Barnsley people invited to Falls Awareness Week event

To support this year’s Falls Awareness Week, the Barnsley falls and osteoporosis service, provided by South West Yorkshire Partnership Foundation Trust, is holding an event at Barnsley town centre on Wednesday 19 June.

Falls Awareness Week, led by Age UK, is taking place from 17 – 21 June and offers an opportunity for older people, relatives and carers to find out more about falls and how to prevent them.

To link in with this year’s ‘healthy feet’ theme, local people are invited to attend an event from 9am – 2pm, at Barnsley town centre (near Alhambra shopping centre). A number of healthcare teams from the Trust will be at the event including the falls and osteoporosis service.

Jan Kitchen, clinical falls specialist said, “Falls are a serious problem for older people and even minor falls can have a significant impact on physical and mental wellbeing. The fear of falling can result in a loss of confidence to carry out daily tasks such as going outdoors, shopping or even moving around in their own homes.

“We want to make people aware that falls aren’t an inevitable part of getting older. The event aims to raise awareness of the risks of falls and promote simple ways to reduce them. People are encouraged to come along to learn more about the issues associated with falls and poor foot health and the services in place to support them.”

Find out more about fall prevention and support available at www.ageuk.org.uk/fallsweek