Falls prevention physiotherapy at home in Richmond upon Thames

Worried about falls, or finding Richmond Hill, the towpath or a long walk in the park harder than it used to be? A Chartered Physiotherapist, registered with the HCPC, visits older adults at home across Richmond upon Thames, from Barnes and Kew to Twickenham, Teddington and Hampton. We work on strength, balance and stamina to help you keep enjoying what makes the borough special: walks in Richmond Park and Bushy Park, an afternoon at Kew Gardens, a play at the Orange Tree or a stroll by the river. Every programme starts with a falls risk assessment at home.

Book your free 15 minute call

Homes in Richmond upon Thames

Richmond upon Thames has a wide mix of homes. Richmond and Twickenham have Georgian and Victorian houses, many over three or four floors with steps up to the front door and steep stairs inside. East Sheen, Barnes and Teddington have streets of Victorian and Edwardian terraces and semis, while Whitton, Hampton and parts of Twickenham have family houses built in the 1930s and later. Riverside flats, conversions and retirement apartments are common near the town centres, and some homes on the slopes of Richmond Hill have steps or sloping paths before you even reach the door. Every visit starts with how you get around your own home and building, and we practise the stairs, front steps and garden steps you actually use, at a pace that is safe for you. Working with a physiotherapist who comes to your home means the practice fits your house, not the other way round.

Where we visit in Richmond upon Thames

We offer physiotherapy home visits across the borough, including Richmond, Richmond Hill, Kew, North Sheen, East Sheen, Mortlake, Barnes, Ham, Petersham, St Margarets, Twickenham, Strawberry Hill, Whitton, Teddington, Hampton Hill and Hampton. That covers postcodes TW1, TW2, TW9, TW10, TW11, TW12, SW13 and SW14, and parts of TW3, TW4, TW7 and KT1. There is no travel charge anywhere in London.

Coming home from hospital

Many Richmond upon Thames residents are treated at Kingston Hospital or at West Middlesex University Hospital in Isleworth, and some go on to short stay rehabilitation at Teddington Memorial Hospital. They are then supported by NHS community teams. SteadyMotion is an independent private service, separate from the NHS, so we can work alongside your NHS care, while you wait for it, or after it ends. After a fall, a broken hip, or a hip or knee replacement, we work on your walking aid, strength, balance and the stairs at home. Read more in our guide to home physiotherapy for older adults.

Getting out and about again

Richmond upon Thames is the only London borough on both banks of the Thames, and the river is part of daily life. The riverside path runs from Richmond Bridge past Petersham Meadows towards Ham House, and further upstream through Twickenham, Teddington and Hampton to Hampton Court Palace. Richmond Park, the largest in London, has long gentle tracks and some steep climbs, and Bushy Park is flatter and easier underfoot. Closer to home there is Old Deer Park, Marble Hill Park, Barnes Common, Kew Green, Twickenham Green, Radnor Gardens and Crane Park. The London Wetland Centre in Barnes, Richmond Theatre and Orleans House Gallery are popular outings. Many people use Richmond Library or Twickenham Library, or swim at Pools on the Park in Old Deer Park, Teddington Pools or the sports centres in Whitton and Hampton.

Getting around Richmond upon Thames can mean a steep walk: Richmond Hill climbs from the town centre to the park gates, and the riverside paths can be muddy or flooded at high tide. Richmond and Kew Gardens stations are served by the District line, the Overground and trains to Waterloo, and stations such as Barnes, Mortlake, St Margarets, Twickenham, Teddington and Hampton are on the Waterloo lines. Buses link the town centres along busy roads like the A316. We practise hills, kerbs and the walk to the station or bus stop, step by step, on the routes you actually use.

What a programme can look like

These are examples, not real clients. Every programme is planned around the person and what they want to get back to.

Example: back up Richmond Hill. Starting point: someone who walked up the hill to Richmond Park most weeks but stopped after a fall, because the slope now leaves them breathless and unsure. What we work on: leg strength, stamina and balance on slopes, starting on gentle inclines near home and building up in stages. The goal: reaching the park gates again and enjoying the view from the top.

Example: the towpath to Ham House. Starting point: someone who has had a knee replacement and wants to walk by the river again but is worried about uneven ground and cyclists. What we work on: walking on gravel and grass, balance when stepping aside, and building distance from Richmond Bridge along Petersham Meadows. The goal: a regular riverside walk with friends.

Example: Kew Gardens with the grandchildren. Starting point: someone who is generally unsteady and has stopped going to Kew because of the size of the gardens and the walk from the station. What we work on: stamina, standing balance and turning, and planning a route with rests. The goal: a day out at Kew with family.

Example: a Teddington terrace. Starting point: someone home after a broken hip who now finds the steep stairs and the step down to the garden difficult. What we work on: strength, a safe way to use the stair rail, and practising the garden step. The goal: using the whole house and garden again.

Other areas we visit

We also visit older adults at home in nearby Hounslow, Hammersmith and Fulham, Wandsworth and Kingston upon Thames, and across the rest of London, with no travel charge.