Get Up and Go - A guide to staying steady
Prevent falls and stay steady with Saga.
Falling over is something we tend to associate with the very old – yet everyone over 50 is much more likely to have a fall than they think, according to research for Saga Magazine.
A survey of 9,521 people aged 50+ showed that everyone underestimated their risk of falling.
For instance, people aged 50-59 were almost twice as likely to fall as they thought – only 7% of those questioned said they thought they were at risk of taking a tumble – yet 13% in this age group did.
This gap between expectation and reality is a worry as falls – many of which are avoidable – cost the NHS an eye-watering £2.3 billion a year – that’s £6.3 million a day. An astounding 30% of us over 65 will fall during the next year.
Money aside, falling is a real drain on confidence and independence.
But a few modest changes to our homes, lifestyle and medication could prevent many of these perfectly avoidable accidents. That’s why Saga has published a 32-page guide to preventing falls, in association with the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) and Public Health England (PHE).
Click here to download a copy of Saga's Guide to Staying Steady (PDF).