Falls prevention

If you're worried about falling, you can contact the occupational therapy team for an assessment. They may be able to offer you solutions to tasks that you find difficult, or may recommend adaptations to your property.

As people age, fear of falling may become a serious concern. Having a fall can leave people very shaken up, it makes them more cautious, stops them from doing things and causes a loss of confidence in their own abilities. 

Some of the reasons you might fall include:

• a loss of strength and balance
• changes in medication
• foot problems
• medical conditions such as Parkinson's disease
• trip hazards in the home
• ice and snow

There are ways that you can reduce your risk of falling:

Exercise for over 50s

Focus on activities that challenge your balance and strengthen your legs, like gardening, dancing, tai chi or special balance and stability classes. 

There are a number of exercise classes targeted at overs 50s in Waltham Forest. You can find out more in our guide to services and activities for the over 50s leaflet (PDF). 

Open spaces

We manage a number of open spaces and picnic places where you can get out and about for walks and mild exercise.

Find your sport

There's a sport to suit everyone, whether you haven’t tried it before or you already know it’s something you’re going to enjoy. Take a look at our sporting activities to get an idea of what’s available. 

Things you can do to help are:

• take your time, you will be less likely to fall
• sit on the edge of the bed for a few minutes to prevent dizziness when standing
• if getting up in the night, make sure the room has the correct lighting
• make sure your bed is the right height for you
• never put a mattress on top of another to raise the height, as this makes the bed unstable