The Stay On Your Feet® Check Your Medicines campaign runs from 1 February to 30 April 2019. Check Your Medicines looks at the importance of good medication management as a strategy to reduce falls among older adults.
As they age, older adults may experience physiological changes which mean that they need to take medicines, and in some cases, multiple medicines. Getting older also increases the body’s responsiveness to both the effects of medications and any side effects they may cause.
Some medications, such as sleeping tablets, can cause multiple side effects. Side effects of medication use, such as reduced mental alertness, blurred vision, dizziness and headaches, can all contribute to falls risk.
The Check Your Medicines campaign encourages older adults to understand their medicines and their potential side effects, and identifies steps to help them to manage their medicines. For health and community workers helping older adults to stay healthy and independent for longer, the campaign offers information and resources which promote simple, practical tips to promote the safe use of medicines.
The Check Your Medicines campaign toolkit
The Check Your Medicines campaign toolkit is your one stop shop for getting involved in the campaign. The toolkit includes:
- The campaign’s key messages and calls to action and how you can promote them, including e-mail signatures and ready-to-use posts and images for social media.
- Tips on hosting and promoting your own Check Your Medicines event, including an easy to use educator guide.
- The new animation, Check Your Medicines with Nancy.
- Free brochures and booklets to share with older adults.
- How to invite Stay On Your Feet® to attend your event or deliver a presentation to your group.
- How to order a free countertop display to use in your Pharmacy.
Check Your Medicines campaign toolkit and get involved in the Check Your Medicines.
Check Your Medicines with Nancy
Check Your Medicines with Nancy, the new animation which launched with the Check Your Medicines campaign, follows Nancy as she takes step to manage her medications and improve her health. Check Your Medicines with Nancy provides simple information and tips on how to reduce your risk of medicine-related falls, with a light hearted twist through the characters Nancy and her dog Bailey.
Check Your Medicines with Nancy can be shared, through the videos page www.stayonyourfeet.com.au/video or played through YouTube. For a USB copy to be used in your workplace contact info@stayonyourfeet.com.au.
Check Your Medicines resources
The Check Your Medicines campaign promotes several resources which can be used by older adults to help them to manage their medications. The Check Your Medicines brochure provides great information that includes hints and suggestions to help the reader better manage their medication. It is suitable for providing a brief introduction to medicines and the impact that they have on falls risk. The brand new Check Your Medicines bag is a great tool to help older adults to bring in their medications for a free medicine check by their GP or pharmacist.
These and a range of other resources to prevent slips, trips and falls are available to order for distribution to your clients and community members and are delivered free of charge by visiting www.injurymattersquickmail.com.au.
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Hold an education session for older adults
The Check Your Medicines Facilitator Guide has all of the tools you need to run a session for older adults. In the Guide you will find:
- A session plan with facilitator notes to prompt yourself and the participants through an engaging session on managing their medicines.
- A corresponding powerpoint presentation.
- A quiz and participant evaluation.
Download the facilitators guide here.
Order a display for your pharmacy countertop
The Check Your Medicines countertop display is designed to be placed on pharmacy counters and encourages older adults to ask their Pharmacist about the side effects of their medications, drug interactions that may be of concern and whether they would benefit from a medication review. The included Check Your Medicines bags can be distributed to those wishing to have a medicine review, acting as a reminder to put their medicines in the bag and return to the pharmacy.
Have Stay On Your Feet® attend or help promote your event
The team at Injury Matters, both staff and peer educators are available to attend community events such as expo’s, fairs and open days. We are able to hold short presentations and set up and host display tables across Perth, and with sufficient notice and availability in regional locations.
If you are holding a Check Your Medicines or falls prevention even that is open to the public let us know, we can help to promote your event to older adults in your community. E-mail info@stayonyourfeet.com.au to find out more.
Upcoming Professional Development
Visit the Training and Events page to view all current training opportunities, and sign up to the Falls Prevention eNews to be the first to hear about new trainings.
