Posters

Background: Older adults presenting to the emergency department (ED) after a fall who are discharged home are at increased risk of subsequent falls and functional decline. Although they represent a substantial proportion of ED visits, this population is highly heterogeneous with respect to health status, preferences, and risk profiles. This heterogeneity complicates the allocation of appropriate secondary prevention strategies, particularly under constraints of limited healthcare resources. Data-driven risk stratification followed by targeted secondary prevention may help optimize care

Introduction: In 2024, fall-related injuries accounted for +/-10% of all hospital treatments in Luxembourg and fall-related mortality increased sharply after age 70. Beyond mortality, injuries burden individuals and healthcare systems. Aim: Estimate the age- and sex-specific differences of fall-related injuries, fractures and related hospitalisations in Luxembourg. Methods: Using RETRACE injury surveillance data, we analysed all 8,404 fall-related emergency department (ED) visits in 2018 of individuals ≥60 years in Luxembourg. We estimated age- and sex-specific differences of central body

Introduction: Stair falls are the leading cause of accidental death among older adults. A psychological factor that may contribute to unsafe stair negotiation is conscious movement processing (CMP), the tendency to consciously monitor and control movement execution. Higher CMP in older adults has been associated with prolonged stance and double-support times and less accurate foot placement during level ground stepping. Its role during stair negotiation and the influence of perceived stair steepness remains unclear. As an initial step, this study examined associations between CMP, perceived

Introduction 83 yo male who presented to hospital following 2 falls within a week. He had a background history of hiatus hernia. He was independent of all activities of daily living residing in sheltered, warden controlled accommodation. Upon presentation to hospital he given antibiotics for chest infection and had a mild acute kidney injury. His electrocardiogram showed a 2:1 AV block and he was transferred to a tertiary centre for a pacemaker Upon return to hospital he had a period of significant deconditioning coupled with orthostatic hypotension which hampered his ongoing rehabilitation

Introduction Strength and balance training are effective components of falls prevention. However, primary prevention often fails to reach those at highest risk, partly because individuals may not perceive a need to engage in preventive measures. Secondary prevention may overcome this barrier, as a recent severe fall, such as one requiring emergency department (ED) treatment, can heighten the perceived need for action. Nonetheless, implementing falls prevention into standard care poses challenges, such as adoption and adherence. This study aims to explore barriers and facilitators influencing

Background Myeloma is a condition of predominantly older adults. Treatment typically includes long term dexamethasone which affects bone health, nutrition and muscle integrity. Myeloma also causes secondary osteoporosis and lytic lesions. No previous studies describe falls risk factors in this cohort. We explore this and associations with frailty status in a tertiary joint Geriatrician & Haematologist Myeloma clinic. Methods 55 older adults (>65 years) completed a survey about balance concerns (Q1), fear of falling (Q2), falls in last year (Q3) and previous fractures (Q4), age and frailty

The IMPPaCT model is a multi-professional, student-led placement initiative. It is strategically engineered to address the evolving demands of the healthcare workforce, specifically bridging the gap between acute care and community-based social care settings. ​Strategic NHS Alignment ​The model is rigorously aligned with the NHS Long Term Plan (2025/26) and the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, directly supporting three "Big Shifts" in national healthcare strategy: ​ From Hospital to Community: By embedding Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, and Dietetics students in care homes, the model builds

Falls are a leading cause of injury and disability in older adults. Yet, knowledge about their real-world patterns is still limited, despite successful efforts such as recorded videos of falls in long-term care residences (Robinovitch et al, Lancet, 2013) and recorded kinematics of falls using a single IMU sensor worn on the lower back (Farseeing project and related dataset, Klenk et al, Eur Rev Aging Phys Act, 2016). Still, no data on falls recorded with more than one sensor worn on multiple positions are available in the literature. During the DARE FALLSPREDICT-GP study (ongoing study in

Background Data has identified that the physiotherapy caseload on admission to an acute Older Persons Unit (OPU) is becoming more challenging over time. Admission Elderly Mobility Scores (EMS) have significantly reduced, patients require more physical assistance, and the ongoing shift in hospital focus from patient rehabilitation to patient flow alongside a stronger discharge to assess initiative has increased patient turnover. This has resulted in more demand for initial assessments, and higher numbers of rehabilitation patients being prioritised out due to team capacity. To counteract this

Introduction: Balance training is an evidence-based fall prevention intervention, and optimal dosage parameters (frequency, intensity, type, time) are essential for effectiveness in adults with balance impairments and fall risk. Evidence is limited on the dosage parameters clinicians use in practice. This study’s purpose was to determine the time spent in active exercise and balance-specific activities during routine physical therapy and examine if any patient characteristics predict time spent exercising. Methods: Trained researchers conducted real-time naturalistic observations of 135

Introduction Older people who suffer a fall and long lie present a significant challenge to the pre-hospital and front door services. The guidance and definition are controversial with little evidence on the incidence and complications of long lie. There is limited data on reliable lie times which are usually unrecorded and hard to collate. To address this, we did a study on assessment and management of falls, long lie and rhabdomyolysis in a single tertiary centre. Methods A retrospective case note review of patients aged over 80 who attended the emergency department acutely with a fall and

Introduction: There are over 80 physiotherapists at Auckland City hospital working across several in-patient areas including acute medical, surgical, stroke/ neurology, orthopaedics, and geriatric rehabilitation. The physiotherapy team plays a huge role in the assessment, treatment, and management of vulnerable fall’s risk patients. Since 2018 the physiotherapy team had not reviewed key performance indicators (KPIs) in relation to best practice in falls assessment and management. With the release of the World Guidelines (1) for fall prevention, it was timely and important to review our KPIs

Introduction Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is a common, under-recognised, and potentially reversible cause of falls in older adults. Older patients admitted under surgical specialties following falls frequently have frailty, polypharmacy, and high anticholinergic burden (ACB), predisposing them to OH and recurrent falls. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance, Royal College of Physicians (RCP) recommendations, and the National Audit of Inpatient Falls advocate routine lying and standing blood pressure (LSBP) measurement as part of comprehensive falls assessment

Introduction Exercise-based fall-prevention programmes effectively reduce falls among community-dwelling older adults; however, sustaining these initiatives remains a persistent challenge. Programme sustainability is critical for optimizing resources, maintaining community trust, and achieving lasting population-level benefits. This scoping review examined factors influencing the sustainability of community-based fall-prevention exercise programmes using the Program Sustainability Assessment Tool (PSAT). Methods A scoping review was conducted following Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and

Background Action Falls is a falls prevention programme identifying falls risks and actions which has been shown to significantly reduce fall rates in care home residents. Falls after stroke are a leading cause of hospitalisation resulting in high healthcare costs. Falls negatively impact stroke survivors’ confidence and independence. Action Falls could be effective for stroke survivors. Therefore, the collaborative team across the UK and Australia partnered with stroke survivors and experienced multidisciplinary stroke healthcare professionals across Australia and the UK, to produce the

Introduction: Gait variability is a crucial indicator for dynamic stability and fall risk. However, inherent sensitivity to outliers can compromise measurement reliability of standard variability metrics like the Coefficient of Variation (CV), especially when applied to the "messy," non-normal data in free-living environments. The objective of the study is to validate a robust, non-parametric alternative — the Robust Coefficient of Variation using Median Absolute Deviation (RCV-MAD) — to ensure clinically reliable remote monitoring. Methods: We analysed datasets collected in controlled lab

Introduction The GRACE initiative was a pilot designed to enhance inpatient experience of older adults. Proportionate moving and handling techniques were introduced as well as increasing the number of therapy staff on a ward reducing reliance on multiple staff for routine ward care. We aimed to improve patients’ functional independence and prevent deconditioning. Methods A ward of 26 patients was chosen with a control comparison and nursing staff were upskilled in proportionate manual handling. For 4 weeks, therapy staffing was increased from 2 therapists to 4 and patients given additional

Introduction. Inpatient falls are the most common patient safety incident. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognises falls as a significant public health issue and highlights the need for coordinated, evidence-based prevention strategies, including staff training. A multifactorial approach—including fall risk assessment, engagement of staff and patients, environmental modifications, and implementation of preventive measures—significantly reduces fall rates when combined with training activities. Studies have shown that e-learning-based training for healthcare professionals improves

Introduction Falls are a major concern in our ageing society. General exercise interventions like strength and balance training show limited community-wide impact due to poor adherence and low dose. Task-specific interventions such as perturbation-based balance training and gait adaptability training have demonstrated great effectiveness, targeting distinct fall-resisting skills: proactive gait adaptability (PGA), gait robustness (GR), and reactive gait recovery (RGR). This study protocol investigates whether task-specific training of one of the three fall-resisting skills leads to

Introduction Training fall-resisting skills can prevent falls in older adults. These skills include proactive gait adaptability, gait robustness, and reactive gait recovery, which allow people to effectively avoid, resist, and recover from balance threats, respectively.This pilot study guided the design of an RCT of fall-resisting skills training by investigating older adults’ perceptions of the training and their own stability. The aims were 1) explore older adults’ perceptions of stability during walking perturbations related to gait researcher observations; 2) investigate how task