Falls and Bone Health Advice
Date issued: December 2022
Review date: December 2024
Ref: A-522/NB/ED/Falls and Bone Health Advice
PDF: Falls and Bone Health Advice final December 2022.pdf [pdf] 114KB
Following your recent admission to the Emergency Department please consider this advice.
Falls can lead to injury, reduced mobility and a loss of independence. People who have already had a fall are more likely to fall again.
NB: faints/blackouts, however brief, are also falls and need investigating.
Please do not put your fall down to age alone.
Many falls are avoidable and there are simple steps to take to stop them. Talk to your GP or Practice Nurse about your falls.
They will review the information and decide how best to help you reduce your risk of falls and keep you active. This may include referring you to a specialist outpatient clinic.
We recommend you make an appointment soon to see your GP or Practice Nurse to discuss your fall(s).
Please answer the following 5 questions and take this form with you to your appointment
Falls Screening Tool
Have you fallen in the last year?
YES ? NO ?
If yes how many times?
Are you taking 4 or more different medicines a day?
YES ? NO ?
Have you had a stroke or suffer from Parkinson’s disease?
YES ? NO ?
Do you have problems with you balance?
YES ? NO ?
Do you need to use your arms to get up from a chair of knee height e.g., a dining chair?
YES ? NO ?
What to do if you have a fall?
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Keep calm
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If you are unable to get up attract attention, use your personal alarm (if you have one), telephone or bang on the wall or floor
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Keep moving, tense the muscles in your arms and legs to help circulation
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Keep warm, use clothing or bedding or papers as a blanket. Crawl to a warmer place if you are able to.
A word about osteoporosis (weak bones)
It can affect both men and women but is more common in women.
What puts you at risk of this?
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Early menopause (before age 45)
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Previous broken bone after a minor (low impact) fall
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Family history (mother, father, brother, sister)
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Being underweight
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Being on steroids for 3 months or more
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Smoking
