Falls Prevention

Falls occur throughout life and it is only in situations where the fall results in an injury or life-altering fear of injury that it is a matter of concern.

As individuals age, the chance of being injured increases, but the risk is not equal for all individuals of the same age due to a range of intrinsic factors such as eyesight, balance, muscle strength, bone density and medications being taken by an individual. Social and socio-economic factors also contribute to individual falls risk [Source: National Falls Prevention for Older People Initiative [Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing]]

Reviewed June 2009

 

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44 Resources Found

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Title:   Balance training (proprioceptive training) for patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Publisher:   John Wiley and Sons, Ltd. for The Cochrane Collaboration
Description:   Patients with rheumatoid arthritis may have an increased risk of falls due to impairments in lower-extremity joints, which may result in either mobility, or postural stability problems. There is evidence in the literature suggesting that balance, agility and coordination training techniques can induce changes in lower-extremity muscle activity patterns that result in improvement in dynamic joint stability. We suggest that future research should give more importance to balance training by either increasing the number and duration of sessions or investigating its efficacy alone.
Date:   May 2010
Title:   Falls prevention for older people
Publisher:   Better Health Channel
Description:   Falls are a major cause of injury for older people and cause hip and wrist fractures, dislocations, head injuries and bruises. Falls can be prevented with simple safety measures in the home and outside. Managing medications, foot care and regular eye tests can also minimise the risk of falls.
Date:   Dec 2009
Title:   Accidents and injury - reducing the risks
Publisher:   Better Health Channel
Description:   The risk of serious or complex injuries (major physical trauma) can be minimised by simple measures. Risks can be reduced to avoid car accidents, falls, workplace accidents and sports injuries.
Date:   Dec 2009
Title:   Osteoporosis - prevention and treatment
Publisher:   Better Health Channel
Description:   Osteoporosis occurs when bones become less dense, lose strength and break more easily due to calcium loss. Diet, exercise and limiting alcohol and caffeine can help to prevent osteoporosis. If you have osteoporosis, medical treatment and lifestyle changes can prevent further bone loss and reduce your risk of fractures.
Date:   Nov 2009
Title:   Playgrounds: fun without tears
Publisher:   Raising Children Network (RCN)
Description:   Safety in playgrounds, backyards and on trampolines
Date:   Nov 2009
Title:   Preschooler safety: what to expect
Publisher:   Raising Children Network (RCN)
Description:   Practical tips on preschooler safety and recognising risks to preschoolers and steps parents can take to keep preschoolers safe around the home. Includes tips on preschooler home safety, preschooler water safety, preschooler car safety, and preschooler playground safety.
Date:   Oct 2009
Title:   Fall prevention
Publisher:   The Jean Hailes Foundation for Women's Health
Description:   Risk factors in the elderly that lead to an increase in falls such as poor vision, decreased joint position sense, poor balance and physical strength and increased frailty, where possible should be addressed and improved.
Date:   Jul 2009
Title:   Elderly women
Publisher:   The Jean Hailes Foundation for Women's Health
Description:   Osteoporosis is a normal part of ageing. In reality we would all develop osteoporosis if we lived long enough. Women in particular are at an increased risk of osteoporosis compared to men due to the effects of menopause and subsequent oestrogen deficiency.
Date:   Jul 2009
Title:   Older years
Publisher:   The Jean Hailes Foundation for Women's Health
Description:   Women can expect to lose around 1% of their bone mineral density each year in the years beyond their menopause. This means that you are likely to develop osteoporosis into old age.
Date:   Jul 2009
Title:   Homefront
Publisher:   Commonwealth Department of Veterans' Affairs
Description:   Information about HomeFront, a Department of Veterans' Affairs program designed to prevent falls and accidents in the home.
Date:   Jul 2009
Title:   Drowning and other injuries related to aquatic activities at ages 55 years and older in Australia
Publisher:   Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Description:   About 100 people aged 55 years or older died annually by drowning each year in Australia over the period 1997 to 2005, equating to 28% of all drowning deaths at all ages. Males are more likely to die by drowning than females in all age categories over 55 years.
Date:   May 2009
Title:   Interventions for preventing falls in older people living in the community
Publisher:   John Wiley and Sons, Ltd. for The Cochrane Collaboration
Description:   As people get older, they may fall more often for a variety of reasons including problems with balance, poor vision, and dementia. Up to 30% may fall per year. Although one in five falls may require medical attention, less than one in 10 results in a fr...
Date:   Apr 2009
Title:   Media release. Major award for Queensland aged care home
Publisher:   Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing
Description:   A Brisbane nursing home has won a Better Practice Award for reducing the incidence of devastating falls in its facility.
Date:   Apr 2009
Title:   Aged care - helping people at home
Publisher:   Better Health Channel
Description:   Older people who wish to live at home can access services from the Australian Commonwealth and State Governments. These include rails to help prevent falls, nursing services and personal alarms.
Date:   Mar 2009
Title:   Interventions for preventing falls in older people in nursing care facilities and hospitals
Publisher:   John Wiley and Sons, Ltd. for The Cochrane Collaboration
Description:   Falls by older people in nursing care facilities and hospitals are common events that may cause loss of independence, injuries, and sometimes death as a result of injury. Effective interventions are important as they will have significant health benefit...
Date:   Feb 2009
Title:   Child safety - playground equipment
Publisher:   Better Health Channel
Description:   Children using playground equipment are most often injured by falls. You can reduce the risk by always supervising your child, limiting their play to age-appropriate equipment and teaching them to use the equipment sensibly.
Date:   Feb 2009
Title:   Hospitalisations due to falls by older people, Australia 2005-06
Publisher:   Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Description:   The report focuses on hospitalised falls occurring in the financial year 2005-06 and examines trends in fall-related hospitalisations over the period 1999-2006. The number of fall events resulting in hospitalisation due to injury for older Australians remains high and the rate of fall-related injury incidents is particularly high for the oldest group within this population.
Date:   Feb 2009
Title:   Stay on your feet - your home safety checklist
Publisher:   NSW Department of Health
Description:   A safer home can help you maintain an independent lifestyle. A few simple steps can make your home safer and help prevent falls. This checklist is a guide to those steps. The checklist is a series of questions that looks at safety in and around your home. If you answer 'no' to any of the questions, the checklist suggests things you can do to make your home safer. Most changes are easy and inexpensive. Take steps to prevent a fall - falls can be prevented!
Date:   Nov 2008
Title:   Bicycles, scooters and skateboards
Publisher:   Raising Children Network (RCN)
Description:   A guide to how protective gear, safety lessons, role modelling by parents and riding in a safe place reduce the dangers of using toys with wheels.
Date:   Oct 2008
Title:   Head injuries
Publisher:   Child and Youth Health - CYH (South Australia)
Description:   Children's heads are often hurt (injured) when they fall over or bump into something hard.
Date:   Aug 2008

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