Dudley Falls Prevention

An innovative partnership providing an integrated falls prevention service. The service comprises - Dudley Council’s adult social care and public health services, Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust.

Anyone aged over 18 who is concerned about falling. Help is on offer so that you can continue to live an independent, safe and active life.

We support anyone who is:

• Simply keen to maintain your strength and balance to avoid a fall
• Feeling a little unsteady on your feet and worried you are going to fall
• Recovering from a fall and lacking in confidence
• Falling more often and don’t know why

We help adults who live in Dudley borough, or who are registered with a GP located in Dudley borough. You can contact us directly or ask for a referral via your nurse of GP.

Help and support on offer is tailored to each person’s own unique needs. We will look at reasons you may be stumbling or falling and will find ways of preventing falls.

Support can include things like:

• strength and balance exercise programmes, healthy lifestyle information and advice, exercise and fitness programmes at Healthy Hubs
• community falls advisors visit you at home and provide tailored advice and support
• support from a specialist falls team made up of community falls specialist nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and specialist pharmacists.
• more in-depth support from a consultant led falls clinic

Key areas we might look at with you include:

• improving your strength and balance
• home adaptations, helpful gadgets and home safety equipment
• safe use of medicines
• protecting your bones
• staying fit and well through exercise
• eating and drinking well
• improving your confidence to get out and about

We all want to avoid falls but in the cold and icy winter months the risks of falling increase, here are some tips to prevent falls and keep safe and well in winter: 

• Think twice before going out, avoid it if you can, keep a stock of long life food, drink and medication at home
• Keep your home warm, seek advice from the Winter Warmth service
• Keep moving at home when its cold, keeping joints, muscles and circulation working
• If you have no choice but to go out, try and get someone to go with you and wear sensible shoes with a good grip
• Be especially careful walking on thawing snow or ice, it can easily hide icy surfaces

For more information and advice visit Winter Wellbeing.