Fall prevention in Australia: policies and activities

Abstract

Fall prevention recommendations and plans have been prolific in Australia since 1986, but Commonwealth recommendations have rarely been acted on from a national perspective and the funds for prevention at a national level have been limited. At a state level, although increasing annually, funds for fall prevention have also remained as only a low proportion of total health spending. Several Australian states have developed their own strategic plans and their activities have developed separately and uniquely, although referring to national guidelines. This article presents a perspective of Australian fall prevention policy over time, provides insights into the current focus, and draws on some specific examples of activities from the 2 most populous Australian states (New South Wales and Victoria) and from our largest geographic state, Western Australia.