One in three Australians aged 65 and above will fall this year. 

It’s a confronting statistic that underscores an urgency of action in falls prevention and management in older people, says Associate Professor Cathy Said. 

At the 2025 VIC Branch Winter Breakfast in July, Cathy will deliver the keynote address, urging physiotherapists to lead the charge in closing the gap between what the evidence shows and what is being done in practice. 

Cathy's presentation, ‘Falling short: bridging the gap between evidence and practice in falls prevention’, promises more than data—it will offer a road map for action, especially for physiotherapists positioned to lead in prevention. 

Cathy is the inaugural Associate Professor of Physiotherapy at Western Health and the University of Melbourne, co-chair of the Victorian Falls Prevention Alliance and the project director of the Allied Health Professionals research at the Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science. 

She also has more than 30 years of experience in the profession, most of them within Victoria’s public health system. 

‘The majority of that time was spent working in rehabilitation wards,’ she says. ‘I was predominantly working with people who had suffered a stroke and became really interested in how we can better help people recover their walking and balance.’ 

That interest led to a deeper focus on falls prevention. 

‘People who have trouble with their walking are at higher risk of falls,’ she adds. 

The cost of inaction is high. Falls are the leading cause of injury-related hospitalisations in Australia, surpassing road trauma. 

The financial toll is significant, with the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reporting in November 2024 that $5.1 billion was spent on injuries from falls in 2022–23. The personal impact is even greater. 

‘It can really lead to significant disability, particularly if people have a major injury like a hip fracture or a head injury,’ Cathy explains. 

‘It often leads to a loss of independence and is one of the reasons people move into residential care. This is a massive emotional and physical change for the person and for their family. One fall can have a flow-on effect that is far-reaching.’ 

With deep experience in neurological and gerontological rehabilitation, Cathy’s research focuses on gait, balance disorders and falls. 

She has authored more than 90 peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international conferences. 

Key elements of the latest evidence will feature in her keynote. 

‘The good news is that there is really strong evidence that falls can be prevented. Australians are world leaders in this area. 

‘Several Cochrane reviews show that exercise reduces falls—particularly programs that challenge balance or include functional exercises and with a dosage of two to three hours a week. But it needs to be sustained over the long term.’ 

That’s where the challenge begins. ‘Most people do not do enough of the types of exercise needed to reduce risk. We need to think about how we can better support people to engage in these types of exercise.’ 

Behavioural strategies play a key role and Cathy says physiotherapists should seize opportunities to integrate falls prevention into routine care. 

‘Physios are experts in prescribing exercises, particularly for people who have multiple health conditions or disabilities,’ Cathy says.

‘A report released by the APA in February, Project gravity: understanding falls prevention, highlights the fact that many Australians underestimate the risk of falls. 

'As primary contact practitioners, we have the opportunity to identify people who may be at risk and recommend appropriate interventions or refer on.’ 

She hopes her talk encourages attendees to identify ‘one or two little things they can change in their practice’ to reduce falls risk.

‘Everyone has a role to play—even if it’s just raising awareness.’ 

Beyond exercise, a multidisciplinary approach is essential. 

‘People at higher risk need a tailored and individualised program,’ she says. 

‘They may also need assessments from GPs, occupational therapists or specialists to review their medications or vision.’ 

Cathy’s presentation will also outline the World Guidelines for Falls Prevention and Management for Older Adults and the soon-to-be-released Australian Falls Prevention Guidelines, to which Australian physiotherapists made major contributions. 

The guidelines advocate a stratified approach to care, starting with simple screening. 

‘It can start with having a conversation: “Have you had a fall? Are you feeling unsteady?” Every physio can do that,’ Cathy says.

‘Then you can work out the most appropriate pathway.’ 

She stresses the importance of inclusive communication and care. 

‘We need to think about how we deliver services and health messaging to people who may have difficulty accessing them—people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, First Nations people, people from lower socioeconomic groups and those in rural or remote areas.’ 

Cathy is actively working with community groups to address these gaps. 

‘One in three older Australians was not born in Australia,’ she notes. ‘We need to better understand what some of the issues are for people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities so we can work with them to address the gaps.’ 

Despite more than a decade of evidence and advocacy, implementation lags. 

‘Why are we still talking about this?’ she asks. ‘Because it’s complex. If exercise was a pill, we’d be giving it to everyone. But the key is supporting people to change their lives meaningfully. That’s a public health challenge and a personal one.’ 

It’s also a deeply human issue. ‘Falls are personal. Everyone knows someone who’s had a fall. We’re all getting older. We need to think about how we can implement strategies to reduce risk.’ 

The physiotherapy profession is uniquely placed to lead falls prevention. 

‘We spend a lot of time with people,’ she says. ‘You might not bring it up in the first session but by the third or fourth, you’ve built rapport and can have that conversation. It’s a chance for opportunistic prevention.’ 

Attendees can expect practical, evidence-based insights. 

‘Understand the current evidence, recognise the key role of physiotherapists and identify gaps in implementation,’ Cathy says.

‘Participants will come away with something tangible—something you can do differently in your own practice.’ 

Associate Professor Cathy Said will present ‘Falling short: bridging the gap between evidence and practice in falls prevention’ at the 2025 VIC Branch Winter Breakfast on Friday 25 July, 6.30–9.30 am at Leonda by the Yarra, Hawthorn. Click here to book.