Occupational therapy students have been visiting the homes of elderly people to determine their risk of having a fall - in an attempt to lessen the impact of the $2.3 billion problem.
James Cook University's Central QLD Centre for Rural & Remote Health Senior Academic Lead Dr Asmita Mudholkar led the study with her colleagues A/Prof Kehinde Obamiro and Stephanie Burke.
She said a third of adults over 65 who are living independently in the community suffer falls each year.
"Older people living in community dwellings account for 73% of fall-related hospitalisations in older populations and fall injuries in older adults cost the Australian healthcare system $2.3 billion each year," said Dr Mudholkar.
She said despite GPs being well-positioned to promote falls prevention, many find it difficult to refer patients to falls prevention services.
"Despite the clear evidence about the effectiveness of falls prevention interventions, little is known about how to identify and reach people who are at risk and also how to deliver these interventions in the community, especially in rural areas," said Dr Mudholkar.
Two Occupational Therapy students who were undergoing a placement in Emerald, QLD took part in the trial.
"We designed a study to test the effectiveness of a student-led program in identifying community-dwelling elderly people at high risk for falls in rural and remote areas," said Dr Mudholkar.
The students identified 40 older people at risk of falling and then conducted a home visit to identify and help mitigate fall risks. Recruitment for the study was supported by GPs at Emerald Medical Group and local community aged care organisations in the Central Highlands region.
"Several risk factors for falls were identified, including unsafe use of equipment, absence of Medi alerts, insufficient supervision, lack of support, inappropriate footwear, behavioural concerns and environmental hazards.
"Most participants said the home assessment was valuable and made their homes safer," said Dr Mudholkar.
She said the innovative student-led placement model has the potential to provide much-needed access to falls prevention services and minimise falls among older adults in rural and remote locations.
"There is great potential here for proactive interventions before falls occur," said Dr Mudholkar.
