Falls place a significant demand on health and social care. Each year, hospitals in England see around 180,000 patients aged 65 or more spending at least one day in hospital for treatment due to a fall. Two thirds of emergency falls admissions are in people aged 80 or older.^1,2

However, the total number of falls will be considerably higher; NICE reports that around a third of people aged 65 and over and around a half of people aged 80 and over fall at least once a year. Serious falls injuries include fractures, head injuries or death. There is a 1‑year mortality rate of 31% after a hip fracture.^2,3

Not all falls require hospital treatment but people having a fall, especially the elderly, can experience distress, pain, loss of confidence, and loss of independence. This reduced quality of life can contribute to feeling increasingly more isolated.^2,4

Falls, trips and slips can occur on one level or from a height. Medical definitions vary, but a fall:^2,3,5,6,7

·      causes a person to come to rest on the ground, floor or a lower level;

·      can occur unexpectedly, unintentionally or inadvertently; 

·      is not a result of a major intrinsic event (such as a stroke) or overwhelming hazard.