In March, Injury Matters headed south to the Great Southern for a busy and rewarding road trip focused on injury prevention and safety promotion. The Injury Matters team spent time in Katanning, Albany, Mount Barker and Denmark delivering training for health professionals, supporting local governments, providing community education, and meeting with community organisations to chat about all things injury prevention.
A highlight of the trip was the Understanding Vision: Multidisciplinary Strategies for Falls Prevention workshop delivered in conjunction with the University of Western Australia, bringing together local Optometrists, Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists to explore the important connection between vision, balance and falls prevention. The team also delivered an Injury 101 workshop in collaboration with Palmerston and staff from WA Country Health Service, providing practical foundations and shared learning to support injury prevention across a range of healthcare settings.
The Injury Matters team engaged with older adults in communities across the Great Southern region to raise awareness of falls prevention strategies. Five Stay On Your Feet® falls prevention presentations were delivered to groups, including:
- WA Country Health Service exercise group at the Katanning recreation centre.
- Women’s Yarning Group at Great Southern Aboriginal Health Service.
- NeuFriends Neurological Support Group.
- Denmark St John Ambulance Volunteers.
- Denmark Amaroo Village residents.
The team also met with several local governments across the region to talk through local priorities, challenges and opportunities for strengthening injury prevention initiatives at a local level.
Beyond the workshops and meetings, it was a pleasure to see the beautiful towns of the Great Southern and meet the people who live and work there. The team were welcomed with strong participation, meaningful conversations and a shared passion for creating safer, healthier communities across the region.
