The Falls Prevention Program
Quicklinks
Program Overview:
Key Issues:
- Reduce fall injury in older people and fall related admission to hospital;
- Implementation of a range of strategies that work in preventing falls across community, hospital and residential aged care settings.
The NSW Falls Prevention Program is responsible for the implementation of the Management Policy to Reduce Fall Injury Among Older People, NSW Department of Health. The policy describes a broad range of strategies, impacting on people living independently in the community, in acute/subacute settings and in residential aged care facilities. With an ageing population, these strategies are urgently needed in order to reduce the falls related burden on the hospital system over the next 30 years.
In NSW in 2004-05 28,178 people aged 65 years and over had a fall that resulted in hospitalisations (8,888 males 19,287 females), a rate of 2,962 per 100,000 (Population Health Division, 2007).
The majority of falls causing hospitalisation in older people are due to trips and slips (Bradley and Harrison, 2007), but falls from steps and stairs and from ladders also occur, and are often particularly serious.
No other single injury cause, including road trauma, costs the health system more than fall injury. In NSW the total lifetime cost of falls in 1998-99 was estimated at $644 million. This figure includes direct costs to the health system of $333 million and mortality and morbidity costs of $311 million. This translates to an estimated 800 acute care beds and 1,200 new nursing home places simply to accommodate the demographic change (Bradley and Harrison, 2007).
Key focus areas include:
- Community initiatives:
- Forming links with other agencies to build a network of physical activity programs (community and home-based) with a focus on strength, flexibility and balance training.
- Working with GPs, NSW Ambulance, Community Health teams and community service providers to identify people at risk of a fall and to implement a range of interventions appropriate for that person.
- Provide community information on the benefits of physical activity that promote independence and positive ageing.
- Hospital initiatives:
- Implementation of the Australian Safety Quality Council best-practice guidelines Preventing Falls and Harm from falls in older people in a hospital and a residential aged care facilities.
- Identification of people at risk for falls (screen and assessment) then implement good practice strategies to manage their risk.
- Review and analysis of Falls incident data as recorded in IIMS at ward level.
- Residential Aged Care:
- Negotiating with the residential care sector in regards to supporting in the delivery of education of the implementation of the Australian Safety and Quality Council falls best-practice guidelines Preventing Falls and Harm from falls in older people for residential aged care facilities.
- Improving communication between hospitals and residential aged care facilities.
The CEC provides statewide co-ordination and support to the Area Health Services in the implementation of their falls plans. Each Area Health Services have appointed an Area Falls Coordinator to co-ordinate the implementation of an Area falls plan.
References:
Bradley C and Harrison JE, Fall related hospitalisations among older people sociocultural and regional aspects. Injury research and statistics, Series number 33 (AIHW cat.no. INJCAT 97) Adelaide: AIHW, 2007.
Population Health Division, The Health of the people of New South Wales - Report of the Chief Health Officer, Sydney: NSW Department of Health, 2007.
Resources
- Falls Prevention in Hospitals Information sheets
- Falls Prevention Strategies
- Falls Prevention in Hospitals - For older person aged 65 years or over
- Post Fall Assessment and Management
- Australian Safety Quality Council best-practice guidelines
- NSW Falls Injury Prevention Network
The NSW Falls Injury Prevention Network has existed since 1993. The role of this network has grown since its inception and now includes: - Meetings for discussion of falls related issues;
- Dissemination of research findings both local and international;
- Sharing resources developed and exploration of opportunities to combine resources in joint initiatives;
- Encouragement of collaboration projects and research;
- To act as a group to influence policy
- To liaise with NSW Health to provide information on current State/Commonwealth issues in relation to Falls;
- Maintenance of resources pertinent to the field.
The main purpose of the network is to share knowledge, expertise, and resources on falls prevention for older people.
The NSW Falls Injury Prevention Network is hosted by the Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute has been funded to provide support to the wide- network of people engaged in fall related activities.
Contact the NSW Falls Prevention team at CEC
Contact the NSW Falls Prevention team at the Clinical Excellence Commission
Ms Lorraine Lovitt
NSW Leader, NSW Falls Prevention Program
(02) 6656 5326
lorraine.lovitt@cec.health.nsw.gov.au
Ms Ingrid Hutchinson
Project Officer, NSW Falls Prevention Program
(02) 9382 7604
ingrid.hutchinson@cec.health.nsw.gov.au
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