Ageing Well: Falls

Every day in the UK, almost 10,000 people aged over 65 will fall down. The personal costs are staggering, with falls resulting in injury, broken bones, fear of falling and social isolation. People fall because of a complex mix of factors. To reduce falling, it is important to identify these factors, and recognise those that could signify serious, but treatable, underlying medical problems. This interactive course will enable you to: Learn more about why falls are just so important Discover ways of assessing and reducing the risk of falling Recognise when to seek help Explore how to prevent falls and injury During the course, we will meet people who have been affected by falls through a series of video case studies, and discuss together the important issues they raise, which we hope will be informative, practical and enlightening. We will draw on the knowledge and experience of world leading experts at Newcastle University through our Meet the Experts series. This includes work with the award winning Falls and Syncope Service (FASS) at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary - the largest unit of its kind in Europe, recognised internationally for its innovative work in the field of falls and blackouts. You can find out more about this course in Professor Julia Newton’s blog post: “Falls are not a normal part of ageing.”

• Julia Newton and James Frith