Accidental falls are a leading cause of death in people living with dementia, yet less than 0.25 per cent of the $3 billion dementia health budget is spent on care that can prevent them.

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) has welcomed the release of a new Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report, Dementia in Australia, launched to mark Dementia Action Week and highlighting the impact of the massive funding short fall.

With the media focus of Tokyo 2020 on Australia’s haul of 46 medals and countless other amazing performances, it is important to reflect on the complete Olympic journey and the vital role support teams played in keeping athletes healthy, focused and motivated throughout their four year plus preparation.

While it is the athlete who delivers in the moment, it is the team effort of doctors, physiotherapists, psychologists, dietitians, massage therapists, and physiologists providing the best possible health care that ensures the athletes get to the starting line.

Inconsistent lockdown restrictions on essential health services applied by the Western Australian (WA) Government shows an urgent need for a national approach to ensure all Australians have access to vital health services during the ongoing pandemic.

Following their previous lockdown, the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) wrote to the WA Government alerting them to the impact on patients’ health care during the COVID-19 lockdowns. The APA called on the WA Government to allow face to face physiotherapy care for patients with critical need.

With a $2.3 billion boost to mental health services, the Federal Budget has delivered substantial increased funding for mental health, however, integrated and collaborative models of care that include physiotherapists in multidisciplinary care teams is needed to achieve better mental health outcomes.

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) particularly welcomes:

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) welcomes the Government’s Budget measures, including increased investment in Residential Aged Care, allied health Rural Generalist Pathways, access to primary care and mental health. This funding will deliver substantial improvements.

However, systemic reform that supports and expands the role of physiotherapy in multidisciplinary practice is key to achieving better health outcomes for all Australians. 

A landmark report released by the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) provides irrefutable evidence of the cost effectiveness and enhanced quality of life delivered by physiotherapy interventions.

The Value of Physiotherapy report launched today by Olympic athlete Jessica Trengove, delivers a comprehensive, independent analysis undertaken by the NOUS Group that demonstrates the economic benefits that physiotherapy provides to patients and the Australian healthcare system.

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) has welcomed the Final Report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, which identified promoting and maintaining mobility to reduce the risk of life-threatening falls in older people. It has called on the federal government to roll out a comprehensive plan for implementation of its recommendations that has person centred care, not cost centred, as its basis.

The APA is calling for women’s health physiotherapists to be included in the care teams for all pregnant women in Australia to reduce the risk of complications and to improve outcomes for women and their babies.

It follows the recent release of new guidelines in the UK recommending the addition of physiotherapists to care teams there, particularly for women expecting twins or triplets.