Removing serious fall hazards from older people’s homes would save NHS £330m a year

Released to mark Falls Prevention Awareness Week, new analysis from BRE (Building Research Establishment) for the Centre for Ageing Better shows that removing the most serious fall hazards in homes lived in by at least one person aged 55 or over, would also bring broader annual savings to society of £1.4 billion.

The analysis also details the cost of repairing dangerous fall hazards, such as steep steps with inadequate handrails or bannisters and loose or unstable flooring, in homes across England stands at just over £1 billion – making it an investment that would pay for itself in a matter of months.

Repairing the most serious falls on stairs hazards would pay back its costs in societal benefits within seven months while repairing falls on the level hazards would pay for itself within 18 months.

Ageing Better is calling on policymakers to develop strategies to reduce the risk of falls by fixing dangerous homes and provide local ‘one-stop shops’ for all aspects of home repairs and adaptations.

The charity is calling for long-term funding to support local authorities across England to provide Good Home Hubs where residents could get advice on all aspects of home repairs and adaptations, including help finding trusted tradespeople and identifying what work needs to be done, to how to finance repairs and improve energy efficiency.

The analysis makes the argument that modest investments in home improvements, repairs and adaptions, such as stairlifts, ramps or grab rails can reduce the number of falls, improve older people’s quality of life and reduce demands on stretched public services.

Having a home where there is a significant fall hazard raises the likelihood of the occupant of the house having a fall by seven-fold compared to a home without a serious hazard. 

Around 1.5 million households with at least one occupant aged 55 or over reports needing an adaptation but currently only around half have that need met. This leaves hundreds of thousands of older people at increased risk of a fall at home.  

Fall hazards are a major contributing factor to the 3.5 million unsafe homes in this country. Nearly eight million people in England have to call these dangerous dwellings home, including around 2.6 million people aged 55 and over.    

“The consequences of a fall can be catastrophic. Even though such falls may be momentary, the effects can be long lasting, particularly if there is a fracture.

“Of course, there can be many reasons for falls. But homes that lack basic adaptations can play a significant role in increasing the risk. This is an unnecessary threat that risks causing unnecessary pain and injury to older people, unnecessary stress and worry to their loved ones and taking up unnecessary time and resource on the NHS with more than 200,000 emergency hospital admissions following falls by people aged 65 and over every year.

“Improving the homes of older people by making it easier to get the adaptations that are needed would help significantly reduce the number of falls in this country and their associated cost to the NHS.

“Falls are not an inevitability of ageing. They are often preventable and avoidable.

“We want to see a national strategy to tackle the scourge of unsafe homes. Such a commitment needs to be supported by long-term funding which will allow local authorities to provide a one-stop-shop service on all aspects of home repairs and adaptations. This model of a Good Home Hub service is currently being developed by the Centre for Ageing Better and we believe it could be effectively adopted around the country.”