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

Think of everything twice. Don't rush about, take your time . Do not leave objects lying around, put them away as soon as, because you will forget. Take your time in the bath too as it will be slippery. Take time to go foes the stairs too. X

Try not to get too tired, I have fallen a few times when exhausted.

My DH has mild MS and has periods of unsteadiness yet despite warnings to take things slower he resisted and often lost his balance.We now have a puppy who is very likely to trip him up and it has made him more thoughtful in his movements.Focussing on a dog, ( learning to wait- his command to stay still- the dog not my DH) whilst he moves gingerly where he wants to go. Not the solution for everyone of course but definitely making more planned, thoughtful trips even if it's only to be bathroom helps him.

Make sure there are no items left on the floor to trip over or have rugs which may move. Always wear sensible footwear when coming downstairs and have good spaces between furniture. Unfortunately, the thing I fall over most is the cat who always seems to be lurking under my feet!!

Hi Durhamjen. My accident was in 2013 and the time of being 'non-mobile' with both feet not being allowed to be on the ground was, um, er, challenging and something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

I was actually fortunate in one respect, as my husband actually heard me yelling for help. He is a very deep (think extremely stertorous snoring, grr) sleeper and I was amazed that he heard me, as this was around 4.00am.

Mind you, he then proceeded to tell me that I was fine. Left leg swinging around at a very odd angle but 'you're fine, up you get' was the initial response! Bless.

Happy New Year, all GN-ers and those at HQ, too!

cables are a nightmare!!! I downsized a couple of years ago and all the sockets are halfway up the wall for easy reach, problem is that the cables on electrical goods are so short I have to have extention cables all over the place!!

dont rush around and make sure all cables etc are out of the way to avoid a tripping hazard

make sure rugs are non slip

I joined a local Tai Chi group some years ago,it was a mixed age group,from teenagers to 60 year olds.We each got something different from it.For me it has helped my balance tremendously,so many good habits I have put into practise which are second nature now.

Oh dear, Candelle. When was that?
That's how I broke my wrist, but not in the middle of the night. I was told if I'd had alcohol, I might have landed easier and not broken the wrist. However, I was supposed to be taking my grandaughter to a concert she was in, so alcohol would have been a bad idea.

Deciding to go down to the kitchen for some painkillers in the middle of the night, I fell down the last few stairs (no alcohol involved, sadly!) and broke my left leg and right foot

Reflecting as to why the accident happened, I realised that the new fangled light bulbs had not yet heated up so there was insufficient light on the last few steps and they were in shadow.

We have since bought several LED lights that light up as one approaches. These are only 3 or 4" in diameter and sit on the side of the stairs but illuminate them brilliantly. I can really recommend these to everyone as a safety precaution.

Avoid having obvious trip hazards at home, rugs, piles of newspapers, things sitting on the stairs. Try to do one thing at a time, multitasking is so much in my nature but I've tripped before now when my mind was in one place while my feet were going in a different direction altogether! Outdoors swallow your pride and use a stick or whatever else you need in order to stay safeif you need to, see walking aids as friends not enemies.

Are you on the correct thread Karen ??

I use Joseph Joseph chopping boards which are coloured for different uses,once used,before putting them in the dishwasher,I spray them and the surrounding area with anti bacterial spray.I try not to get too hung up though as I'm sure that we're creating more allergies by becoming more sterile in the home,you need to have some germs to build immunitity .

Remove all rugs with edges - and make sure if you wear open toed shoes that you pick your feet up properly or you can catch the edge!
Do not have extension leads/wires anywhere on the floor.
Always pick up any type of paper or plastic that is in the footway
make sure any decking wood is treated with oil NOT paint as it flakes off - or a grip tape that is properly put down
Do not over reach for ANYTHING
Do not bathe if you are alone in the house and unsteady
Do not wear flappy wide leg trousers as you can catch your feet in them on stairs.

Stay safe!

My mother fell trying to open a stiff drawer. When it finally gave way it took her unawares and she fell backwards hitting her head, so make sure drawers open smoothly - rub soap on the runners.
We also removed all her rugs - which she didn't like but we did it anyway as she had good carpet underneath. The rugs were old and had curly corners.
We encouraged her to leave lights on which again she didn't like as she saw it as wasted electricity but especially in the night when she had to use the bathroom it was good to know she could see better as her sight was not 100%. Woke us all up doing this but never mind!!

Keep up the yoga! At least when you fall, you usually bounce and don't break! Walk don't run. Just went full length after missing pavement edge while dashing around!

I have those socks with the grips underneath rather than slippers as I find most slippers quite smooth on the bottom with no grip

Hand rails may not all look great, but we wish we'd had them put in BEFORE a very nasty tumble - not after.

My joint pain doesn't affect my balance but it does affect my life. I am careful how I select footwear though so perhaps that helps. My dog trips me up more than anything! My wrists/hands/fingers cause pain & that means I have to be careful with picking things up or holding things as my grip is weak. It's easy to forget so I have hurt myself and broken things through dropping them. Remotes & phones often get dropped/flung across the floor as my grip goes or wasn't there in the first place!

It takes a bit longer to get up out of bed and chairs.

Very much in favour of removing rugs and runners; there have been a number of times I have nearly fallen. My problem is mobility issues in general, rather than age. Another big issue for me is trying to carry too much up or downstairs. I need to be able to see where I am walking and to be able to hold onto the banister on at least one side of the stairs. Finally, although it sounds really simple and obvious, I try not to rush about too much - definitely some truth in the "more haste, less speed" saying.

Tips to avoid falls;
1. Make sure there are no toys or objects in the way of your path to avoid tripping over.
2. Have regular eye checks to ensure your glasses if you wear glasses are up to date.
3. Wear sensible shoes with good grips.

I had a ear op which as left me off balance most of the time I find it worst whenever I have got a cold so I don't rush now for anything because if I do I just swerve to the side or go dizzy and wearing a good grip on my shoes does help a lot.

Walking sticks are a great asset, they help with support and balance, a stick can give that extra bit of security when out walking.