Western Australian not-for-profit Juniper, in collaboration with the University of Western Australia (UWA), is implementing a fall prevention initiative for over 100 Juniper home care clients.
Funded by the HCF Research Foundation, the project employs a “train the trainer” approach where Juniper staff, led by physiotherapy and occupational therapy leads alongside a UWA project manager, will deliver education and exercises to home care customers.
Two Falls Champions will coordinate training, ensuring staff can disseminate knowledge effectively.
The initiative aims to reduce the risk of falls, a significant concern among older adults that can lead to serious injuries and loss of independence.
Dr Jacqueline Francis-Coad, the lead researcher, highlights the importance of personalised education and exercise programs delivered in-home to address this issue.
“We’ve worked with older adults and staff in a range of health care settings and found that
preventing falls is not always well understood.”
Dr Francis-Coad added that providing personalised education and exercise programs that can be delivered by trained staff to older people in the comfort of their own homes was a great alternative to videos, posters and booklets.
Co-designed with Juniper customers, the program will run until late 2025 and is part of six Australian studies receiving funding from HCF Foundation’s 2023 Translation Research Grant to tackle health and wellbeing challenges in older populations.
By integrating fall prevention into routine home visits, the initiative aims to support older adults in maintaining independence and safety within their communities.
