Resources
Policies
NSW Department of Health
Prevention of Falls and Harm from Falls among Older People:2011-2015
NSW Health Policy Directive
National Falls Prevention Plans
National Falls Prevention for Older people Plan – PDF ~295kb
2004 onwards (Published July 2005)
Preventing Injuries from Falls: The National Strategy 2005-2015
New Zealand’s National Falls Prevention Strategy
Guidelines
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare
Preventing Falls and Harm from Falls in Older People: Best Practice guidelines for Australian Hospitals, Residential Aged Care Facilities and Community Care 2009
These guidelines were endorsed by the Australian Health Ministers at their meeting in November 2009. There are separate complete guidelines and shorter guidebooks for Hospitals, Residential Aged Care Facilities and Community Care as well as Fact Sheets and an Implementation Guideline.
Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Delirium in Older People
Developed by the Clinical Epidemiology and Health Service Evaluation Unit, Melbourne Health in collaboration with the Delirium Clinical Guidelines Expert Working Group Commissioned on behalf of the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council (AHMAC), by the AHMAC Health Care of Older Australians Standing Committee (HCOASC). These Guidelines were published by the Victorian Department of Human Services, Melbourne Victoria on behalf of AHMAC in 2006.
Queensland Stay on Your Feet® Falls Prevention Guidelines
Queensland Stay on Your Feet® Community Good Practice Guidelines
American Geriatrics Society British Geriatrics Society Clinical Practice Guidelines: Prevention of Falls in Older Persons (2010)
These guidelines have recently been updated. There is a summary of recommendations and patient resources.
Best Practice Recommendations for Physical Activity to Prevent Falls in Older People
Undertaken by Catherine Sherrington, Stephen Lord and Jacqueline Close in 2008
This piece of work was commissioned by the Centre for Health Advancement of the NSW Department of Health through the Sax Institute in 2008. The authors were chosen for their research expertise in the field of falls prevention in older people, in Australia and internationally.
The aim of the work was to obtain clear answers to the two following questions, based on the best available evidence:
- “What are the types, frequency and intensity of physical activity that are most effective in reducing the risk of falls in older adults?”; and
- “What are the most effective programs for delivering these recommended types and levels of physical activity?”.
The report provides clear recommendations in response to these questions and is an important input to the development of evidence based falls prevention policy in NSW.
Models of Care
NSW Model of Care for Osteoporotic Re-fracture Prevention: Musculoskeletal Network, Agency for Clinical Innovation.