Elderly rehabilitation and falls prevention

Many people over the age of 65 years suffer with poor balance and mobility problems, this can lead to falls. Statistics state that 1 in 3 people aged over 65 years will fall each year (Tinetti 1988). If you have fallen previously you have an over 50% risk of experiencing a further fall in the subsequent year (Tinetti 1989, Nevitt 1989). This can lead to injuries of muscles, joints and broken bones.

Falls can be prevented with a carefully designed physiotherapy exercise programme tailored to you. People fall for many reasons which can include;

• Balance problems
• Muscle weakness
• Mobility problems
• Environmental hazards e.g. rugs

A physiotherapy assessment will highlight which areas are problematic for you and these will be focused on during treatment. For best results, it is recommended that exercises are completed for a total of 50 hours, 2 hours a week for 6 months (Sherrington et al 2011). This may include physiotherapy sessions, exercises at home and walking practice.

To contact us for an appointment or regarding any queries please call 07816 768456 or email info@dawnburrow-neurologicalphysiotherapyservice.co.uk