Cardiff and Vale University Health Board’s Stay Steady Clinics have returned to face-to-face sessions

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board’s Stay Steady Clinics are now providing face-to-face appointments along with continuing to offer virtual or telephone appointments.

The Stay Steady Clinic is a service focused on providing tailored support and advice to individuals who are worried about falling or feeling a little unsteady on their feet.

The clinics are available to all residents in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, with a dedicated team of falls specialist physiotherapists on hand to assess an individual’s risk of falling and the recommendations to take.

Sessions, by appointment only, are currently available in Roath Fire Station on the last Thursday of every month and Barry Fire Station on the last Friday of every month, but please note this is subject to change.   

People can become increasingly unsteady on their feet and may feel weaker as they grow older. This in turn increases their risk of having a fall. Whilst a fall may not cause significant injury, it can mean that it is more likely to happen again.

A third of people over the age of 65 fall each year, but the good news is that falls are not an inevitable part of ageing, many are preventable.

There are many exercises that people can do within their own home as well as in the community to help reduce their risk of a fall.

Patients can refer themselves to the Stay Steady Clinics by phone or email. They will be asked to provide their contact details and an appointment will be arranged with a falls specialist physiotherapist, either in person, by phone, or via secure video link.

If an individual can answer yes to any of the following questions, the clinic may be a suitable service for them to receive support and advice:

·        Have you had a fall in the last year?

·        Do you struggle to get up from a chair or ever feel unsteady on your feet?

·        Does a fear of falling stop you taking part in daily tasks and activities?

Even if they have answered no to all three, they can lower their risk of a fall by doing regular exercise, having good nutrition, getting regular eyesight checks and caring for their overall health and wellbeing.

For further information on the Stay Steady Clinics or to book an appointment, email staysteady.cardiff@wales.nhs.uk or call 029 2183 2552.