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.  

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) is calling on the next federal government to prioritise urgent action on falls prevention, launching a new evidence-based position statement as April Falls Prevention Month draws to a close.

Every three minutes, an older Australian is hospitalised because of a fall.ⁱ Falls are the leading cause of injury-related hospital admissions and aged care admissions, costing the healthcare system more than $5 billion annually.ⁱⁱ 

As Australia’s population ages, the burden is only set to grow.  

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) is calling on the next federal government to act on falls prevention— with evidence-based, cost-effective solutions that the Australian public overwhelming want.