All the thrills and none of the spills at Shepton Mallet Falls Week

Company news

Oct 23, 2014

Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre is excited to be hosting its first Falls Week from Monday 20 October to Friday 24 October. 

The week will include demonstrations of exercises, information and fun at Care UK’s Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre and aims to reduce the number of health-threatening trips, slips and falls experienced by local people.

The physiotherapy team at the centre in Old Wells Road will be demonstrating the best ways to stay fall-free, including yoga and Tai Chi demonstrations and handing out leaflets on preventing falls.

Physiotherapy assistant Margaret Lawrence explained: “We are looking forward to a week of fun including quizzes and demonstrations, but behind the fun are some serious messages about fall prevention.”

“Falls can be devastating for an older person, not just because of the immediate physical injury, but because of the impact a fall makes in their confidence and their sense of independence. We hope to prevent as many falls as possible through educating people and in turn minimise their risk of injuries.”

Over the last few months the treatment centre has been developing its expertise in falls prevention. A pilot six-session falls stability and prevention course has just come to an end, which included patients participating in the Otago exercise programme which is specially designed to increase muscle strength and improve stability. The course also looked at everything from footwear to equipment in order to maintain a patient’s safe mobility at home.

Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and, after evaluation, the courses will continue. They will be run by one of the centre’s qualified physiotherapists and open to all pre-operative patients who are at risk of falls.

Margaret added: “The sessions will be held every other week. This gives the muscles time to strengthen and allows the physiotherapist to see how the person is progressing and allows the exercises to be tailored to their requirements.

“The really rewarding part is when you see people who had become too afraid to leave their homes regain their confidence and their independence.”