Older people with cognitive impairment and dementia are at increased risk of falls and their adverse consequences when compared with cognitively intact older adults. Using prospectively gathered data, approximately three-quarters of older people with cognitive impairment and dementia can expect to fall each year, double the fall-risk of cognitively normal older people. In addition, compared with their cognitively normal counterparts, people with cognitive impairment and dementia have an increased annual incidence of fractures, and are less likely to make a good functional recovery after a fall. The prevalence of dementia in the United Kingdom is about 5% of the population aged over 65, and 15% of those aged over 80. Falls in patients with cognitive impairment and dementia represent a significant health problem in the UK.