‘Uncle Phil Falls’ helping Ryde Hospital staff learn about falls risks for older patients
Celebrating 20 years of orange falls prevention promotion For 20 years Northern Sydney Local Health District has raised awareness about preventing falls through the annual April Falls promotion. Coordinated by NSLHD’s Population Health’s Falls Prevention and Healthy Ageing teams, the initiative uses an orange theme across various sites to highlight the importance of preventing falls. Falls prevention committees across the district work hard each year to raise awareness through fun and engaging initiatives. Promotional stalls, giveaways, balance test activities and falls knowledge quizzes were some of the activities that have been held across April. Another special guest made an appearance to raise awareness this year - Uncle Phil Falls from Essential Helpcare. In keeping with this year’s theme of Falls Prevention is Everyone’s Business, the character put staff at Ryde, Hornsby, Mona Vale and Northern Beaches hospital’s through their paces. Admitted to hospital, staff worked together to identify his falls risks and ways to make him safer while in hospital and beyond. Speaking on the importance of raising awareness of falls, NSLHD Falls Prevention Coordinator Margaret Armstrong said falls in the hospital and community settings, can be both predictable and preventable “It is estimated that 30 per cent of people aged 65 and over will fall each year,” she said. “We know that many falls in the hospital and community settings can be avoided by implementing falls prevention initiatives.” First developed by NSLHD in 2005, April Falls was soon adopted by other health services and now forms an annual NSW wide promotion coordinated by the NSW Falls Prevention & Healthy Ageing Network. For more information on April Falls visit https://nshp.com.au/AprilFallsDay
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