Last week, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care released new best practice guidelines to prevent falls in older people. The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) welcomes the guidelines which highlight the irrefutable importance of physiotherapy-led exercise plans in falls prevention.  

Research from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare also shows that falls in people over the age of 65 cost the Australian economy $2.8 billion annually, accounting for over 40 per cent of injury hospitalisations and deaths in this cohort.ⁱ 

APA National President Dr Rik Dawson says the Preventing falls and harm from falls in older people guidelines are a step in the right direction for preventative healthcare in Australia.  

‘Evidence shows that physiotherapy-led programs for older adults are both clinically and cost effective at reducing fallsⁱⁱ. These new guidelines will unequivocally increase the quality of life for older Australians,’ Dr Dawson said. 

‘Falls are the leading cause of injury-related death and hospitalisation in older people, and physiotherapists play a vital role in implementing recommendations across all three guideline settings—hospital, residential care, and community—with tailored and ongoing exercise highlighted as core interventions.’  

‘We know that physiotherapy reduces falls by 55 per cent in residential aged care and for people living independently at home by 42 per centⁱⁱⁱ, showing that physiotherapy-led falls prevention categorically keeps people out of hospital and living well.

‘Physiotherapists have advanced training in maintaining and improving mobility and managing co-occurring conditions^iv, which enables us to provide tailored balance and exercise programs to prevent falls.’ 

The APA has long advocated for the full scope of physiotherapy to be acknowledged and remains optimistic about the guidelines’ acknowledgement of this unique skill set. 

Recommendation two and three from the Residential Aged Care Service guidelines advise tailored and continued exercise for older people to be facilitated by appropriately trained health professionals, such as physiotherapists. Physiotherapy’s scope spans a range of interventions in the guidelines, including risk assessment, balance and mobility, continence, dizziness and vertigo, environment, monitoring and observation, restrictive practices, hip protectors, osteoporosis and post-fall management.  

‘The APA is incredibly proud to have contributed to a guideline that focuses on implementation and intervention over risk assessment alone.’  

’We look forward to a future where preventative measures are put into action and older Australians stay out of hospitals, avoid early entry into residential aged care and are free of harm because of personalised physiotherapy treatment,’ Dr Dawson said. 

The APA welcomes this shift towards prevention over post-injury treatment and thanks the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care for their consultation and dedication towards progressive health care.  

The guidelines can be found on the Commission’s website. 

-ENDS-    

Dr Rik Dawson is available for further comment.

References
i. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). 2025. Injury in Australia: Falls. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/injury/falls
ii. Australian Physiotherapy Association. (2025, April). Position statement on falls prevention.  
iii. Australian Physiotherapy Association. (2025, April). Position statement on falls prevention.  
iv. Australian Physiotherapy Association. (2025, April). Position statement on falls prevention.
v. Australian Physiotherapy Association. (2025, April). Position statement on falls prevention.