Ms Karen Gillis, Occupational Therapist. Falls prevention
Using a power point presentation Ms Gillis began by putting up some facts. Falls and fractures in people aged 65 and over account for over 4 million hospital day beds each year in England alone. The healthcare cost associated with fragility fractures is estimated at £2 billion a year. The consequences of falls are not just physical but carry with them emotional trauma, psychological problems and social consequences.
Karen then identified the numerous hazards which exist in all homes and provided general advice to avoid falling in the first place. Her next slides dealt with hazards lurking around the house – in the living room, kitchen, in the hallway and on the stairs, in bedrooms and in bathrooms. The risk of falling can be mitigated by the use of small aids which reduce the need to bend down, stoop or overreach. Karen demonstrated safe procedures for sitting down and standing up and lay on the floor to show what to do when and if one has a fall. In the event that one is alone at home and cannot get up, pendant alarms can be lifesaving.
Fall prevention by carers means being alert for factors which can make falling more likely. Apart from age these include reduced mobility from lack of exercise, poor vision and impaired hearing, mental health issues, medication such as sleeping pills and health conditions such as Parkinsons. Frequent falling is often a symptom of underlying problems that need to be investigated by a GP. As part of her role as an Occupational Therapist, Ms Gillis does home visits to assess risks and put in place strategies that reduce the risk of falling. She emphasised to those present the importance of regular exercise and a diet rich in calcium such as milk and cheese to maintain strong bones.
After a lively question and answer session Ms Gillis distributed booklets published by the Western Health and Social Care trust in association with the Public Health Agency showing that falling is not an inevitable part of getting older.
She was warmly thanked for her talk by the President.
