Year: 2010 –2013 (current)

Staff:

Chief Investigators: Dr Leslie Day, Prof Caroline Finch, Prof Keith Hill, Dr Terence Haines, Ass Prof Lindy Clemson. 
Component 4 staff: Dr Keith Hill, Freda Vrantsidis, Ass Prof Lindy Clemson, Dr Melissa Russell and Meryl Lovarini.
Component 3 staff: Catherine Thompson, Margaret Thomas, Dr Lesley Day, Ass Prof Lindy Clemson, Freda Vrantsidis, Leon Flicker

Summary:

This is a NHMRC Partnership project involving Monash University, University of Ballarat, LaTrobe University, National Ageing Research Institute and the University of Sydney.  This project has four components that aim to support improved policies, programs and outcomes to minimise risk of falls and fall related injuries in older Victorians.  The four components include: 

• Identification of priority groups for improved targeting of falls interventions
• Identification of acceptability of falls interventions and likely barriers to and facilitators for individual action
• Opportunities to integrate evidence based falls interventions into departmental policies and programs
• Development and evaluation of best practice guidelines for sustained falls prevention activity in community agencies

The National Ageing Research Institute is primarily involved in Component 4 but has a smaller role in Component 3. 

Component 4 of the project involved a literature review regarding factors influencing sustainability of falls prevention activities by community agencies, development of guidelines (and a training program) to support sustainability of falls prevention activities in community agencies, and the evaluation of both the training and sustainability guidelines.  The guidelines and training program were trialled in four regions in Victoria. Agencies were asked to review their current falls interventions using the guidelines and to develop a work plan.  Two surveys were conducted, on relate to the training program and one to the guidelines and semi-structure interviews were conducted at the conclusion of the four months. Participants reported that the guidelines provide a systematic approach to identifying and addressing areas of their program that need to be strengthened to address sustainability. A link to the guidelines and training program will provided in the very near future.  

Component 3 of the project involves identifying opportunities in existing government programs and services to incorporate evidence based falls interventions into policies and practices, especially where there is a good match between current priorities and the proven falls intervention/s.

Funding source: NHMRC Partnership Grant project, co-funded by the Victorian Department of Health

Year: 2005

Staff: Keith Hill, Freda Vrantsidis

Summary: Following NARI's involvement in the development of the Commonwealth falls prevention booklet titled "Don't fall for it. Falls can be prevented", a guide to preventing falls for older people (see item full details below .... ) , the Department of Veteran's Affairs approached NARI to develop a falls prevention booklet specific to the needs of their HomeFront program clientele. The booklet includes general information about preventing falls and also makes reference to a range of DVA programs, including the HomeFront program, available to eligible veterans. The booklet, titled "HomeFront guide to preventing falls for older people", will be distributed to HomeFront clientele.

Funding source: The Australian Government Department of Veteran’s Affairs

Year: 2004-05

Staff: Keith Hill, Freda Vrantsidis, Marcia Fearn, Karen Bull, Rani Hughes

Summary: This project involved identifying, reviewing and modifying a set of falls prevention resources for general use to be made available from the Department of Human Services aged care website. Surveys asking about resources developed and used in falls prevention projects were forwarded to all organisations funded by the Victorian Department of Human Services (DHS) to conduct falls prevention activity in community and residential aged care based projects since 1997. Other resources were also identified from various sources for review.

The falls prevention resources identified were reviewed by an expert panel who used a review rating template to rate resources on a number of criteria. A broad range and number of resources were recommended for focus group testing with older people and staff in the community and residential aged care setting. Modifications were made to the resources incorporating feedback from the focus groups prior to inclusion on the DHS website.

Click here to access the DHS Falls Prevention Website

Funding source: Victorian Department of Human Services

Year: 2004

Staff: Keith Hill, Freda Vrantsidis, Lindy Clemson (Stay on Your Feet - Adelaide West)

Summary: NARI, in conjunction with Stay on Your Feet - Adelaide West, recently updated the Department of Veteran's Affairs (DVA) "HomeFront" booklet for the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing (DHA) and the DVA.

The new booklet, titled "Don't fall for it: Falls can be prevented", provides useful falls prevention information for older people living at home. The booklet is available from the relavent section of the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing website, link here ....

Funding source: Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing and the Australian Government Department of Veteran Affairs

Year: 2003-04

Staff: Keith Hill, Marcia Fearn, Joan Nankervis, Mary Lancaster (WDI), Joanne Wilkinson (WDI), Bernadette Hally (WDI), Karen Bull (Peninsula Health), Caroline Freeman (Peninsula Health)

Summary: Summary: To support a more standardised and systematic approach to falls prevention in hospital and residential care settings, evidence based guidelines were developed by NARI in collaboration with Word Design Interactive (WDI), and with advice and support from practitioners and researchers. The guidelines are constructed around a process model and guideline statements, and include a range of support materials including research, tools, and education supplements, and a ward kit. The guidelines and resources were trialed in six hospital and residential care facilities, and will be disseminated to all health services throughout Victoria.

The Guidelines are available from the relavent section of the Victorian Government Health Information web site, link here ....

Funding source: Victorian Quality Council

Year: 2003-04

Staff: Keith Hill, Freda Vrantsidis, Betty Haralambous, Marcia Fearn, Robyn Smith, Kate Murray, Jane Sims, Michael Dorevitch

Summary: An update of the successful falls prevention literature review conducted by NARI in 2000 was commissioned by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing (DHA). The updated review highlighted a strong growth in the number of recently published randomised controlled trials demonstrating the effectiveness of a range of falls prevention and injury minimisation interventions.

The review can be downloaded from the relavent section of the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing web site, link here ....

Funding source: Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing

Year: 2000-01

Staff: Keith Hill, Robyn Smith, Freda Vrantsidis, Joan Nankervis, Belinda Gilsenan, Annie Pettitt, Richard Clark (Centre for Applied Gerontology)

Summary: The aims for this project were to:
. Provide an inventory of the major organisations, across Australia, who manage activities in falls prevention among older people
. Identify and describe significant falls prevention activities undertaken by these organisations in the community, residential and acute care settings, and
. Identify - where possible - the key elements of interventions that support outcomes in falls prevention strategies

This stocktake of major organisations and agencies involved in falls prevention is an important step in facilitating co-ordination and collaboration across sectors and programs. The stocktake provides a detailed representative sample of falls prevention programs and the structures that support them.

Funding source: Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care

Reports: For a copy of the report contact the NARI Preventive and Public Health Division on (03) 8387 2200.

Year: 2000

Staff: Keith Hill, Robyn Smith, Kate Murray, Jane Sims, Jenny Gough, Peteris Darzins, Freda Vrantsidis, Richard Clark (Centre for Applied Gerontology)

Summary: An extensive review of the international falls prevention literature is currently being conducted to identify types of interventions, which have been shown to effectively reduce falls, and falls related injuries among older people. The review includes falls prevention programs in community, acute, and residential settings. Gaps in the research literature, and recommendations on future program development and research directions will be identified.

Funding source: Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care

Reports: For a copy of the report contact the NARI Preventive and Public Health Division on (03) 8387 2200.

Note: This project is also listed under Research / Population

Year: 1998-99

Staff: Keith Hill, Belinda Gilsenan, Ngaire Kerse, Frances Lentini

Summary: This project involved two components:
1) investigating trends in falls incidence and prevalence through analysis of existing data bases, and
2) development of an evidence based rating system for use in the evaluation of existing falls prevention programs.

Over 130 falls prevention programs from across Australia have been investigated and a data-base of these programs established as a resource for government and service providers.

Funding source: Victorian Department of Human Services