Clinical seminar: Falls in older adults: implementing evidence-based guidelines in different countries, socioeconomic and cultural contexts (CS-03)
Chair: Cathie Sherrington (Australia)
Speakers: Melanie Haley (Australia), Monica Rodrigues Perracini (Brazil), Nkiru Jibuaku (Nigeria)
Learning objectives
- Describe recommendations and strategies for physiotherapists to implement the World Guidelines for Falls Prevention and Management for Older Adults as they apply to different countries, socioeconomic and cultural contexts.
- Develop strategies to implement these World Guidelines recommendations within your local context.
Session outline
Falls affect 30% of older adults annually, often resulting in serious injury or death. They are the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths worldwide, with 80% of these fatalities occurring in low and middle-income countries. Physiotherapists can significantly reduce fall risk through exercise-based prevention programs, which decrease the number of falls by 23%. Despite the proven benefits, implementing evidence-based recommendations remains challenging. Understanding barriers and contextual factors is essential for effective fall prevention.
This session will detail the development and content of the World Guidelines for Falls Prevention and Management for Older Adults, emphasising recommendations pertinent to physiotherapists. It will include a gap analysis and implementation review of the World Guidelines within an Australian public health context, highlighting the barriers and enablers to adherence in a high-income country. The session will also examine the applicability of the World Guidelines to low and middle-income countries, specifically Nigeria and Brazil, and describe the unique challenges and facilitators in these regions.
This symposium aims to address the practical implementation of falls prevention guidelines across various settings and countries, providing physiotherapists with strategies to overcome barriers and enhance adherence to evidence-based practices. We will identify and discuss opportunities for physiotherapists to integrate the World Guidelines into their practice, tailored to local contexts.
Session delivered by: International Association of Physiotherapists working with Older People
References
- Montero-Odasso, M., van der Velde, N., Martin, F. C., Petrovic, M., Tan, M. P., Ryg, J., Aguilar-Navarro, S., Alexander, N. B., Becker, C., Blain, H., Bourke, R., Cameron, I. D., Camicioli, R., Clemson, L., Close, J., Delbaere, K., Duan, L., Duque, G., Dyer, S. M., Freiberger, E., … Task Force on Global Guidelines for Falls in Older Adults (2022). World guidelines for falls prevention and management for older adults: a global initiative. Age and ageing, 51(9), afac205. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afac205
- Sherrington, C., Fairhall, N. J., Wallbank, G. K., Tiedemann, A., Michaleff, Z. A., Howard, K., Clemson, L., Hopewell, S., & Lamb, S. E. (2019). Exercise for preventing falls in older people living in the community. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 1(1), CD012424. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD012424.pub2
- World Health Organization Fact Sheet (Falls): www.who.int/news-room/factsheets/detail/falls Accessed 7/3/2024
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