Step into Action for National Falls Awareness Day on
27th June 2006
Help the Aged is launching its second National Falls Awareness Day on 27th June 2006. The Charity aims to raise awareness of the risk of falling as we age, the conditions that increase the chances of a fall and the practical changes that can reduce the danger of a fall.
Raising awareness of falls is still a critical issue since one person dies every five hours as the result of fall. It remains the biggest cause of accidental death for older people.
This year’s awareness day will focus on positive activities and events to reduce the risk of falls and fractures to maintain independence and mobility into later life. Reflecting this, the day’s theme is Step Into The Future, which encourages laying the groundwork now for a healthy older age tomorrow.
The Charity also aims to highlight some of the conditions that can increase the likelihood of a fall or fracture, such as osteoporosis, incontinence or a lack of physical activity.
Groups and projects planning an event will be sent a Local Action Pack. Packs can be ordered by emailing a name and full postal address to falls@helptheaged.org.uk. The pack also encourages taking the opportunity to campaign on issues that affect the local community’s risk of falling. For instance, providing falls prevention messages for members of local minority ethnic groups, addressing local paving problems, improving access to foot care services, encouraging better public toilet services or increasing the provision of local exercise classes.
Help the Aged is particularly committed to engaging younger people with parents or grandparents at risk of a fall with National Falls Awareness Day.
Resources available to the general public include a free advice leaflet entitled ‘Staying Steady’ for those at risk of a fall. Help the Aged also produces a motivational exercise video, called ‘Be Strong, Be Steady’, led and presented by older people. The video, available in a number of languages, gives clear instructions on how to perform each exercise, with safety messages and tips on how each exercise can help with every day tasks. It would be a suitable buy for those worried about parents or grandparents with mobility problems.
The Charity has a bespoke web site with falls information that helptheaolder people can access at www.helptheaged.org.uk/slipstrips Information on National Falls Awareness can be found at www.ged.org.uk/fallsday
Help the Aged 27-Apr-2006
Categories: Elderly, Footnote
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