The importance of specialist in-house physiotherapy at a charity’s four care homes is being highlighted ahead of Falls Prevention Awareness Week.

Royal Star & Garter has gym rooms and trained teams in each of its Homes in Solihull, Surbiton, High Wycombe and Worthing, who work with residents in one-to-one and group settings.

These tailored programmes can improve mobility, strength and balance which helps reduce falls and pain, and boosts overall wellbeing.

Royal Star & Garter is a charity which provides loving, compassionate care and support to veterans and their families living with disability or dementia. It also runs services reaching out into the community including Day Care, Lunch Club and a national Telephone Friendship Service.

Falls Prevention Awareness Week is a national health campaign running from 21-25 September to increase awareness around falls health and injury prevention among older adults.

Each Royal Star & Garter Home has purpose-built facilities designed to support rehabilitation, build strength and encourage ongoing physical wellbeing. The gyms include static bike machines, parallel bars and rehabilitation steps.

Physiotherapy Teams work closely with residents to support their personal goals, whether that be recovery after illness, managing a long-term condition or simply maintaining confidence in everyday movement.

The Physiotherapy Teams are supported by nurses and carers and work closely with Wellbeing Teams, who organise activities and events which encourage gentle exercise and movement.

Residents say the impact of the exercises has helped them regain confidence, feel stronger, and enjoy greater independence in their daily lives.

RAF veteran Bill moved into the Solihull Home in 2024 after having a cancerous growth removed from his leg. As a result of regular physiotherapy, he is now able to take daily walks at a nearby park. He said: “They take a personal interest in me and they work me quite hard. But I feel good afterwards and it’s worth it. I think they’re great.”

Michael served in the Army, and came to the High Wycombe Home after developing Parkinson’s disease. He enjoys using the static bikes, explaining: “It’s immensely important to help offset the effects of Parkinson’s. When you use the exercise bike, you sit down and you cycle away, and the Physiotherapist has a timed film of cycling in the foothill of the Dolomites, or the Alps, or in Austria. It’s terrific because you’re absorbed with that, and it takes the pain out of the cycling.”

Ed came to Royal Star & Garter’s Worthing Home after a stroke left the RAF veteran using a wheelchair. After receiving intensive treatment in the in-house gym for six months, the father-of-two was able to return home to his family. He still uses the physiotherapy services weekly for his recuperation, and earlier this year defied the odds by walking the final 100 metres of the Worthing 10K, with support from members of the Home’s Physiotherapy Team. He said later: “After my stroke, I never imagined I’d be able to do something like this again… the Home has helped me rebuild my life, and walking those last 100m meant everything to me.”

In Surbiton, Rosemary is recovering following a hip replacement, with support from the Home’s Physiotherapist, Giacomo. He said: “Rosemary has remained very committed to regaining strength and mobility in her right hip and has consistently completed her prescribed daily physiotherapy exercises to support her recovery and improve her mobility. She has now progressed well and has returned to walking. She also attends a weekly balance group, which she finds very beneficial in helping her maintain and improve her balance, confidence, and overall mobility. It means so much to Rosemary that she’s been able to get back on to her own two feet.”

Royal Star & Garter also has plans to expand its physiotherapy services outside of its Homes. It is part of the charity’s bold strategy to transform how it supports the Armed Forces community over the next decade, extending its reach across the country.

‘Investing in preventative care and rehabilitation’

Shirley Hall, Director of Care & Wellbeing at Royal Star & Garter, said: “Falls Prevention Awareness Week highlights the importance of helping older people stay active, mobile and independent. Our in-house gym facilities and Physiotherapy Teams are central to this work, providing residents with tailored support and activity plans to improve balance, strength and confidence. By investing in preventative care and rehabilitation, we’re helping residents maintain their independence, reduce the risk of falls and enjoy a better quality of life.”

Royal Star & Garter is welcoming new residents in its Homes. For more information on this, the other services it offers to the veterans’ community or to work for the charity, go to www.starandgarter.org