Fall Prevention Programme in Sharjah
Medically reviewed by Dar Al Kamal Team
What is a fall prevention programme?
A fall prevention programme is a course of assessment, exercise and practical advice designed to keep an older person on their feet. Falls usually come from several small factors adding up: weaker legs, slower balance reactions, a medicine that causes light-headedness, poor lighting, a slippery floor. The programme looks for each factor and addresses the ones that can change.
Exercise is the centre of the programme. Strength and balance training that is challenging enough and continued over time is one of the best-supported ways of reducing falls in older adults. Gentle walking alone helps fitness, while specific leg-strengthening and balance exercises target what keeps a person upright.
At Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah, the programme is run by the hospital's physical therapists within the physiotherapy department, and links with geriatric medicine for the medical side of fall risk.
Who needs it
The programme benefits older adults who have any of the following:
- A fall in the past year, or more than one fall
- A near-miss, trip or stumble that caused a scare
- A fear of falling that is making them go out less or move less at home
- Difficulty rising from a chair without using the arms
- Unsteadiness when turning, on stairs or walking at night
- Thinning bones, where a fall is more likely to break a bone; osteoporosis management and a bone density scan cover this side
- Recovery after a hip fracture or a hospital stay
Family members often notice the early signs first: holding on to furniture while walking around the house, shuffling, or avoiding the stairs. These are good reasons to book an assessment before a fall happens.
What happens
The first session is a falls risk assessment. The physical therapist asks about any falls, where and how they happened, and what the person was doing at the time. Simple, standard tests follow: rising from a chair several times, standing and walking a short distance and back, standing with feet in different positions, and walking while turning the head. Strength in the legs, the feeling in the feet, footwear and any walking aid are checked too.
The therapist then builds the programme around the findings:
- Leg-strengthening exercises such as sit-to-stand, heel raises and side leg lifts
- Balance exercises that progress from holding a support to standing with less help
- Practice getting up from the floor in safe steps, and how to call for help if that is too hard
- Home safety advice, including loose rugs, trailing cables, night lighting on the route to the bathroom and grab rails
- Footwear advice: well-fitting shoes or slippers with a closed back and firm sole
Some advice fits daily life in the UAE especially well. Bathroom floors are often wet after wudu, so a non-slip mat and a rail beside the washbasin help. Rising from sujood during prayer involves getting up from the floor, so the programme practises this movement, and a chair can be used for prayer where needed. Standing up slowly after a long sitting, especially when fasting in Ramadan, gives blood pressure time to adjust.
Where a fall may be linked to medicines, blood pressure, eyesight or memory, the physical therapist recommends a medical review, which Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah can arrange.
Preparing for it
- Bring the shoes or slippers worn most at home.
- Bring any walking aid, glasses and hearing aids.
- Bring a list of all medicines, including those bought without a prescription.
- Write down any falls, with where, when and what happened.
- A family member or carer is welcome and helpful, as they often carry out the home changes.
Afterwards
The programme works when the exercises become part of every week. A routine done at the same time each day, such as after Fajr or after the afternoon rest, is easier to keep. Family members can join in, which adds safety and encouragement.
A fall risk review is useful at the end of the course, again every year, and sooner after any fall, hospital stay or new medicine that affects balance. The physical therapist at Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah progresses the exercises at each review.
Contact the hospital if falls or near-misses become more frequent, or dizziness appears on standing. Go to the emergency department straight away after a fall with a head injury, especially for someone on blood thinners, or if the person is unable to stand or bear weight on a leg.
Cost and insurance
Many UAE insurance plans cover physiotherapy for fall risk when a doctor documents a fall, a fracture or a balance problem, usually with a referral and pre-approval. Session caps are common. Programmes for prevention alone may be self-pay. Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah can help you confirm cover on 06 599 7777.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the risks of a fall prevention programme?
The main risk of a fall prevention programme is a loss of balance during exercises designed to challenge it, which is why training starts with a firm support nearby and progresses step by step. Mild muscle ache is common at first. The programme lowers the chance of falling but cannot remove it completely.
Who should join a fall prevention programme?
A fall prevention programme suits older adults who have fallen, had a near-miss, feel unsteady, find it hard to rise from a chair, or have started avoiding activity for fear of falling. It is also useful after a hip fracture or a hospital stay.
How often should a fall risk review be repeated?
A fall risk review is worth repeating every year, and sooner after any fall, hospital admission or change in medicines that affects balance. The physical therapist adjusts the exercises at each review.
Is walking enough to prevent falls?
Walking is good for general health, but on its own it does less to prevent falls than specific strength and balance exercises. A fall prevention programme combines both, with exercises that progressively challenge balance.
What should I do if I fall and cannot get up?
If you fall and cannot get up, stay calm, check for pain, call for help and keep warm while you wait. A fall prevention programme teaches a safe way to get up when you are able, and ways to summon help when you are not.
Can my elderly parent do the exercises at home?
Most fall prevention exercises are designed for home, using a kitchen worktop or a sturdy chair for support. The physical therapist teaches them in the clinic first, and a family member can learn them too to help with practice.
Is fear of falling treated in a fall prevention programme?
Fear of falling is addressed directly in a fall prevention programme, because avoiding movement weakens the legs and raises the risk further. Practising safe movements, including getting up from the floor, rebuilds confidence step by step.
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