Wheelchair provided on the ferry from La Palma to Tenerife. Photo by Angela Lansbury.
I fell down stairs at a Parador hotel in La Palma in the Canaries on unlucky for me June 13 2026.
I immediately received a wheelchair to get me to breakfast. Fast action. No footrests on the chair.
They also gave me an icepack. The icepack was too cold to hold against my skin for more than a few seconds. Somebody pointed out that I should use a towel over the ice pack.
I had asked my husband to take a photograph of myself lying on the floor, in case it was needed to prove an insurance claim.
After that I was in a wheelchair on and off for several days.
The ferry, Fred Olsen, from La Palma to Tenerife, where we had to go for our flight back to London, was very helpful. They loaned me a wheelchair.
We later spent a day and a lot of money in A & E at a private hospital in La Palma.
The El Mirador hotel in La Palma provided a wheelchair which had foot rests.
Cause of Falls
I should have taken a photo of the stairs where I fell. Later I wanted to know the cause. Was it -
Footwear
1 My shoes?
Banisters
2 Or the banister (or lack of one)?
Steps
3 The width or depth of the steps?
Floors At The Base of Staircases
4 The wooden or other surface, the hardness of the floor at the base of the steps which might have benefited from a carpet or matting.
5 Dizziness -
This can be caused by balance problems in the ear. I had an appointment with the NHS a couple of months after my GP requested it. The ear dpecialisy analysed the problem, recommended an exercise watching my finger whilst rotating my head. The ear specialist planned action on my ears - but no appointment was made at reception, only through an automated system - which has not yet made the appointment.
Frequency of Falls
Even if the cause was my unsteadiness, due to age, or frailty, or rushing, maybe a different design of the staircase or floor could have saved me.
Falls are frequent.
Famous Falls
Jilly Cooper, the author, died after a fall in 2025.
I read on June 19 2026 that Princess Diana's designer, Paul Costelloe, died after a fall on stairs, although they were carpeted. It happened back in November 2025 but the inquest was held in 2026.
Useful Websites
https://www.rospa.com/safety-campaigns/safer-stairs
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