Queensland Stay on Your Feet Wide Bay/Burnett trial project recommendations
As a result of the Queensland Stay on Your Feet Wide Bay/Burnett trial project, the following recommendations were made:
Approach
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Use a positive, healthy ageing approach that emphasises being active to remain independent.
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Where possible, link and integrate falls prevention into current health programs for older people, looking broadly at promoting healthy active ageing, preventing and managing chronic disease and reducing avoidable hospital admissions.
Planning, implementation and evaluation
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Allow adequate time for planning, as community engagement can be slow and complex.
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Ensure that evidence informs your project and that you keep up to date with the latest research.
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Establish a realistic project plan from the outset that clearly outlines the project, identifies a governance structure for how the project will operate, defines roles and responsibilities, identifies project resource needs and considers potential project risks and opportunities.
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Establish a means of monitoring the functioning of the project, considering parameters of time, quality and cost. The traffic lights coding system used in this project (developed by Queensland Health’s Tropical Population Health Network) provides a clear and visual way of assessing and indicating progress on project strategies.
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Consider evaluation from the outset by ensuring that it is included in the project budget from the very initial stages of planning.
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Consider sustainability from the outset and not just at the end of the project. Sustainability can refer to the maintenance of effective strategies rather than the project itself.
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Undertake a comprehensive community stocktake of relevant activities, programs and resources as part of getting started and knowing what already exists. This should also be undertaken periodically and/or on completion of the project to monitor change.
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Actively encourage older people to participate in the project planning, implementation and evaluation.
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In consultation with stakeholders, develop and regularly review practical, local-level community action plans that highlight local priorities and specify what needs to be done, how it will be done, in what timeframe and by whom.
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Develop and put in place a multi-faceted strategy to ensure the timely and appropriate generation, collection, dissemination and archiving of project-related information. Data entry should be electronic.
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Keep in mind that benefits may require several years to accrue and be prepared to make appropriate commitments (financial and otherwise) to the planned interventions.
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Collaborative partnerships
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Develop and maintain effective working relationships with and between local key stakeholders. Personal contact is important, particularly at the start.
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Ensure effective ongoing and regular communication with key stakeholders and the target group. Newsletters may be a useful tool.
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Encourage local government involvement, as they have an important role to play in promoting safety in public spaces and creating and maintaining supportive environments for physical activity.
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It is important that culturally appropriate methods and resources are used when planning and promoting healthy, active ageing and falls prevention with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elders, leaders and workers.
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Take a cross-continuum perspective that acknowledges that older people can, and do, move between the community and either the hospital setting or residential aged-care settings. Aim for an integrated and coordinated response across settings by working with clinical service providers and non-clinical community-based agencies.
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Awareness and information
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Awareness and information for both key stakeholders and the target group are an important starting point. Use existing resources (but seek permission from resource owners where applicable) and consult with a selection of proposed users before their widespread distribution.
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Mass media can provide a way of reaching a wide audience. Subsidised or even free coverage can be negotiated in the public’s interest. Consideration of transit advertising (for example: on buses) may also be worthwhile.
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Older volunteers may provide a valuable and effective means of reaching their peers, however if this system or similar is used, there is a need for it to be managed and supported in accordance with Volunteering Australia guidelines. Alternatively, it could be linked into an existing volunteer program such as the Council on the Ageing falls prevention peer-education program.
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Physical activity
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Physical activity is an important component to include in a multi-strategic falls prevention project/program. When promoting physical activity, be aware of the need to address potential barriers such as transportation.
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Come and try days are a useful way of promoting available opportunities for physical activity and developing and supporting new physical activity opportunities.
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Training of fitness leaders and health professionals to develop their skills and increase their capacity is essential in providing new physical activity opportunities for older people.
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A range of activities should be made available to suit the range of fitness levels in the older community. To reduce the risk of a fall-related injury due to physical activity, ensure appropriate entry-level activities as well as opportunities to gradually increase activity frequency and/or intensity.
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Remember to celebrate!
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