Falls Links
December 2024 | Issue 10 |
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Welcome to the December 2024 issue of our newsletter |
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IN THIS ISSUE -
Speakers Announced! 2025 Annual Falls Forum
- Save the Date! Rural Forum and Exercise Workshop - Hunter New England LHD
- April Falls 2025 Merchandise Orders
Research Highlights - Stepping On Updates
- Upcoming Events
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Speakers Announced! 2025 ANNUAL FORUM |
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NSW Fall Prevention and Healthy Ageing Network 2025 Annual Fall Forum Friday May 2nd, 2025 Wesley Conference Centre, Sydney
The NSW Fall Prevention & Healthy Ageing Network Annual Forum provides a fantastic opportunity to come together and learn about the latest on fall prevention and healthy ageing. Listen to experts in their field provide an overview of the latest research, advocacy, quality improvement and fall prevention in residential aged care and hospital, and community program initiatives. This forum also provides a fabulous opportunity to network, exchanges ideas and learn from each other.
Revisit the 2024 Annual Forum here.
Plenary Speakers include: |
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Prof Pip Logan Professor of Rehabilitation Research and Occupational Therapist at the University of Nottingham and the University of Queensland |
| Prof Cathy Said Physiotherapist and Professor Physiotherapy, Western Health & The University of Melbourne |
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Assoc. Prof. Ruth Peters Program Lead for Dementia, Global Brain Health Initiative, The George Institute for Global Health |
| Dr Rik Dawson Postdoctoral Research Associate, Institute of Musculoskeletal Health. President, Australian Physiotherapy Association |
| Dr Yoshiro Okubo Research Fellow - Falls, Balance and Injury Research Centre, Neuroscience Research Australia |
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SAVE THE DATE! Hunter New England LHD Rural Forum and Exercise Workshop |
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The upcoming Hunter New England LHD Rural Forum aims to inspire and motivate local healthcare staff to provide high-quality, evidence-based care with a focus on strategies to reduce risk & harm from falls. Save the Date: 4th April 2025 More details to come. |
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Hunter New England LHD - Exercise to Prevent Falls Workshop |
Saturday 5th April 2025 The Exercise to Prevent Falls in Older People Workshop provides you with the practical skills to develop evidence-based fall prevention strategies. Who is this course for? For Health Professionals working with older people. This workshop will help you tailor exercise programs for falls prevention. Workshop Schedule
6 online learning modules completed through our online learning platform. To be completed prior to the practical session. A 3hr face-to-face practical session including fall risk screening, case study discussions, exercise demonstrations and an opportunity to develop and present an exercise class. More details to come. |
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April Falls 2025 Merchandise Orders |
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The April Falls 2025 campaign seeks to help Australian’s find appropriate exercise programs to meet their needs and interests. During the campaign, we aim to support healthcare professionals and the broader community in promoting balance in all areas of life for fall prevention and healthy ageing, including exercise, nutrition, resilience and social engagement.
We will be promoting best-practice fall prevention strategies with a focus on physical activity for better balance, strength and wellbeing. The 2025 merchandise catalogue and order form are attached. Order cut off date - 29th January 2025.
Please email orders to sales@goodgear.com.au |
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FallFitness exercise program provided using the train-the-trainer approach for community-dwelling older adults: a randomized controlled trial
Arkkukangas M, Bååthe KS, Hamilton J, Hassan A, Tonkonogi M. BMC Geriatr. 2024 Nov 30;24(1):983. DOI: 10.1186/s12877-024-05575-0 Abstract
Background: Falls and fall-related injuries remain a global challenge and threat to the health of older adults. Specific strength and balance exercises are effective in preventing falls among community-dwelling older adults. Nevertheless, provision of evidence-based fall prevention interventions to a broad population represents a healthcare challenge, indicating that new models for promoting exercise among community-dwelling older adults need to be addressed. Here, we aimed to evaluate the effects of a peer-led group-based exercise intervention provided using the train-the-trainer approach and targeting physical performance, activity level, handgrip strength, quality of life, fall-related self-efficacy, fear of falling, and falling techniques compared with a control group at 8-week follow-up.
Methods: This randomized controlled trial (RCT) included trainers and participants who were recruited from four collaborating regional organizations for retired persons. The intervention was planned to be provided in five municipalities in Sweden, depending on the location of the registered trainers. Eligible participants included adults aged ≥ 60 years who could walk independently and understand written and oral information in Swedish. The FallFitness multicomponent exercise program delivered weekly strength, balance, and falling techniques over eight weeks. It was evaluated using the train-the-trainer approach. Fourteen older adults were eligible for trainer education, and 101 participants were randomly allocated for the FallFitness exercise (n = 50) or a control group (n = 51).
Results: After 8 weeks of peer-led training, the short multicomponent exercise program significantly improved the physical activity levels (p = 0.036) and backward and sideways falling techniques (p < 0.001) compared to those in the control group. Fear of falling significantly decreased in the exercise group (p = 0.009). Other outcomes in this study showed to be non-significant.
Conclusions: The multicomponent exercise program provided in eight sessions using the train-the-trainer approach may be effective in promoting physical activity and the learning of motor skills and safe landing strategies. Furthermore, the FallFitness exercise program may reduce the fear of falling and may be both time- and cost-effective. Read more here
For more fall prevention-related research publications, the NSW Fall Prevention and Healthy Ageing Network collates abstracts each month which can be viewed here. |
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A busy year of Stepping On training is now complete! For details on training in 2025 beginning in March, see the attached flyer or visit the Stepping On website:
www.steppingon.com/contact-us/ |
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NSW Fall Prevention and Healthy Ageing Annual Forum 2025
2 May 2025, Wesley Conference Centre, Sydney, Australia
International Society of Posture and Gait Research World Congress 2025
29 June - 3 July 2025, Maastricht Exhibition & Conference Centre, Maastricht, Netherlands
International Conference on Frailty and Sarcopenia Research
12th - 14th March 2025, Toulouse, France
Rehabilitation Medicine Society of Australia and New Zealand 8th Annual Scientific Meeting 20-23 July 2025, Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre, Christchurch, New Zealand
11th Biennial Australia & New Zealand Falls Prevention Society Conference
23 - 25 November 2025, Sofitel Sydney Wentworth Hotel, Sydney, Australia
3rd World Falls Congress, hosted by British Geriatric Society in association with the World Falls Prevention Society and EU Falls Fest Group 24 - 26 June 2026, Manchester, UK |
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Our vision is to lead the way in fall prevention and other healthy ageing initiatives by harnessing expert knowledge and being collaborative in all we do.
We work closely with researchers, policy makers, health practitioners and community service providers in the development and promotion of healthy ageing services and programs with a focus on preventing falls and fall-related injury.
Our purpose is to support practitioners to improve the lives of older Australians through healthy ageing initiatives with a focus on preventing falls and fall-related injuries. |
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Do you have any news on Falls Prevention or healthy ageing that you want to share with others on the network, or report on a project that is happening in your area. We also welcome suggestions for articles and information you would like to see in this newsletter. Send your news and suggestions to: fallsnetwork@neura.edu.au
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Contact Us: Telephone +61 2 9399 1063
Email fallsnetwork@neura.edu.au
Our mailing address is:
NSW Falls Prevention Network
Neuroscience Research Australia
PO Box 1165
Randwick NSW 2031
Copyright © NSW Falls Prevention and Healthy Ageing Network |
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