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 Falls Links 

 March 2023 | Issue 1 

Welcome to our newsletter

In this issue of Falls Links:

• NSW Fall Prevention and Healthy Ageing Falls 2023 Annual Forum - Abstract Submissions close 31st March
• April Falls Campaign - Two weeks to go! Updated resources now available! 
• Upcoming CRE-PFI free webinar - A system dynamics model of minimal trauma fractures
• Research Update: Occupational therapy interventions reduce falls by 38% - high certainty evidence from a Cochrane Database Systematic Review - published on 10th March.
• Research participants needed: Survey aiming to understand clinical decision making of health professionals prescribing balance exercises for adults. 

NSW Fall Prevention & Healthy Ageing Network 2023 Annual Forum

Friday May 26th, 2023, Wesley Conference Centre, Sydney

In person and virtual tickets - Available now!

Call for Abstracts for Best Practice Initiative Presentations and New Research Findings Presentations

Submission deadline 31st March 

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 hospital and residential aged care, and community program initiatives.

Call for Abstracts for Best Practice Initiatives

We are seeking abstracts for the 2023 NSW Falls Prevention & Healthy Ageing Network Forum to be held on Friday the 26th May 2023 at the Wesley Conference Centre, Sydney, for a showcase of falls best-practice initiatives in Residential and Community Aged Care and Hospital settings.

Types of presentations:

Oral – 12minute presentation followed by a Q&A

We ask that you submit into one of the following sectors:

Residential or Community Aged Care
The introduction of the Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) in October 2022 brought large changes for allied health use in Aged Care. This session will highlight exercise programs and other strategies implemented by Residential and Community Aged Care providers to help their clients stay healthy and active.

Hospital – Emergency, acute and rehabilitation
This session will highlight best practice programs being developed and implemented in Hospitals across the state to provide better care and reduce falls in patients.

Call for Abstracts for Presentations of Research Findings by Higher Degree Researchers

(PhD candidates, Masters and Honours Students and Post-Doctoral Researchers).

We are also seeking abstracts for a showcase of new research findings in fall prevention or healthy ageing.

Types of presentations:
1. Oral – 10minute presentation followed by Q&A

Please complete the attached Best Practice Initiative application or Presentation of Research Findings application and return by March 31, 2023 to fallsnetwork@neura.edu.au.

All submissions will be reviewed.

Confirmed Keynote and Plenary Speakers:

April Falls Month® is an annual campaign to raise awareness about the impact of falls and to promote the latest best practice fall prevention strategies. The overall campaign goal is to get active and improve balance for fall prevention.

The last year has been a gradual return to normal, however many activities and events have continued to be disrupted. This may have lead to a reduction in your social activities, exercise classes and general health. The Better Balance for Fall Prevention campaign, supported by COTA NSW,  aims to help Australian’s find appropriate exercise programs to meet your needs and interests.

This campaign includes toolkits for Health Professionals and Fitness Trainers to help you promote Better Balance for Fall Prevention to your existing clients and to help you reach older adults who are looking to start an exercise program. These resources compliment a public awareness campaign which is being carried out through media, Health Networks and organisations advocating for older people and we hope for them to be recognised by adults seeking to begin an exercise program.

These resources can be freely downloaded and shared.

Resources Available Now:

Our resources include posters across community, hospital and residential aged care settings, a month long healthy ageing challenge for you and your clients, social media tiles and assessment tools.

Upcoming Free Webinar

Zoom Link: https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/j/89364033598

Research Update

The latest Cochrane Database Systematic Review provides evidence that reducing fall hazards around the home can reduce falls by 26% but when delivered to people at higher risk of falling the beneficial effect is almost 40% reduction (high-certainty evidence). This important and credible finding should be considered when making policy decisions to target fall prevention. Those at higher risk include, for example, those who have fallen in the past year and either need help with everyday activities or recently hospitalised. In other subgroup analysis there were observed greater effects when the intervention was highly tailored to fall prevention (31% reduction) and when delivered by an occupational therapist (32% reduction).  These results have implications for how the intervention is best delivered, that is, when the aim of the visit, the process of assessment of person and environment, and quality of intervention is tailored to fall prevention. The review found less certainty evidence for other types of environmental interventions, with few studies evaluating assistive devices or education alone. The review was led by Professor Emeritus Lindy Clemson from the University of Sydney.

Clemson L, Stark S, Pighills AC, Fairhall NJ, Lamb SE, Ali J, Sherrington C. Environmental interventions for preventing falls in older people living in the community. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2023, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD013258. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD013258.pub2.

CRE-PFI Free webinar with Professor Emeritus LINDY CLEMSON - Save the Date: Wednesday 21st June (1-2pm)

ABOUT US

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.

SHARE YOUR NEWS

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

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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