Did you know that a Western Australian is hospitalised every 16 minutes, presents to ED every 12 minutes, and dies every 17 hours due to a fall?
Falls and fall-related injuries are a significant public health issue in WA, ranking as the leading cause of injury death, hospitalisation and ED attendance.1 If we don’t take action, falls will have a growing impact on our community. We all have a role to play in preventing falls.
In 2023, there were 33,506 hospitalisations due to falls in WA, with older adults accounting for over two-thirds (22,607) of these hospitalisations.
The main injury diagnosis for falls hospitalisations in 2023 were injuries to the lower limbs (32%), injuries to the head and neck (26%), and injuries to the upper limbs (25%).1
Fractures were the leading reason hospital patients required treatment following a fall, accounting for 43% of all hospitalisations. Other leading causes were wounds (13%), superficial injuries (8%) and intracranial injuries (7%).
Older adults commonly spend an extended period in hospital following a fall, with older adults spending nine days on average, compared to 1.5 days among people aged 0-4 years in 2023. This extended period in hospital provides a valuable opportunity for health professionals to support their recovering patients and prevent future falls.
Beyond the burden on our health system, falls can lead to a loss of independence, reduced mobility, a fear of falling, and negatively affect an older adult’s overall quality of life.
It is likely the number of fall-related injuries will continue to grow in WA due to our ageing population and the increasing prevalence of multimorbidity, polypharmacy and frailty among our older adult population.
The good news is that many falls are preventable, and health practitioners play a key role in identifying risks and initiating early intervention.
According to the World Falls Guidelines,2 there are three questions health practitioners should ask when treating anyone over the age of 65 to reduce their risk of falls:
1. Have you fallen in the past year?
2. Do you feel unsteady when standing or walking?
3. Do you worry about falling?
If a patient answers yes to any of these questions, Injury Matters’ Stay On Your Feet® falls prevention program is a valuable resource for information on referral pathways, free brochures and support for your patient.
A fall can occur due to personal, environmental or behavioural risk factors. While a single risk factor can cause a fall, falls are more often caused by the combination of multiple risk factors. Asking clients these three simple questions can lead to the discovery of further risk factors, such as poor nutrition or medication interactions, and prevent a life-changing fall.
Research consistently shows that targeted, multifactorial interventions can significantly reduce an older adult’s risk of falling. Effective strategies include:3
- building balance, strength and mobility;
- completing a medication review yearly, or after a change in health status;
- removing hazards in and around the home;
- having an annual vision assessment and managing visual impairments; and
- seeing a podiatrist if experiencing painful feet.
Injury Matters works in partnership with local governments, health services and community organisations across WA to support access to fall-prevention initiatives. Referral to these initiatives can reduce falls, improve mobility, and help older adults maintain independence. There are several free or low-cost initiatives available to support your patients.
All it takes is three simple questions that could make all the difference.
