A MAJOR campaign has been launched to tackle the accident that many older people fear the most - falling at home.

National figures reveal that every five hours an elderly person is killed by an accidental fall in the home - which amounts to 1,500 deaths a year.

In Trafford, 17 pensioners were killed by falls between 1995 and 1997. There were another 1,300 serious cases, and 1,700 minor falls. Now two Stretford pensioners who have been hurt in falls at home are helping to spearhead the campaign - 'Avoiding Slips, Trips and Broken Hips' - by recounting what happened to them.

The campaign will be sending out two key safety messages:

Safety at home - a few simple practical measures can make all the difference. For example, ensuring stairs are kept well clear and well lit.

Active lives - older people who keep mobile are less likely to fall.

Trafford pensioners who have fallen include Mabel Whitehead, 89, of Stretford, who tumbled when she got out of bed while suffering from the 'flu. She was on the floor for 10 minutes before dragging herself to the hall and pushing the panic button. "It really shook me up - I was in bed for a week and not eating anything. I got up gradually and now use my walking frame to go everywhere, even up and down the corridor inside."

She is also now doing a weekly exercise class.

Connie Ford, 79, of Stretford, has had 11 falls since a hip replacement in 1990. A recent fall in her bedroom left her with a bruised chest, and a injury to her arm from which she has still not fully recovered.

"I couldn't get myself up again when I fell. I ended up shuffling into the lounge on my bottom and taking all my cushions off the settee. Then I wriggled myself onto them and onto the settee, and up from there. The whole thing took me about half an hour."

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