Do you work with older adults? Do you want to know more about falls, how to identify falls risk, and strategies to put in place to help prevents falls in older adults?
Enjoy a coffee and lower your risk of having a fall
Older adults who drink coffee in moderation had lower risk of falls and fall-related injuries according to a recent study in the UK and Spain.
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Collaborative medication reviews – assisting older Australians to stay on their feet
This guest article is written by Dr Andrew Stafford, a pharmacist with over 15-years’ experience working across both academia and clinical practice in residential care. Dr. Andrew Stafford shares his perspective as a pharmacist working with older people – the impact of falls on the community, their families, and on their mental health. He delves into the influence medications can have on falls in older adults, and what role a pharmacist can play in preventing falls from happening.
Improve Your Health campaign wrap-up
The Improve Your Health campaign has come to an end, after a three-month focus on the importance of older adults getting their medicines checked, keeping a healthy mind, and fueling their bodies to prevent falls. The Improve Your Health campaign included events and activities for both health professionals and the wider community including community events in Midland, Meckering, and Cervantes, and a mass media campaign on television and social media across WA.
Your guide to dose administration aids
Medicines come in a range of sizes, shapes, colours, and forms. They can include tablets, capsules, mixtures, ear and eye drops, nasal sprays, creams and ointments, skin patches, suppositories and inhalers. You can access medicine from many different places, including those that are prescribed by your GP, those bought over the counter, and those from supermarkets and health stores. They also include herbal products, vitamins, and supplements.
Celebrating 20 years of the Stay On Your Feet® program in WA
2021 marks twenty years of Injury Matters delivering the Stay On Your Feet® program on behalf of the Western Australian Department of Health. To celebrate, Injury Matters hosted a birthday breakfast event showcasing the stories of the people, projects, and partnerships that have had a positive impact on older Western Australian adults through the Stay On Your Feet® program.
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Keep Community Connected over the festive season
Christmas and New Year are traditionally happy times for families to get together for reunions and celebrations, but many Australians do not get the chance to share that joy. In fact, one quarter of older Australian adults say they are lonely, and for many reasons, find themselves isolated over the festive season.
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Top tips for keeping an active mind
Connecting with others can be hard, particularly for those who are living on their own. Injury Matters has launched Community Connect to keep older Western Australians connected and to reduce social isolation. Continue reading “Top tips for keeping an active mind”
Smiling Seniors – Be Happy Day
Injury Matters had the opportunity to partner with the Shire of Cunderdin, Tammin, Meckering, Bruce Rock and Northam to present ‘Be Happy Day’ on Monday 18th October. This event focused on promoting good health to reduce falls risk using Improve Your Health campaign key messages; Nutritious food gives energy our body needs to stay strong, managing medication helps keep us healthy and independent, keeping an active mind helps us stay alert and respond to hazards. A total of 61 seniors participated in the opportunity to learn from Injury Matters and KidSafe WA staff. WA Country Health Service provided free falls risk assessments, blood pressure checks and blood sugar checks to 49 seniors.
Supporting older adults with Dementia to reduce the risk of falls
The number of older adults living with dementia is increasing, with the risk of falling and major falls-related injuries such as hip fractures higher among older adults with dementia. To raise awareness of dementia among health professionals and help create supportive environments for people living with dementia, Injury Matters held a Dementia Enabling Environments for Falls Prevention webinar with Nick Seemann from Dementia Training Australia.
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