April is No Falls Month in Australia, encouraging us to recognise the risks that a fall may pose, and the importance of prevention. At Right at Home, we understand the risks and aim to help create an environment that is safe and enjoyable for all our clients.

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare published a comprehensive set of guidelines for falls prevention back in 2009. The Guidebook, entitled ‘Preventing Falls and Harm from Falls in Older People’, calls for a multifaceted approach to falls prevention. It suggests that for members of the community who are most vulnerable to falls – the elderly and those living with a disability – a health care professional or caregiver should undertake a falls risk appraisal or falls risk screening.

The appraisal should cover both physical and environmental factors:

• Targeted falls prevention exercise programs
• Medication review and withdrawal
• Cardiac pacemaker insertion
• Home safety programs
• Improving vision through vision assessment and eye examination or cataract surgery
• Assessing balance, mobility and strength

The Guidebook includes key management strategies for common falls risk factors and recommends the following:

• Older people should be asked about falls at least once every year by their general practitioner or other health care provider.
• Older people with a history of one or more falls in the past year should be assessed using a simple, validated balance test or falls risk screen.
• Older people who perform poorly on a simple test of balance or gait, or on a falls risk screening tool, should undergo a detailed assessment to identify contributory risk factors.
• Falls risk screening and assessment tools used should be evidence based (meaning that they have demonstrated good predictive accuracy and have been evaluated in the relevant setting in more than one site).
• Falls prevention interventions may need to be modified to make sure they are suitable for the individual, and often the carer(s) and family members will also play important roles in implementing falls prevention actions.

Right at Home have developed their own Fall Prevention Guide available in the Free Guides section of our website. Feel free to share this Blog with family and friends to ensure our loved ones keep safe at home.

Right at Home offers elderly care and disability support to adult Australians in their own homes. We remain committed to caring for the most vulnerable members in our community. If you or someone you know may be at risk of a fall, don’t hesitate to contact us for assistance on 1300 363 802.

Keep up to date with COVID 19 information on the following links:

Australian Government Department of Health

Victorian Health and Human Services

NSW Health

Queensland Health

ACT Health

WA Department of Health

Tasmanian Department of Health

Northern Territory Department of Health

SA Health

Founded in 1995, Right at Home offers in-home companionship and personal care, and assistance to seniors (elderly and aged care), and any adult who needs our care at home including adults living with a disability who want to continue to live independently or age in their home. Right at Home is your local expert for issues related to caring for your loved ones and is dedicated to keeping you informed about home care. With no admin or subscription fees Right at Home allows you to get more care from your package or budget.

Right at Home is a 'My Aged Care' government approved, home care provider for levels 1 – 4 and offers flexible in-home care services such as nursing care, after hospital care, post-operative care, respite care, dementia and Alzheimer's care. Right at Home also offers assistance with daily living and personal care such as grooming, hygiene, transport, shopping, meal prep, domestic services and social support, so your loved one can enjoy a more independent, vibrant life. Our nurses and caregivers are screened, highly trained, and insured prior to entering your home so you can trust us with the caregiving while you focus on your loved one.

To find out more, please give us a call on 1300 363 802 or visit our website.

Right at Home Offices in Australia: Sydney Lower North Shore; Sydney Upper North Shore; Sydney Central and Eastern Suburbs; Sydney Northern Beaches; Sydney North West; Sydney The Hills; Padstow St George; Macarthur Penrith; Newcastle; Hunter & Port Stephens; Southern NSW; Toowoomba- Darling Downs; Sunshine Coast and Gympie; Mackay; Central Queensland; Townsville; Far North Queensland; Gold Coast South; Gold Coast North; Northern Rivers; Brisbane Bayside; Brisbane South; Brisbane North; Brisbane West; Perth Midland; Perth Northern Suburbs; Perth West Coast: Kalgoorlie Wheatbelt; Moreton Bay Region; Sydney Inner West;