fact people are generally living longer. "The population is aging, but the population hasn't aged by the same degree that falls have increased."Mr Broun added it is a known fact that "inequality and deprivation are linked to poor health outcomes". "People who are suffering from other health problems may in turn have worse outcomes when they fall."Mr Broun said there is also "anecdotal evidence" that Covid lockdowns may have exacerbated fall risks among vulnerable people."They were staying in their house so they were losing some of their core strength by not exercising as much," he he stressed the increase "isn't just a blip as a result of Covid" because fall deaths were on the rise before the pandemic. Most fatal falls happen at home, according to the measures it is campaigning for are changes to building regulations, including safer staircase designs. Exercise can reduce risk of falling However, falling "doesn't have to be an inevitable part of getting older," according to Chris McKenna from Belfast Health Trust's Community Falls Prevention and Management physiotherapist runs weekly strength and balance classes for over 65s in Andersonstown - one of six such classes across McKenna said these classes "really empower" older people to keep their independence."We tell people it's never too late to start exercising."The team also provides home visits, which Chris calls a "one-stop shop" of fall checks include blood pressure monitoring and checking medications for side effects that could make a patient unsteady on their feet. They also assess the person's footwear, their gait and inspect their home for trip hazards. The Public Health Agency (PHA) leads fall prevention efforts in Northern said free home safety checks "are available for over 65s, families with children under five, and those who are vulnerable," subject to assessment and website also lists 10 tips to help prevent a fall at home.
