Falls Prevention
Having a fall at home or out in the community can have devastating consequences, including loss of confidence, injuries and pain, reduced quality of life and admission to aged care. It is estimated that one third of people aged 65 years and over fall once or more annually, resulting in significant injuries.
Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists have a range of skills and experience to help prevent falls, especially for vulnerable people including those who are ageing or have limited mobility. A tailored, evidence-based program of strength and balance exercises delivered by a Physiotherapist can be an important way to dramatically improve the health and mobility of people with declined mobility, as well as preventing falls.
How we can help
Experienced Physiotherapists have a strong understanding of human movement, and are able to work with people who are ageing and others at risk of falls to enhance their safety. Preventing falls in the first instance is our goal, and this can be done through a number of approaches:
Environment
Assessing and modifying room setup, flooring, routine and engagement to reduce contributing factors for falls
Equipment
Prescription of mobility aids, lifting devices, appropriate footwear and assistive devices to reduce risk of falls for individuals and their carers
Exercise
Ensuring individuals are meeting the healthy living guidelines of physical activity, as well as targeted exercise programs to help overcome any existing movement or functional deficits or conditions
Education
Explaining to individuals and their carers how best to manage falls risk, meet individual’s needs, safe footwear and how to perform manual handling safely
Adaptability Therapy has a team of Physiotherapists experienced in preventing falls within community, home and residential aged care settings. Our interventions are dynamic, based on current falls prevention guidelines and are tailored to the individual needs of the individual.
More broadly, Physiotherapists play a key role in promoting and maintaining an individual’s mobility, which has been recognised as being key to people’s health and their quality of life. Risk of falls and fall-related injuries due to deconditioning and reduced muscle strength increases dramatically with reduced or poor mobility.
In the event of a fall, our clinicians can support individuals with any required rehabilitation, as well as regaining confidence in their mobility. A post-fall, multi-factor review by our Physiotherapists can inform future falls preventions strategies for the individual.
If you, a loved one or a client you support requires intervention to address a fall, or you are worried they are at risk of falls, our experienced team of Physiotherapists can help. No referral is required to access our services, so be in touch today to start the process of accessing a falls prevention assessment.
