One in three adults aged over 65 will fall at least once a year, and about half of these will fall more than once*.
Alongside the risk of physical injuries such as broken bones, the psychological impact of falling can be devastating. Many people lose confidence, become withdrawn and feel they have lost their independence.
When John was first taken into hospital, all he knew was that he didn’t feel well.
In fact, he’d had two heart attacks and ended up spending seven weeks in hospital.
As John, who is 78, has had osteoarthritis for a number of years, he was already finding it more difficult to walk before being taken ill.
Molly has dementia and lives on her own in Solihull.
The former teacher values her independence highly and has lived in her three-bedroomed house for more than 40 years.
However, the 70-year-old has no short term memory or sense of risk, and is prone to wandering.
Angela has lived in her three-bedroomed house near Dorridge for 40 years.
The grandmother-of-four enjoys an active life in her community – playing bingo, volunteering at a local charity shop and lunching with family and friends.
Although she has rheumatoid arthritis, the 79-year-old former science teacher had no problems living alone, until she started to have dizzy spells and lose her balance.
