Share your tips for avoiding trips and falls as you get older - £300 voucher to be won NOW CLOSED

And what effect will that have? . They will obey my OH but it is when he has been out and comes home this happens.

Shout SIT or STAY very loudly!

My dogs are the worst hazzard. They get excited and charge through doorways, if I am unfortunately in that doorway I am likely to get knocked over. Not sure of the solution

Don't change the bedclothes.
Or if you do - don't leave them hanging too far down the sides.

Is the £300 voucher for mobility aids? If so, I already have a pair of crutches similar to the ones in the picture, a walking stick and a shower seat thank you all the same.

Give up skiing (reluctantly !)

DH never did his shoes or sandals up properly despite me constantly reminding him. One day last summer he tripped on the loose strap of his sandal and fell out of the patio door. It could have been a really bad fall but he somehow managed to right himself. But it did frighten him and he always does his shoes up now.

Keep floor area tidy so there nothing to trip over in the house. When walking the dog over uneven ground outside, I have invested in a fell walking stick. one with a handle being best. I am fine normally but it is so easy to slip on mud or trip over an unseen root.

Buy a bungalow with no steps or stairs at all!

I have tiled or laminate flooring throughout the house and had attractive rugs in most rooms. I have now removed every rug so that I have a level walking place because I tripped and fell over a rug last year fracturing my 1st Metatarsal and ending up in a below knee POP.

I try to wear slippers with backs for added security.

I find that varifocal glasses can have an impact on balance, especially if you are going down stairs. They do alter perception and if you are used to wearing them, it is easy to forget sometimes the way they distort distance perception because your feet are within the 'reading' section. My late husband had problems and now I sometimes do. I love my varifocals, but do have to remember that they can make things appear different, enough to mis-step.

I now force myself to use a pair of steps when reaching up, ones with a rail at the top, though I used to hop on a chair (yes, I know!) without hesitating. Foot problems mean my balance is not so reliable. I just have to accept that living alone, I need to be a bit slower and more thoughtful. It is irritating to slow down when you don't feel like it, and frustration can mean taking short cuts but they can lead to disaster.

Thinking things through is worth it. Getting out of the bath onto a heavy bath mat instead of a skittery towel chucked on the floor, is boringly sensible but better than weeks in hospital mending a broken hip.

Getting out of bed, especially in the middle of the night for a wee, should be done slowly and standing up for a few seconds to let your blood pressure adjust is well worth while. It only takes a moment or two, but it can avoid a fall.

We need to learn to be patient, and that's hard! A few extra minutes can avoid months of pain and years of disability. See it as an investment. When I learned to drive, my instructor said, take your time — other drivers will forgive you if you manoeuvre once slowly, and get it right, instead of rushing and having to take ages. A lesson for life as we get older.