April Falls Month – Team Care Coordination’s role in falls prevention

As April Falls Month comes to a close, we highlight the excellent work that Brisbane North PHN’s Team Care Coordination does in relation to falls prevention year-round.

April Falls Month is a national campaign that focuses on raising awareness about falls prevention for people over 65 years of age.

Falls are the leading cause of injury-related harm in Australia, with older adults carrying the greatest burden. Almost half of all falls in older adults occur at home while completing activities of daily living. Falls have not only a physical and financial impact, but they also have a psychological impact that can lead to future poor health outcomes.

Some of the main causes that lead to older adults sustaining a fall are poor physical health, pre-existing conditions (e.g. Parkinson’s disease, dementia), age-related changes such as decreased muscle strength, issues with balance, vision and hearing loss, decreased reaction times, medications, poor diet and nutrition and dehydration. Other factors involved in causing falls include uneven surfaces, trip hazards, poor footwear, inappropriate clothing and poor lighting.

The role of Team Care Coordination

Brisbane North PHN’s Team Care Coordination (TCC) is a service that supports people in our region to better manage their chronic and complex conditions. Data we collect shows that falls and frailty is the number one primary health condition referred to our team.

The TCC Allied Health team consists of an occupational therapist and two allied health assistants, who together with clinical nurses, have a strong focus on falls prevention to support people to live safely at home.

TCC conduct a range of comprehensive assessments on our clients to promote falls prevention. This includes the use of falls prevention screening tools such as the Falls Risk to people in the community (FROP-com screen) and the Community Falls Action and Management Plan. Clients are also referred to our occupational therapist, who conducts further assessments and develops a personalised plan for the client to meet their goals.

Interventions to support falls prevention may include prescription of assistive aids such as shower stools and sensor lights, as well as provision of safety devices such as personal alarms and non-slip mats. In addition, where indicated, clients are referred to the Steady Steppers Program, which is a comprehensive falls prevention program that consists of both an evidence-based exercise and education program. The eight-week program is overseen by the occupational therapist and implemented by the allied health assistants. It consists of an initial home visit, pre-assessment and practical exercise instruction, weekly phone calls, educational material and a post-assessment home visit. Across a range of standardised physical performance assessments, most participants demonstrate notable improvements in functional capacity when re-assessed at the completion of the program, a testament to the efficacy of the program.

A Day in the life of TCC’s allied health assistants

During April Falls month, TCC’s allied health assistants Dan and Christian documented a day in their working life to show one example of the work they do to support the community. Watch the video or read on below.

After settling in at the office, allied health assistants Christian and Dan spend some time putting together some client packs for the Steady Steppers program. These packs include a program overview, fillable exercise diary, education booklet and a TheraBand. April Falls Month is an excellent time to highlight the vital role of exercise and education for falls prevention, both of which are pillars of the Steady Steppers program.

Now that the packs are ready, Dan makes his way over to a client’s house to conduct a pre-assessment visit for the Steady Steppers program. This program was put together by Rebecca, the occupational therapist from TCC. The program includes a pre- and post-assessment as well as weekly check-in calls that are done by Dan and Christian.

The pre-assessment visit includes a short physical assessment battery and a range of surveys, which are used to inform any necessary modifications needed for the client’s program as well as providing an insight into the efficacy of the program. Although the program is only eight weeks long, most clients have demonstrated significant improvements when re-assessed after this period.

Following the pre-assessment visit, Dan reunites with Christian in the office to finalise client notation and catch up on administrative work for the day. The last portion of their day was spent completing data entry for equipment applications. There is a wide variety of assistive aids that TCC help to provide for their client base, with many being very important for falls prevention. Equipment such as four-wheel walkers, personal response alarms, toilet surrounds and shower chairs are essential for many clients.

Finally, after a busy day of work… it is home time!

Learn more about Brisbane North PHN’s Team Care Coordination program.