Wales Estimated incidence of falls and prevention of falls Epidemiology 2010 2015 ? 100 community dwelling older people 30 to 60 suffer a fall each year 2 to 6 suffer fracture, head injury, serious laceration 15 to 30 fall more than once 765,200 people aged over 60 230,000 to 460,000 suffer a fall each year 11,500 to 45,900 suffer fracture, head injury, serious laceration 115,000 to 230,000 fall more than once 824,100 people aged over 60 247,200 to 494,5000 suffer a fall each year 12,400 to 49,400 suffer fracture, head injury, serious laceration 123,600 to 247,200 fall more than once Estimated incidence of falls and prevention of falls

Stand up against falling down What can Wales do to prevent the 2015 prediction from becoming a reality? Stand up against falling down Too many people believe that falling is an inevitable part of ageing. It is not. NHS professionals and the general public need to be taught that falls can be prevented. Stop never fallers from becoming ever fallers One of the simplest and most effective methods of falls prevention is exercise to improve strength and balance. Delivered at a population level, this can help to prevent people who have never fallen from falling. Take a proactive approach to risk assessment Current NHS approaches wait for people to fall and hurt themselves before seeking to manage risk. By carrying out annual risk assessments in primary care, fall risk factors can be identified and modified before an injury occurs. This means that the burden of emergency care on the NHS is reduced. Take a ‘one day sooner’ approach to fallers admitted to hospital Lengths of stay following a fall are long and place a significant burden upon the NHS. Analysis of admissions data suggest that reducing lengths of stay by just one day can reduce the NHS burden substantially. Ensure that current practice is good practice Estimated incidence of falls and prevention of falls