April Falls
Better Balance for Fall Prevention
The Better Balance for Fall Prevention campaign aims to help older Australians to get physically active this April as part of April Falls Day, to help build their strength and maintain their independence.
Visit the NSW Falls Prevention and Healthy Ageing website for more information and resources.
Safe Activity for Everybody – Stay Active and Connected
The theme aims to encourage everyone to increase their activity regardless of ability and start to reconnect with their communities.
Visit the NSW Falls Prevention and Healthy Ageing website for more information and resources.
Stay Safe. Communicate.
The key to safety is communication. Communicate every shift, every risk, every change, every time.
This year the focus for April Falls is: Stay Safe. Communicate.
Promoting Communication between staff and between staff and patient, family and/or carers.
Staff have the opportunity to communicate individual patient fall safety risks between multi-disciplinary teams at safety huddles, clinical bedside handover, post fall huddles and intentional rounding.
Fall safety risks include: cognition, delirium, mobility status, personal care/toileting, poor vision and environmental factors.
Communicating with patients is also important, they also need to understand their safety risks in hospital. Staff are encouraged to discuss these with patients, families and/or carers and how they will be managed in hospital.
April Falls Day resources
Posters
- Stay Safe. Communicate – Staff overview
- Stay Safe. Communicate – Staff
- Stay Safe. Communicate – Patient, Family and/or carers
- Stay Safe. Communicate – Paediatrics
- Stay Safe. Communicate – Maternity
- Stay Safe. Communicate – Mental Health
- Stay Safe. Communicate – Community – Staff
- Stay Safe. Communicate – Community – Patient, Family and/or carers – Talk to your Health Professional
Information flyers for patients, families and/or carers
- Stay Safe. Communicate – Call don't fall
- Moving Safely around the ward
- Patients who are confused could fall when in hospital
- Patients who are confused could fall when in hospital – Macedonian
- Patients who are confused could fall when in hospital – Russian
- Patients who are confused could fall when in hospital – Spanish
- Order via Finsbury Green 1800 515 222. Stock Code: NH606693
$30.11 + GST per pad of 50.
- Patient Education – Call don't fall - Video
Staff communication
The focus of April Falls Day® 2019 is Falls and Frailty. Frailty is a risk factor for poorer health outcomes including falls, hospitalisation, admission to residential aged care and disability. It can be measured by looking at deficits related to fatigue, strength, mobility, illness and loss of weight.
What is Frailty?
A clinical syndrome in which three or more of the following are present:
- Unintentional weight loss (e.g. 4.5kg in the last year)
- Self-reported exhaustion
- Weakness (grip strength)
- Slow walking speed
- Low physical activity
(Fried et al. J Geront 2001;56:M146-M156)
April Falls Day 2019® – we are highlighting the signs of Frailty. Frailty can impact a person’s ability to function and maintain independence on a daily basis. Falling is strongly linked to frailty. A frail older person can present with falls while suffering a minor illness.
Frailty, Do you know the signs?
- Un-intentional weight loss
- Slower walking speed
- Weakness (grip strength)
- Lower physical activity levels
- Exhaustion
April Falls Day® resources
Information Flyers for health professionals
PowerPoint presentation for staff education
Staying Active
Eating well and staying active is important for all older people. Please visit the Active and Healthy website to find an appropriate exercise program close to you:
Visit Staying Active to:
- Find a local exercise program (such as Stepping On or Tai Chi) that includes balance and strength exercises. There is good evidence that balance and strength exercises can reduce a person's risk of falling.
- Order Staying active and on your feet booklets.
Eating well guides
The Public Health Nutrition team from Central Coast Local Health District aims to maintain or improve the nutritional health of older people. They have produced a number of leading resources for use across Australia. These include:
- Eating Well booklet - a nutrition resource for older people and their carers
- Best Practice Food and Nutrition Manual for Aged Care – Edition 2.1
Hard copies of the Eating well guides can be ordered from Bidfood.
The theme: Nutrition and Hydration – eating well to prevent falls aims to highlight the importance of nutrition and hydration for older people; reducing the risk of malnutrition, dehydration and delirium. When older people don’t consume enough food or water they lose muscle and strength, become unsteady on their feet, can feel weak and/or dizzy, which can lead to a fall.
Why is it important to eat well to prevent falls:
- Older people who are undernourished or have unintentionally lost weight are more likely to be admitted to hospital, have increased incidences of falls, hip fractures, poor wound healing and osteoporosis.
- Eating healthy food from a balanced diet with adequate energy and protein is important for maintaining muscle mass and muscle strength to reduce the risk of sarcopaenia (muscle wasting), frailty and fall-related injury.
- People with dementia and confusion are at the highest risk of falls, and are also more at risk of being malnourished and dehydrated.
Reasons why people may have poor nutritional intake or hydration include:
- Poor oral health and dentition problems
- Unable to shop, plan or prepare meals – may be socially isolated
- Poor appetite or not feeling hungry
- Unable to recognise the food/drink they have been given
- Forgetting to eat and/or drink
- Easily distracted at mealtimes
- Difficulties with swallowing or chewing
- Difficulties with using cutlery
Resources
Hospital
- Poster for Hospital Staff
- Poster for Patient, families and Carers
- Spotting the signs of poor nutrition and hydration
- PowerPoint presentation for Hospital staff education throughout April
Community
- Is your cat eating more than you
- Are your clothes and jewellery getting bigger
- Spotting the signs of poor nutrition and hydration
- Health Professionals information - Nutrition and falls prevention information for patients with Dementia.
- Families and Carer information - Nutrition and Falls prevention information for people with Dementia
Eating well guides
The Public Health Nutrition team from Central Coast Local Health District aims to maintain or improve the nutritional health of older people. They have produced a number of leading resources for use across Australia. These include:
Eating Well booklet - a nutrition resource for older people and their carers (10.3 MB)
This resource has been written to provide practical food and nutrition ideas and advice for older people at risk of malnutrition, their carers and support workers.
Residential Care
Best Practice Food and Nutrition Manual for aged care edition 2 - 2015 (16.5 MB)
The manual provides appropriate, practical and helpful food and nutrition information for all staff of aged care homes especially nursing and food services, dietitians and those who have loved ones in care.
Staying Active
Eating well and staying active is important for all older people. Please visit the Active and healthy website to find an appropriate exercise program close to you:
- Find a local exercise program (such as Stepping On or Tai Chi) that includes balance and strength exercises. There is good evidence that balance and strength exercises can reduce a person’s risk of falling.
- For Health professionals – To order Staying active and on your feet booklets.
Please Note: April Falls Day® is a registered trademark. Please contact the Clinical Excellence Commission at CEC-OPPSP@health.nsw.gov.au if you would like permission to use this trademark outside of New South Wales, Australia.