Slippers cut falls by 60%

The NHS spend more than £1 bn a year on treating fractures caused by falling. In 2003 14,000 people fell and broke their hips in the UK. Neath Port Talbot Council, in South Wales, is considering spending £1,500 on a scheme to provide safe slippers to elderly people. They believe it could save much more by reducing injuries, as poorly fitting footwear is among the biggest causes of accidents among elderly people. A similar scheme has been tried in England and the number of people falling was reduced by 60%.

The slippers have rubber soles and are wide fitting to make them easy for people with restricted mobility to get them on and off. They also have a good Velcro fastener so they will not slip off.