Ear checks

Regular ear checks can help to prevent falls due to dizzy spells and poor balance. Your GP can make a referral to specialists, and if hearing loss affects your everyday life our sensory impairment service can help.

If you experience dizziness when moving from laying or sitting to standing, speak to your GP to get your blood pressure checked.

Eye sight checks

Poor vision can increase the risk of falls, even when wearing glasses. It’s a good idea to visit an optician for a sight test. Regular checks every two years can also help prevent sight loss by identifying problems early. Find out more about eye health on the Barnsley Hospital website.

Exercising

Evidence shows that the more active we are the more we can offset the effects of ageing. At any age its important to avoid sitting for long periods of time. If you're frail and elderly its even more important to break up your day up by moving around your home. If you have concerns about your mobility and can't access support in the community ask your doctor to refer you to a physiotherapist.

The key to keeping fit is to choose an activity that you enjoy. The Barnsley Older People Physical Activity Alliance (BOPPAA) offers a wide range of fun activities across the borough to help get older people moving. These include yoga, tai chi and walking football.

The What's Your Move website has lots of resources for low-impact, easy exercises and ideas to improve strength and balance. Doing regular exercise can improve strength and balance, reducing your risk of falling.

Local services including leisure centres, Walk Well Barnsley and healthy bone classes offer a wide variety of physical activity sessions. You can also find a service on Live Well Barnsley see what activities are available in your area, or call Age UK Barnsley on 01226 776820.

You can check out our playlist for simple exercises you can do around the home.

Our fall-proof Barnsley booklet is an easy to follow guide on how to assess your mobility and provides you with strength and balance exercises to increase physical activity, improve your confidence and reduce the chance of falling.

Healthy well balanced diet

Maintaining a healthy well balanced diet will help to prevent you becoming frail and will also help you keep your bones strong. As we get older our bones become more fragile - if we fall they are more likely to break (fracture).

If you are falling regularly it is important you tell your GP and ask them to assess your bone health.

Footwear

• Wear properly fitting shoes and slippers with non-skid soles. Limit high-heel wear.
• Replace slippers and shoes that have stretched and are too loose.
• Wear well-fitting socks and shop for footwear later in the day when your feet may be more swollen. This will give you a better idea of how the shoes will fit throughout the day.
• Take care of your feet. Take a look at the footcare section below for more information.

Footcare

Looking after your feet can help prevent falls. If you get into a daily routine with good foot care, your feet are more likely to stay healthy and you can spot any problems early.

Foot care tips

• Wash your feet daily in warm water, using a moisturising wash.
• Dry your feet carefully especially between the toes, to prevent the skin from splitting.
• Gently remove hard skin by gently rubbing with a pumice stone or foot file.
• If your skin is dry, use a moisturising cream but do not apply between the toes.
• Cut toenails straight across, following the curve of the toe, to prevent ingrown toenails. If bending is difficult, try cutting one nail at a time, raising your foot on a stool, using a long-handled file, or asking for help.
• Keep your feet warm and take regular exercise. This helps with the circulation.
• Wear flip flops in public changing areas to avoid foot infections.

Private podiatry services can be accessed locally for minor issues, for example toenail cutting. For more complex issues contact your GP for a referral. Podiatry services are also available from NHS South West Yorkshire Partnership.

Foot pain

Foot pain can be eased by doing a few simple things yourself:

• Put as little weight as possible on the foot if you can and avoid standing on it.
• Put an ice pack (or a bag of frozen peas in a towel) on the foot for up to 20 minutes every two to three hours.
• Wear comfortable shoes and avoid shoes with high heels.

If foot pain doesn’t go away visit the NHS website for information and advice on what to do about foot pain.

Useful links

Age UK - Fitter feet

General health

High blood pressure can cause dizziness, increasing the risk of falling. If you're experiencing dizziness visit your GP for a blood pressure check.

It's important to keep a check on your health. If you're aged between 40 and 74 and don't have a pre-existing health condition such as diabetes, stroke, kidney disease, peripheral arterial disease and atrial fibrillation, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, you can have a free NHS health check.

The health check could help prevent or delay the onset of conditions such as type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart and kidney disease and dementia.

Medication

Some medication can have side effects that make people more likely to fall, so you should have a yearly review with your GP or practice nurse.

Reducing alcohol intake

It’s a good idea to avoid drinking excessive amounts of alcohol as this can contribute to the development of osteoporosis.

Reducing risks in your home

Some of the most important ways to reduce falls in your home and to stay independent is by:

• keeping your home free of clutter and making sure there's no trailing wires
• being aware of tripping hazards, such as rugs and pets
• being aware of uneven floors
• considering using a slip-proof mat in the bath and shower
• making sure lighting is good enough so you can see
• wiping up spills straight away
• avoiding walking on slippery floors in socks or tights
• not rushing to answer the door or telephone - consider getting a portable or mobile phone
• store items used often in easy reach
• considering installing grab rails and hand rails

Cold weather can also increase the risk of falls, as well as the risk of developing other cold-related health problems. You can find information on how to keep warm and well in cold weather on the NHS website.

You can also find out about making your home warmer and cheaper to run and read our advice for private tenants.