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And yet the retirement age has been raised to 70. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our policy. Membership The leg and ankle bones. Royal College of Nursing like trailing wires, clutter and rugs. Elderly people are at an elevated risk of injuring themselves in a fall. Falls also pose a substantial financial burden on healthcare systems . It’s complicated because falls are linked to a range of risks, which often co-exist in older people.

We'll match you with one of our volunteers. Its not at present 70, although economically and with various infrastructure pressures could be substantially higher.The default or forced retirement age of 65 no longer exists.However the point is being active longer, and physically, do some activity is likely to reduce risk.

This can also have significant economic consequences because of the cost of inpatient care and also loss of independence and the cost of residential care. . Get Involved

Having a fall can happen to anyone; it is an unfortunate but normal result of human anatomy. Current estimates are that falls … Let your doctor know if you experience side effects like these after taking any medication – they may need to check the dose or look at alternatives.Keep your bones healthy and strong by eating calcium-rich foods, getting enough vitamin D from sunlight and doing some weight-bearing exercises.If you have weaker bones, they're more likely to break if you fall. Interventions to prevent falls are only part of the picture. One of the main reasons why people have low bone mineral density is osteoporosis.Over 3 million people in the UK have osteoporosis and they are at much greater risk of fragility fractures. Stay Physically Active and Keep moving. Here's how you're helping Age UK be there for older people during the pandemic and beyond.Falling as we get older is quite common, and although most falls don't cause serious injury they can leave us feeling quite distressed. When an older person falls, it can have devastating consequences.

It has been estimated that the number of persons aged 65 years and older in the US will double by 2050. This can become a problem if it’s causing you to avoid certain activities, such as exercise, or stopping you leaving your home.To feel more confident and in control, think and plan ahead by discussing your risk of falling with your doctor and consider if you need to install a personal alarm in the home.Your doctor may perform a falls risk assessment which will work out what’s making you more likely to fall.

Hip fractures alone account for 1.8 million hospital bed days and £1.9 billion in hospital costs every year, excluding the high cost of social care.The causes of having a fall are multifactorial – a fall is the result of the interplay of multiple risk factors. For example, a bed or chair sensor can detect if you’ve got up but haven’t returned in a set time, and it will automatically send an alert to a carer or emergency service. © Age UK Group and/or its National Partners (Age NI, Age Scotland and Age Cymru) 2020. If we’re going to improve the quality of life of older people, we need to think about what it means to age well and how all of us – as citizens, health professionals, relatives, and friends – help to create opportunities for older people to feel healthy, safe and connected.Falls prevention in older people should be high on our public health agenda. Whereas falls are frequent and traumatic events for the elderly, their long-term consequences in terms of the social lives of older fallers are understudied. So stronger bones could make any injury you have much less serious.Problems with your feet or shoes can affect your balance and increase your risk of tripping or falling. The good news is there are lots of things you can do to stay steady on your feet.Some health conditions, medications and footwear can affect your ability to stay steady on your feet. These include:Public Health England and Centre for Ageing Better (2018)  Making some simple changes around your home can make a real difference. FallSafe was a quality improvement project that helped frontline staff to deliver evidence-based falls prevention. Falls can become recurrent and result in injuries including head injuries and hip fractures. When a young, healthy person suffers a minor fall, serious injury is relatively rare. Remove throw rugs and other items that could be tripped overMake sure there’s good lighting indoors at night, especially for seniors with poor eyesightInstall grab bars in shower or bath stalls, and alongside toilets We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. You might not notice your health changing as it can happen gradually, so it's important to have regular checkups so any issues can be picked up before they cause a fall.As we get older, our muscle strength and balance reduces, which can lead to a fall. Read now.