Falls and Balance

There are many reasons why people may fall or lose balance. These may include slips and trips, inner ear disturbances, neurological disorders, muscle weakness, loss of joint range of movement, difficulty to multi-task, visual difficulties, and changes to sensation. There may also be environmental factors contributing to falls such as uneven flooring, lighting, lack of supportive equipment or walking aids.

Aside from the physical impact after a fall, the psychological impact of a fall can become a greater risk factor of future falls. Having just one fall can be stressful and traumatic. This can lead to a loss of confidence which often results in a person choosing to be less mobile and active to avoid the risk of falling.

When you are less active, muscles become weaker, joints become stiffer and balance can deteriorate, increasing the risk of future falls.

Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Balance Training can break this cycle, and also help to identify and reduce the root cause of the fall both physically and environmentally.

Risk Of A Fall

Everyone is more at risk of a fall as they age but there are several other risk factors. We cannot change our biological age but understanding what puts us at risk can help significantly. It is a known fact that if you have fallen before your risk is increased. It is worth taking a look at the checklist to see how many risk factors you tick.

Falls risk checklist

1. I have had a fall but not seen anyone about it.
2. My GP hasn’t reviewed my medication in the past year.
3. I often need to get up in the night to go to the loo.
4. I am probably not as active as doctors recommend (30 minutes moderate activity 5 times a week).
5. I sometimes feel dizzy or light-headed on standing or walking.
6. I struggle with basic maintenance on my home.
7. I wear bifocals or varifocals.
8. I haven’t had an eye test in the past 12 months.
9. I sometimes feel weak when I get up form a chair or the bed.
10. A bit of clutter has built up at home over the years.
11. I probably don’t drink enough fluids (1.6 litres/3 pints a day for women; 2 litres/3.5 pints for men).
12. My slippers have that ‘lived-in’ look.
13. Taking care of my feet is quite difficult these days.
14. I have a long-term condition such as Parkinson’s, heart disease/stroke, arthritis, COPD, diabetes and dementia.
15. I save electricity by turning off unnecessary lights.
16. My alcohol intake is probably more that GPs’ recommended limits (2-3 units a day for women, 3-4 for men).
17. I don’t get out as much as I’d like because I worry about tripping, I feel unsteady.
18. If I had a fall, I would probably be too embarrassed to tell anyone
19. I often get my feet tangled up in things that could trip me; my pets or grandchildren running around worry me sometimes: they make me feel wobbly!
20. I am not always that warm at home.