Tomorrow morning, Ryde Town Square will play host to the Isle of Wight Falls & Osteoporosis Group who will be holding an awareness-raising event for National Falls Awareness Day.
We must all know someone who has experienced problems with falls, be they elderly and frail or suffering with a chronic illness or have mobility problems.
It makes up part of a national awareness campaign being run by Age Concern and Help the Aged and hopes to highlight the risk of falls among older people.
It’s shocking to hear that one person dies every five hours as the result of fall in the home, remaining the biggest cause of accidental death for older people.
What’s on Offer?
So what can you expect to learn if you make the trip to Ryde? Well, they’ll be offering you a ‘walking Aid MOT’; a bone health check and fracture risk assessment; provide you with Information about medication and falls; carry out blood pressure checks as well as offering a wide range of other information, advice and fun activities.
It all takes place between 9.30am until 12.30pm, will be held at Ryde Town Square (outside Somerfield).
Heather Rowell, Health Promotion Specialist for Adults and Older People at NHS Isle of Wight says: “In 2008 there were 1,149 attendances by people aged over 60 at the Emergency Department at St. Mary’s due to a fall. However this isn’t the complete picture as many older people may fall at home without reporting it. Our Awareness Day is intended to help people find out more about how they can prevent falls.”
For more info on National Falls Awareness Day check the Website.
