Falls prevention

As people get older, it can be a little bit harder to do some of the things we take for granted every day. While this is a normal part of getting older, there are lots of things you can do to reduce the risk of falls.

#FallProofBarnsley is here to provide information about how you can make small changes to stay happy and healthy at home.

Falls are a common and serious problem for older people. Each year, 30 percent of people older than 65 have a fall, rising to 50 percent of people older than 80. In Barnsley, there were 1305 emergency admissions to hospital for falls in 2019 to 2020 for people over 65 years of age.   

For people to stay happy and independent, it’s important that the risks of falling are understood, so that small changes can be made to avoid it from happening. These risks should be taken very seriously because of the significant impact they can have on a person's health. You can reduce the risk by: 

  • taking care of your physical health 
  • making simple changes to your home  
  • exercising to improve your strength and balance

Read our fall proof booklet.

How to help reduce your risk of falling

You can help to reduce the risk of falls by making changes to your lifestyle, your home and your health. If you’re worried about family, friends of neighbours, please share the information below so they can stay safe, happy and independent.

What to do if you fall

If you fall when you're alone, get help and keep yourself warm. Wearing a telecare alarm will enable you to get help quickly. Raising the alarm will alert our response centre staff and they'll ring you to see what's wrong. Find out more about assistive living technology (telecare).

When you next see your doctor or nurse, tell them about your fall. They can check whether a health problem is causing you to fall and if it's likely to happen again. If it is, they may give you medication to improve your condition.

Make sure you tell your family that you've had a fall. They'll be able to keep an eye on you and make sure you get any treatment you might need.

If you need some help

If you're struggling to keep mobile and stay safe in your home, ask us for some help. Our equipment and adaptations service can offer you advice on better ways of doing everyday tasks around your home and safer ways to move. We can also provide specialist equipment and make adaptations for people who might need extra support to live independently in their own home for longer. 

Age UK Barnsley can give you advice about different kinds of equipment that could prevent you falling. Call them on 01226 776820 if you want more information about their home safety scheme and checklist.

You can also find a service on Live Well Barnsley look for equipment or services yourself.