Posters for 3rd World Falls Congress 2026

Introduction: Responder-completed reports after personal emergency alarm call-outs can provide actionable information for fall prevention. This study aimed to assess 12-month fall frequency and describe causes, circumstances, and consequences among alarm users in Iceland, comparing users with and without documented falls. Methods: A retrospective study of users with continuous alarm service for 12 months and reimbursement from Icelandic Health Insurance (N=765). Alarm-service and insurance data were linked to identify responder-documented falls (falls/year; ≥1; ≥2) and user characteristics

Introduction Falls among older adults living with frailty represent a significant public health concern. This pilot study evaluated a six-week, multidisciplinary team (MDT)-led group intervention delivered in a day hospital setting providing comprehensive geriatric assessment. The program targeted community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 years with a Clinical Frailty Scale [CFS] score of 4–5. Group sessions (90 minutes weekly) comprised of education, exercise, and social engagement. Educational topics provided included frailty, falls prevention, nutrition, physical and cognitive health, social

Introduction: Falls affect approximately 30% of older adults annually and represent a major public health burden. Existing research has developed standardised tests for fall risk (FR) assessment or correlated movement tests with fall events using machine learning (ML). However, there is a lack of studies including large and heterogeneous populations to test the generalisability of different ML methods. The aim of this study was to compare gait analysis-based classification of FR using ML with comprehensive, established tests in a large multicentre cohort. Methods: A total of 443 participants

Introduction Adapted lifestyle-integrated exercise (aLiFE) programme, which seamlessly integrates balance and strength exercises into daily routines, is an alternative exercise intervention for falls prevention. This study aims to develop a Chinese version of aLiFE (CLiFE) and test its feasibility. Method There are four stages: Stage 1 involved focus groups and individual interviews to explore initial perceptions of the aLiFE programme; Stage 2 used an advisory PPIE to draft the CLiFE programme; Stage 3 performed a four-week pre–post feasibility study, followed by follow-up interviews in Stage

Introduction: Despite extensive research, no robust and clinically implementable tool for predicting one-year fall risk in older adults is currently available. Existing prediction models are rarely sex-specific and frequently rely on predictors that are difficult to apply in routine practice. Moreover, many have been developed using retrospective data increasing the risk of recall bias. This study addresses these limitations by developing sex-specific fall risk prediction models based on simple, self-reported measures using prospectively collected data from European community-dwelling older

Abstract Content : Falls Prevention in Dementia: Integrating Frailty and Specialist Nursing Leadership Background: Falls are a leading cause of morbidity in older adults, with dementia increasing risk two- to threefold. Frailty often coexists, amplifying vulnerability and complicating prevention strategies. Dementia UK highlights that falls are linked to cognitive symptoms such as impaired judgment, sensory changes, and mobility difficulties, and often signal underlying frailty. Despite NICE NG249 and BGS standards, implementation remains inconsistent for people with dementia. Aim: To present

Introduction: Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) assess patients for secondary prevention of fragility fracture. routinely assesses fall risk to prevent secondary fractures. Fear of falling is a common psychological consequence following falls and fragility fractures, contributing to functional decline, reduced quality of life, and increased risk of further falls and fractures. This study evaluates the relationship between fear of falling with respect to single or recurrent falls among patients seen by Aneurin Bevan Fracture Liaison Service (AB-FLS). Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis was

Introduction: Fragility fractures are a major cause of morbidity in older adults and are often preceded by falls. Identifying patients at greatest risk of refracture is vital for optimising secondary prevention strategies within Fracture Liaison Service (FLS). This study measures impact of history of single or recurrent (2 or more) falls on the incidence of re-fracture and mortality among patients seen by Aneurin Bevan Fracture Liaison Service (AB-FLS). Methods: This study included fragility fracture patients (n= 3839) reviewed by AB-FLS between January 2022 and December 2023. Falls risk

Introduction With rapidly aging populations, falls are a leading cause of injury, especially in resource-constrained rural settings. This study examined whether rural community-dwelling older adults with higher fall risk received greater benefit from a primary care-integrated fall prevention Program compared to those with lower fall risk. Methods The study was a post-hoc analysis based on the FAMILY trial, an open-label, cluster randomized clinical trial conducted in 128 rural villages in China. The trial recruited older adults aged ≥60 years. Baseline fall risks were assessed using the 12

Introduction In recent years shorter hospital stays have shifted care needs of older adults into the home environment. Yet, little is known about health data of older adults after discharge. Especially mobility seems to be a key parameter for managing daily life at home. This study aims to identify trajectories of mobility among older adults after hospitalisation. Methods The goal is to recruit 160 older patients (age 70+), from four clinical units. Data collection starts in the hospital (T0). After discharge, two home visits are conducted after three (T1) and six months (T2), respectively. At

Background: Falls are a major cause of morbidity in adults aged over 65 years and are associated with increased peri-operative risk. Pre-operative assessment for elective general surgery offers an opportunity to identify patients at risk of falls and implement preventative interventions. Digital health tools may provide an efficient and scalable method for screening large patient populations. Aim: To evaluate the use of a digital questionnaire to identify a history of falls in patients aged over 65 years awaiting elective general surgery and to assess subsequent clinical interventions. Methods

Introduction Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is highly prevalent among older adults and is associated with pain, impaired mobility, and an increased risk of falls. Exercise-based interventions are commonly recommended for symptom management; however, their effectiveness for fall prevention in older adults with KOA remains unclear. Method A systematic search of MEDLINE, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CINAHL, and grey literature was conducted from inception to 30 October 2025. Randomised controlled trials including adults aged ≥60 years with clinically or radiographically diagnosed KOA

Introduction Physical activity, including prolonged walking, is encouraged for all ages. Nonetheless, both inactive and highly active older adults show an increased risk of falling, particularly when engaged in bouted activities of ten minutes or more. This suggests that prolonged walking might increase fall risk in older adults. A potential contributing factor is a decline in gait quality, possibly due to exercise-induced fatigue. We investigated whether gait quality changes during daily-life prolonged walking in community-dwelling older adults. As we expect physically active older adults to

Introduction Walking is one of the most reported activities preceding a fall in older adults. Exercise-induced muscle fatigue leads to changes in gait, potentially increasing older adults’ fall risk during walking. Furthermore, exercise-induced gait alterations are not well perceived by older adults, which possibly adds to a misjudgement of their abilities. Whether exercise-induced fatigue leads to changes in (risk-taking) movement behaviour during walking is currently unknown. We aimed to evaluate the effect of exercise-induced fatigue on preferred landing strategy when stepping down a curb

Introduction: Falls are a major source of injury and loss of independence in older adults, particularly in those with subtle or central gait control impairments. Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (iNPH), a treatable cause of gait disturbance in later life, presents with balance and mobility deficits that often precede overt falls. Yet current diagnostic assessments rely on simple testing that may underestimate risk. This study used three-dimensional (3-D) motion analysis to identify gait features in iNPH that may signal heightened falls vulnerability. Method: Twenty-three individuals

Introduction Sleep disruption is highly prevalent among hospitalised older adults living with frailty and is associated with delirium, reduced engagement with rehabilitation, increased falls risk and prolonged inpatient stay. Environmental noise, lighting and night-time care practices are key modifiable drivers of poor sleep but are often overlooked in acute hospital settings. This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to introduce a ward-level, multidisciplinary sleep-promotion programme and evaluate its impact on sleep quality and patient-centred outcomes on a specialist frailty ward

Introduction: Falls screening and prevention is underutilized at senior health clinics in the US primarily due to time, staffing constraints, and poor reimbursement. New Mexico’s healthcare system screens adults for falls but rarely offers follow-up for a positive fall screening. This study evaluated the feasibility of a multidisciplinary falls prevention clinic within an older adult primary care clinic.    Methods: Patients ≥70 years with a fall in the previous year were recruited for a fall prevention visit with a multidisciplinary team (physical therapist, pharmacist, and physician) and

Introduction Care home residents, who are often frail, are three times more likely to fall than those living in their own homes. An intervention programme (Action Falls) consisting of a checklist and training, using a co-design approach, was developed to help prevent falls in care homes. A series of studies explored the effectiveness (Falls in Care Homes Study), the implementation (Finch Implementation Study), and sustainability of training the trainers (Action Falls Lead Training Evaluation). Throughout the life course of this series of studies a Stakeholder group met every three months

Introduction: Falls and fear of falling (FOF) are leading contributors to disability and reduced quality of life among older adults, especially those with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and diabetes mellitus (DM), conditions that impair balance, mobility, and confidence. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 538 community-dwelling Malaysians aged ≥60 years with KOA, DM, or both. KOA was identified by physician diagnosis or the American College of Rheumatology criteria, and DM by fasting plasma glucose ≥7.0 mmol/L or self-report. Participants were categorized into KOA−DM−, KOA−DM+, KOA

Introduction Each year, around 30% of those aged 65 and over fall; around 20-30% of these falls result in moderate to severe injuries including bruising, fractures and head injuries. Experiencing concern about falling is strongly associated with increased risk of future falls, with around half of those aged over sixty feeling some level of concern. Evaluation of concerns about falling as part of a falls assessment is recommended by both the World Falls Guidelines and NICE. Method Initial audit was conducted against the 2025 NICE Falls Guideline. We then utilised plan–do–study–act quality