Ageing Well: Falls (FutureLearn)

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.

What topics will you cover?

• Identify falls risk factors
• Recognise factors that could signify serious, but treatable, underlying medical problems
• Learn more about why falls are important
• Discover ways of assessing and reducing the risk of falling
• Recognise when to seek help
• Explore how to prevent falls and injury
• Interact with others who have fallen
• Discuss the important issues falls raise

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

• Describe how falls are defined
• Explore some practical anatomy and physiology to discover how our body stays upright
• Investigate risk factors for falling and identify your own risks for falling
• Describe the actions to take immediately after a fall
• Explore what happens in a specialist falls clinic
• Explain how to keep bones strong and healthy
• Describe effective treatments to prevent falls
• Explore falls research and possibilities for the future