Devon & Cornwall

First gets on board with National Falls Awareness Day

IN a bid to mark National Falls Awareness Day (23 June), an awareness initiative organised by Help the Aged / Age Concern to highlight the concerns that older people have about falling, First in Devon & Cornwall is working closely with the charity to highlight the steps older people can take to ensure that they stay safe when they are out and about on the bus. The focus of this years National Falls Awareness Day is falls on buses.

Keen to work with older people to allay their fears, First, the UKs leading bus operator, is supporting the charitys activities and has produced a number of special limited edition ‘Get on Board travel wallets for older customers to use.

The wallets, designed to incorporate concessionary bus passes, contain information produced by Help the Aged / Age Concern detailing how to stay safe while out and about. They also incorporate a special Safe Journey Card, produced by First, which older people can use to alert bus drivers to any special needs they may have, for instance a hearing or speech problem.

In Devon & Cornwall, the limited edition wallets will be distributed, while stocks last, via Firsts own travel shops and by Devon Primary Care Trust at an event it is organising in North Devon.

Safe Journey Card inserts are also available to download from the FirstGroup website, www.firstgroup.com/safejourney.

Marc Reddy, Managing Director of First in Devon and Cornwall, says: "As a company we take the health and safety of our customers very seriously. While the bus remains one of the safest forms of transport around, we recognise some older people may have a fear of falling, and we are keen to support them. We hope our older passengers will follow the guidance we have outlined in the Get on Board information booklet and on the Safe Journey website " ringing the bell and staying seated until the bus comes to a stop, for instance.

"I hope that as a result of this campaign even more older people are able to feel confident using the bus, making full use of the concessionary pass scheme which was set up by the Government to help them remain active and independent well into old age.'

Ann Wilson, who is leading on falls prevention for Devon PCT, said: "Fear of falling should not be underestimated as it can undermine the persons confidence and ultimately their ability to manage everyday tasks. A fall on a bus could deter the person from visiting friends or prevent them from getting their own shopping, so thats why we are launching this safe journey card.

"A fall is usually caused by more than one problem. It may be a combination of aging factors, medication, medical conditions and the environment. Anyone who is afraid of falling or has already fallen can visit their GP, who will investigate the cause and may recommend a further assessment from the rehabilitation team.

"Falls are not an inevitable part of getting older. I would urge any older person who has fallen or who is afraid of falling to seek help from their GP.'

In general the advice for older people using the bus is:
• Use the handrails provided when you are stepping on and off the bus. If youre having difficulty, ask the driver to lower the floor
• Use the priority seats at the front of the bus " if they are occupied by a younger person, have the confidence to ask them to move
• Dont feel as though you have the rush. You can ask the driver to wait until you are seated before moving off, but try and ensure you take the first available seat
• Try not to travel with lots of bags as these will prevent you from holding the handrails. A shopping trolley may be a safer option.
• When you want to get off, ring the bell and stay seated until the bus stops. If you need to, when you get on, ask the driver to give you extra time to leave the bus safely.

For more information about National Falls Awareness Day see: www.helptheaged.org.uk. To find out more about First, or to download the Safe Journey Card, log onto www.firstgroup.com/safejourney.