Health & wellbeing
Ask Dr Mark
YOUR QUESTIONS /HYPNOTHERAPY / COLLAGEN
Our GP answers your questions on falls, post-menopause bleeding and mysterious heat-related rashes
illustration ANDREA CHRONOPOULOS
Q I’m worried about our older neighbour who lives alone and has fallen three times in the past month, twice in her kitchen and once getting out of the shower. Luckily, other than some bruising to her shoulder, she was unharmed and managed to call us for help. She refuses to contact her GP but we’re concerned she’s going to injure herself more severely next time. What can we do?
‘One in three people over 65 falls at least once a year, rising to half of those over 80’
a She is lucky to have good neighbours, and you’re right to be concerned. Anyone can fall once, but three times in a month should ring alarm bells. At the very least, if I was your neighbour’s GP, I would want to be informed and would arrange to see and assess her.
Falls are common in older people. One in three people over 65 falls at least once a year, rising to half of those over 80 – recurrent episodes like your neighbour’s could be linked to a host of underlying issues ranging from balance and blood pressure problems to drug side effects, Parkinson’s disease and dementia.