The Ealing Falls Prevention JSNA identifies falls as one of the borough’s most significant public health challenges. Through evidence-based strength and balance programmes, community engagement and healthy ageing support, StayActive4Life is helping local residents remain active, independent and confident for longer.
Projected growth in Ealing residents aged 65+ from 47,320 in 2023 to 72,509 by 2043
ONS mid-year population estimate, 2023 (projection to 2043)
Ealing residents identified with some degree of frailty
Ealing GP registers, Electronic Frailty Index, Jan 2025
Falls recorded in primary care across Ealing in a single year
GP records, May 2024 – May 2025 (WSIC)
Emergency hospital admissions due to falls, every year
Hospital admissions data, 2024/25
Potential falls-risk reduction through the evidence-based Otago programme
Public Health England, Falls Prevention ROI modelling
Source: Ealing Falls Prevention JSNA, 2026
Physical inactivity, muscle loss and reduced balance build up quietly long before a fall happens. The JSNA calls for earlier, more coordinated intervention along this whole pathway — which is exactly where StayActive4Life’s classes sit.
Without intervention, this cycle repeats.
The downward spiral: As we age, natural muscle loss (sarcopenia) accelerates when activity levels drop. This becomes self-reinforcing — less activity causes more muscle loss, which makes activity harder still.
Loss of function: Reduced muscle mass and strength affects balance, walking speed and the ability to manage everyday tasks, increasing the risk of a fall.
Isolation and decline: Fear of falling and reduced mobility often lead to withdrawal from social and physical activity, deepening the cycle and increasing isolation.
Consistent activity reverses every stage of the cycle.
Builds muscle & strength: Resistance training helps reverse sarcopenia and rebuilds strength lost through inactivity.
Improves energy & endurance: Regular aerobic activity improves cardiovascular fitness, making everyday tasks feel easier.
Enhances balance: Targeted balance training, such as Otago or FaME, improves stability and directly reduces falls risk.
Reduces inflammation: Consistent exercise lowers the chronic low-grade inflammation linked to age-related decline.
Boosts metabolic health: Physical activity improves insulin sensitivity and supports healthy ageing.
Official guidance (NICE NG249, UK Chief Medical Officers) recommends multicomponent exercise — combining strength and balance work — at least 2–3 times per week for older adults at risk of falls.
Research highlighted by the British Geriatrics Society (2023) found that a short, structured home programme of as little as 20 minutes a day reversed frailty in around two-thirds of participants over 3 months, alongside improvements in grip strength and bone mass — though the study was small and benefits faded within 12 months without continued activity.
Adequate dietary protein alongside regular activity supports muscle maintenance and recovery.
Sources: British Geriatrics Society (2023); NICE NG249 — Falls in older people; peer-reviewed exercise and frailty research (Age and Ageing, Cochrane Library). Want the plain-language explainer? See our guide to Understanding Frailty.
Evidence-based Otago and FaME sessions, shown to reduce falls risk by around a third.
Delivered by Postural Stability Instructor and Otago-trained specialists.
Weekly sessions in Acton, Ealing, Greenford, Northolt and Southall — close to home.
Group classes that build confidence and tackle isolation alongside physical decline.
Ongoing weekly classes, not a short course — helping healthy habits last.
Accessible via GP, physiotherapist, Social Prescriber, or self-referral.
01
What the JSNA says
“Develop and promote a universal healthy ageing approach focused on reducing falls and frailty risk factors across the life course.”
JSNA Recommendation 7.1
How StayActive4Life Helps
02
What the JSNA says
“Early identification of people at increased risk of falls is central to effective prevention.”
JSNA Section 5.3
How StayActive4Life Helps
03
What the JSNA says
“The two main evidence-based programmes used within the UK are FaME and Otago. Strength and balance programmes are particularly effective for people with recurrent falls, gait impairment or balance difficulties.”
JSNA Section 5.4.3
How StayActive4Life Helps
04
What the JSNA says
“The JSNA identifies higher deprivation and falls burden in areas including Southall and Northolt.”
JSNA Local Need data
How StayActive4Life Helps
05
What the JSNA says
“Form part of a coordinated falls prevention pathway with clear links to specialist services.”
JSNA Recommendation 7.5
How StayActive4Life Helps
The JSNA is clear that this is about more than avoiding accidents — it is about independence, confidence and quality of life.
Progressive exercise that rebuilds the muscle strength lost with age and inactivity.
HOW WE HELP
Delivered through weekly Otago and FaME strength and balance classes, built to progress at your pace.
Better balance and reaction times that reduce the risk of a fall happening at all.
HOW WE HELP
Evidence-based balance training, shown to reduce falls risk by around a third.
The self-belief to keep moving, keep leaving the house, and keep doing what matters.
HOW WE HELP
A supportive group setting with Otago-trained, PSI-qualified instructors, at a pace that suits you.
Staying in your own home, on your own terms, for longer.
HOW WE HELP
Ongoing weekly classes across Acton, Ealing, Greenford, Northolt and Southall — not a one-off course.
The most meaningful measure of this work is not a statistic — it is the residents who have regained the confidence to walk to the shops alone, or get back to gardening without fear of falling. We are building a dedicated space for these stories on this page — get in touch if you would like to share yours.
Otago is a progressive lower-limb strength and balance programme originally developed as a secondary falls-prevention measure for frailer older adults. StayActive4Life delivers an Otago-based programme through Otago-trained, PSI (Postural Stability Instructor) qualified instructors.
FaME (Falls Management Exercise) is a progression from Otago, led by qualified Postural Stability Instructors, combining strength, balance and dynamic endurance training. The Ealing Falls Prevention JSNA identifies FaME and Otago as the two main evidence-based falls prevention programmes used within the UK.
StayActive4Life accepts referrals from GPs, physiotherapists and Social Prescribers, as well as self-referrals. Referral details: admin@StayActive4Life.co.uk or 01753 653836 / 07715170207.
The current national standard is the NICE 2025 guideline on Falls Prevention (NG249), which replaced the 2013 guidance. Read it at nice.org.uk/guidance/ng249.
We’ve brought the evidence, home-safety checks and exercise guidance together in one place: our Complete Guide to Falls Prevention<\/a>.<\/p>
The Ealing Falls Prevention JSNA calls for a future where older residents can remain active, independent and connected to their communities for longer, through expanded access to evidence-based strength and balance programmes and stronger partnership between prevention and healthcare services. StayActive4Life is already helping deliver that vision — through evidence-based exercise, qualified instructors, local community venues and close links with health professionals.
