A huge thank you to everyone who took part in the recent evaluation of the Stay On Your Feet® program. The evaluation is an important part of the programme with feedback used to improve and develop content and delivery. This year, over 600 people took the opportunity to provide feedback on the program through online surveys, computer-assisted telephone interviews, focus groups and structured interviews.
Community-dwelling older adult population
Representing the community-dwelling older adult population, survey participants were mostly women (75%), were an average of 77 years of age and enjoyed a range of physical activities including dancing, swimming, cycling, Pilates, yoga, weightlifting and walking. One-third of participants had experienced a fall, slip or trip in the previous twelve months. Most of these falls did not result in injury or require treatment.
Almost 90% of these participants recognised that falls are preventable. Older participants could recall a range of risk factors for falls. The most popular answers were lack of balance, lack of exercise and lack of walking. Other responses involved medication, eyesight, muscle strength and trip hazards. Exercise, walking and generally keeping active were prominent in all responses when asked about how to support healthy ageing, build strength and improve balance. The main change participants had made since taking part in the program was the removal of home hazards and doing leg strengthening exercises.
Health care professionals
Among health and care professionals, most participants worked in nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy or aged care support services and management. More than half of respondents were aged 45 to 64 years of age and nine in ten participants were women.
Injury Matters and Stay On Your Feet® were valued sources of information, particularly the eNews to identify and share events with peers and printed resources and factsheets to support education of clients and families. Most respondents agreed that falls are preventable and could specify several strategies for increasing strength, improving balance and for reducing falls. Following participation there was generally greater awareness of strategies for falls prevention, increased confidence discussing falls prevention strategies and an increased capacity to deliver falls prevention education and activities.
Having had a fall is often the first point of contact for older people with a falls service. A more proactive approach in reaching older people before they are experiencing falls was desired but challenging. It was felt a more collective, whole of community approach was needed. Those in the community workforce were not always clear on what is available for older people in the community. Communication and connections across different professional settings was a continual challenge. There was a sense that more people in the health and community sectors need to understand the importance of falls prevention.
What happens next?
The collective views from both older adults and health practitioners demonstrate the high value of the Stay On Your Feet® program to those who engage with it. The evaluation highlighted areas of success of the current program and approach used by Injury Matters in delivering it. However, opportunities have also been identified to continue to improve the program in new and existing areas and to further build general awareness and advocacy for falls prevention. The findings and recommendations have been shared with Injury Matters who will now consider how to integrate the feedback into their short and longer-term planning. You will hear more about this from Injury Matters later in the year.
I hope you enjoyed this snapshot of the evaluation findings. If you have any further questions, you can contact me at the details below.
Dr Lauren Fortington, Senior Research Fellow
School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University
[email protected] | (08) 6304 2383