We know how to prevent falls in older Australians, and save lives. So, why aren’t we?
- Institute for Musculoskeletal Health
- 5 days ago
- 1 min read
Almost 400 older Australians are admitted to hospital due to a fall every day. It may surprise you to know that falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths across all age groups in Australia, claiming the lives of 16 older people each day.
With the right strategies in place we can reduce the burden of falls by 30% and potentially save 1,800 lives each year.
New article in Croakey Health Media from Prof Anne Tiedemann (IMH), A/Prof Jasmine Menant, Prof Kim Delbaere and Prof Cathie Sherrington (IMH) outlines what we need to do about falls.
The new National Falls Prevention Guidelines have just been released. They provide clear, evidence-based recommendations for preventing falls in hospitals, aged care, and at home.
We can reduce falls, but guidelines alone won’t save lives. We need:
A national strategy
Government funding for community programs
Training for health professionals
Public awareness campaigns
Equity in access for all communities
Australia is ageing fast and the cost of inaction is rising even faster. We have the knowledge. We have the tools. It’s time to put them into practice.
Watch this space for more information about how you can help increase fall prevention action.