Free Falls Prevention Service to launch in Lincolnshire in June to improve stability and quality of life

Any Lincolnshire resident aged 65 years old or over and deemed to be at risk of falls will shortly be able to access a free Falls Prevention Service being fully funded by Lincolnshire County Council.

The Falls Prevention Service, which will be delivered by healthy lifestyle provider One You Lincolnshire, will start in June and will continue for 12 months.

The service will follow the FaME (Falls exercise management) model which is a 24-week progressive strength and balance programme, looking at improving an individual’s stability and quality of life. This will include an hour of physical activity followed by a half hour social chat over a cup of tea or coffee. Participants will receive weekly support to set goals and weekly exercises.

As people get older, they are more likely to be unsteady and fall over. Falls can result in injuries including head injuries and hip fractures. According to the county council, hip fractures account for 1.8 million hospital bed days and £1.1 billion in hospital costs every year, even before the high cost of social care.

It says around 1 in 3 adults over 65 (around 148,000 people in Lincolnshire) and half of people over 80 will have at least one fall a year. The greatest growth across Greater Lincolnshire is in the older population of people aged 80 and over.

Kirby Lambert, the Healthy Ageing Lead at One You Lincolnshire, says the service could have a huge impact on residents: “We will do our very best to support those who will benefit from the service, boosting their confidence and providing them with the tools to have a better quality of life.”

For more information, visit https://www.oneyoulincolnshire.org.uk/