Applications are now open for Remove Hazards grants of up to $5,000 (plus GST) for the delivery of community-based falls prevention projects in Western Australia throughout March-May 2025.
Applications for Remove Hazards grants close at 5 pm Friday 1 November 2024.
What is the Remove Hazards campaign?
The Remove Hazards campaign and grants focus on important information for older adults to remove hazards and create a safe home environment and look after their eyes and feet to prevent falls and promote healthy ageing.
Grants are open to community groups and not-for-profit organisations, health professionals, and community workers working with older adults, retirement and lifestyle villages, optometry or podiatry clinics, and local governments.
During your grant application process, it is essential to consider how your program will address at least one of the Remove Hazards modifiable risk factors (home safety, vision and footcare); grant programs should be designed with these in mind.
Key messages
- Removing hazards in and around the house makes your home safer.
- Your vision helps you maintain your balance and identify and navigate hazards and obstacles in your environment.
- Taking care of your feet and wearing safe footwear helps you to stay active and mobile.
- Falls are preventable.
Calls to action
- Use the Stay On Your Feet® Home Safety Checklist to remove hazards in and around your home.
- See an optometrist for eye checks every two years or if your vision changes.
- Use the Stay On Your Feet® Healthy Foot Guide to look after your feet and see a podiatrist if you notice any changes.
- Use the Stay On Your Feet® Shoe Safety Checklist and wear safe footwear that fits well.
- Tell a doctor or GP if you have a fall.
Complete the online form below and download your Remove Hazards Grant Application today!
Need some inspiration for Remove Hazards falls prevention activities?
Are you interested in applying for an Remove Hazards grant, but aren’t quite sure what type of project to apply for? Here are some ideas to get you started.
Home Safety
There are many environmental hazards in and around the home, increasing the likelihood of an individual experiencing a fall.
Approximately half of falls experienced by older adults living in the community occur in their homes and immediate home surroundings, with the leading areas being outdoor areas, the bathroom and the bedroom.
- Work with Occupational Therapists to conduct workshops with older adults about identifying and removing hazards in their homes. Topics could include home modifications such as grab bars, proper lighting, securing rugs, garden safety, assistive equipment/devices, and personal alarms.
- Distribute kits containing items like non-slip mats, sensor night lights, anti-slip or contrast tape and resources such as the Stay On Your Feet® Home Safety Checklist which has simple tips to identify and remove hazards.
- Create a staged ‘room’ with potential hazards for falls and ask older adults to identify the hazards using the Stay On Your Feet® Home Safety Checklist. Consider incorporating the interactive Spot The Hazard online learning game to test their knowledge.
Vision
It is common for our visual function to decrease with ageing, however, poor vision is associated with an increased risk of falling. Older adults with vision impairment are twice as likely to experience a fall than older adults without vision loss.
- Develop informative resources such as an eDirectory of local Optometrists in the community, how to identify and remove potential hazards that can can increase the risk of falls in the home and garden or how to access vision support services and assistive technology for older adults with vision impairments.
- Partner with an Optometrist to develop an educational resource (flyer, poster, video) on recognising the early signs of common eye health conditions or tips for improved lighting, which can increase older adults ability to read, write, cook and enjoy hobbies.
- Partner with a local Optometrist to deliver a series of presentations on common age-related eye conditions and the importance of regular eye checks to prevent falls.
- If you are an Optometrist service, consider building capacity among your staff on how they can encourage, support and educate customers on the importance of eye health to prevent falls.
- Distribute vision support kits such as magnifiers, kitchen equipment and cooking aids, large-print books, recipes and games as well as information how to identify and remove hazards in and around the home for older adults living with vision impairments.
Foot care
As the only direct source of contact with the ground, footwear can affect an individual’s posture, stability, balance and gait, influencing the risk of falls. In addition, older adults may experience foot-related problems, such as foot pain, reduced range of motion, toe weakness and toe deformity, which are also risk factors for falls.
- Work with Podiatrists to host interactive workshops that educate older adults on safe shoes, proper foot care, the importance of regular foot check-ups, and how to recognize early signs of foot problems.
- Distribute foot care kits containing essential items like nail clippers, emery boards, moisturiser, and educational materials such as the Stay On Your Feet® Healthy Foot Guide.
- Partner with a local Podiatrist to host an event to assess the fit and condition of older adults’ footwear and offer recommendations for proper fitting shoes. Use Stay On Your Feet® Shoe Safety Checklist resource to support activities such as foot measurements and advice on shoe selection.
Check out our past grant recipients and the projects they delivered.
What are we looking for in applications?
- Proven strategies for reducing falls in older adults. If you are unsure of what may or may not be funded, you are encouraged to reach out to Injury Matters via (08) 6166 7688 or at [email protected] for further guidance.
- Grants which focus on the Stay On Your Feet® Remove Hazards key messages and calls to action.
- Collaboration among organisations and community groups.
- Sustainability; programs that could be extended past the grant-funding period without additional Stay On Your Feet® funding.
- Programs focused on diverse populations including people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, or groups located regionally or remotely.
- Applications that fill a gap within your community.
Are you unsure if you qualify for a grant? Check out our grant eligibility and criteria for more information about who can and cannot apply for a grant as well as what cannot be funded.
Grant coaching and support
The capacity building nature of the Move Improve Remove grants program allows Injury Matters to support groups and build skills among applicants through grant coaching. Coaching may include assessing need, planning, and delivery of a project, or evaluation to increase project sustainability.
All grant applicants must speak to the Grants Coordinator about their grant project prior to submitting a grant application. The Move Improve Remove Grants Program Coordinator can be contacted via [email protected] or call (08) 6166 7688. Alternatively, you can complete an Online Request Form for grant coaching or support.
Injury Matters also has the following information to assist grant applicants with grant program planning.
Injury Prevention 101 eLearning module
The Injury Prevention 101 eLearning module provides an introduction to planning, implementing, and evaluating injury prevention activities and strategies in your community. If you’re new to program development, this module is a great guide to complete before starting your grant application.
When planning and implementing your grant program, you will need to use a range of promotional methods to engage with the community. Learn about the different types of promotional tools you can incorporate into your program, ideas for local media coverage, and tips for writing engaging content.
Grant program sustainability is the ability for your program to continue past the end of the grant period without further Stay On Your Feet® funding. Learn about the importance of grant program sustainability and tips to make your grant program more sustainable.
Evaluation is an essential part of planning and implementing your grant program. Learn about the different types of evaluation you should be incorporating into your grant application, evaluation tools you can use, and what to do with your evaluation findings.
Successful grant applications must
- Seek approval for any use of Injury Matters or Stay On Your Feet® branding. Information regarding how to acknowledge Injury Matters and/or Stay On Your Feet® will be provided to successful applicants.
- Submit a Grant Variation Request (to be provided upon request) and receive approval for any changes to the grants program activities or budget after your grant being awarded.
- Provide relevant professional qualifications and accreditations to Injury Matters upon request.
- Provide certificates of relevant insurances such as Public Liability, Workers’ Compensation, Professional Indemnity, and Commercial Vehicle Insurance upon request.
- Work with Injury Matters to promote the grants program (this may include supplying photographs with appropriate consent, quotes, and contributing to the development of media releases).
- Allow a representative from Injury Matters to attend funded events.
- Acquit your grant and provide evaluation data of your project to Injury Matters.
- Hold responsibility for obtaining your own financial advice should you wish to in regards to your organisation receiving grant funding.
