Workshop: Falls prevention in residential aged care

Each year, around half of all those living in residential aged care will experience a fall. For some residents, falls may occur multiple times a week. While not all falls lead to serious injuries, falls can have severe consequences including hip fracture and head injury, and can lead to death.

The National Ageing Research Institute (NARI) is holding a workshop on strategies for preventing falls in residential aged care on Thursday, 19 May, from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm.

The workshop will discuss the latest evidence-based strategies to improve delivery of falls care, which residential aged care staff can incorporate into their own service delivery.

This evidence-based workshop will cover: the causes and risk factors for falls; effective screening and assessment of falls risk; proven strategies for preventing falls; and how to apply the evidence in real settings.

The workshop will be led by NARI Acting Director Associate Professor Frances Batchelor, and physiotherapist Sue Williams.

Batchelor is a physiotherapist and Senior Principal Research Fellow at NARI. Her research interests include falls prevention in community, residential care and hospital settings; identification and management of mild balance dysfunction in cohorts such as minor stroke and transient ischaemic attack; and the interface between technology and aging.

Williams is a physiotherapist working in both research and clinical practice for nearly three decades. Her research interests include balance, falls prevention, stroke rehabilitation, workforce redesign, service delivery and the wellbeing of older people. At NARI, Sue has worked as a physiotherapist and as a project manager on numerous research projects.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Sherry Young