Falls amongst older people in the community — A snapshot of research and practice

Abstract

This article is written from the perspective of falls research being conducted in Australia, with older people. It explores the current situation about what evidence exists in relation to falls amongst older people in the community and what evidence is still to be gathered. The importance of understanding the falls research findings for the development of occupational therapy practice in a rapidly ageing world is discussed. The need for a cross-national look at the prevalence and circumstances of falls experienced in the community with relatively healthy populations is recommended. The inclusion of factors relating to the occupations engaged in by older people in large-scale falls studies is also proposed.

Key words:

• home hazards
• ageing
• prevention