Falls, mobility and dementia

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  Walking safely by Dementia Australia
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  Rehabilitation and physiotherapy for people with dementia by Dementia Australia

  Information about rehabilitation, physiotherapy, falls and balance for people living with dementia.
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  Physiotherapy and dementia: webinar

  In this webinar, Joanna-lee Tan, Gerontological Physiotherapist and National Chairperson of the Australian Physiotherapy Association Gerontology group, explains the role of physiotherapy in managing physical changes associated with dementia.

• The Dementia Guide by Dementia Australia

  Publication Date: 2024; edited 2025

  For people living with dementia, their families and carers. The Dementia Guide is an important resource for any person impacted by any form of dementia, of any age. This resource contains information about the impact dementia may have on a person, the treatment, support and services they may need. It is available to read online, download as a pdf, listen to an audio version or request a print copy.

• Understanding and Preventing Falls: A Guide to Reducing Your Risks by Stephen Z. Fadem

  Publication Date: 2023

  According to the World Health Organization, falls cause over 50% of accidental injuries and 39% of fatal injuries in the older population.
  This book outlines several practical tips for eliminating potential home hazards and reviews each of the major causes of falls to help the individual and his or her caregiver, as well as the health provider, prevent falling by adapting one's lifestyle.
• 101 Tips on Staying Safe at Home with Dementia. Avoid Falls, Floods, Injuries, Accidents, Doorstep Crime and More...

  Publication Date: 2019

  A comprehensive guide for enhancing personal safety and security and making the home safer to live in, if you or a family member has dementia. It also offers insight into creating a home environment that is dementia-aware, building on ability rather than limitation.
  With clear information for all readers and straightforward descriptions that eliminate guesswork, this book offers a fast and easy way to help people with dementia to manage their daily lives better and stay safe at home, whether through simple DIY modifications, assistive technology or research-backed strategies.
• Don’t Fall For It- A guide to preventing falls for older people by Commonwealth of Australia

  Publication Date: 2011

  Slips, trips and falls can happen to anyone, but they are more common and more significant as we get older, because we are more likely to injure ourselves. But there are many things you can do to reduce your risk of falling.
• Yoga for Dementia by Tania Plahay

  Publication Date: 2018

  Proven to enhance wellbeing, posture, breathing and sleep, and reduce anxiety and agitation, this programme shows how yoga can be adapted to benefit people living with dementia.
• Qigong for Wellbeing in Dementia and Aging by Stephen Rath

  Publication Date: 2015

  Qigong is the centuries-old practice of moving vital energy (Qi) through the channels of the body, known as meridians, to promote vitality and health. Stephen Rath details current research and Traditional Chinese Medicine theory to show how Qigong practice can support cognitive functioning, as well as emotional and physical wellbeing, in people with dementia.
• Exercised The Science of Physical Activity, Rest and Health by Daniel Lieberman

  Publication Date: 2021

  Drawing on over a decade of high-level scientific research and eye-opening insights from evolutionary biology and anthropology, Lieberman explains precisely how exercise can promote health; debunks persistent myths about sitting, speed, strength and endurance; and points the way towards more enjoyable and physically active living in the modern world.

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  Staying active and on your feet, by NSW Ministry of Health

  Publication Date: Revised 2018
  Staying active and on your feet, a consumer falls prevention resource, will provide you with information and ideas on ways to reduce your risk of falling.

• The Effect of Exercise on Falls in People Living with Dementia: A Systematic Review. (2023)

  Jehu DA, Davis JC, Gill J, Oke O, Liu-Ambrose T. The Effect of Exercise on Falls in People Living with Dementia: A Systematic Review. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. 2023;92(4):1199-1217. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-221038
• World guidelines for falls prevention and management for older adults: a global initiative (2022)

  All older adults should be advised on falls prevention and physical activity. Opportunistic case finding for falls risk is recommended for community-dwelling older adults. Those considered at high risk should be offered a comprehensive multifactorial falls risk assessment with a view to co-design and implement personalised multidomain interventions. Other recommendations cover details of assessment and intervention components and combinations, and recommendations for specific settings and populations.
• Fall Prevention Guidelines / Australian and New Zealand Falls Prevention Society

  The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care assists health services to reduce the number of falls, and the resulting patient harm, through a number of national initiatives. This site includes Australia’s National Guidelines: Preventing Falls and Harm From Falls in Older People: Best Practice Guidelines for Australian Hospitals, Residential Aged Care Facilities and Community Care 2009. The guidelines provide a consistent national basis for falls prevention.
• Fall prevention in community-dwelling adults with mild to moderate cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2021)

  Cognitive impairment (CI) increases an individual’s risk of falls due to the role cognition plays in gait control. Older adults with dementia fall 2–3 times more than cognitively healthy older adults and 60–80% of people with dementia fall annually. Practitioners require evidence-based fall prevention best practices to reduce the risk of falls in cognitively impaired adults living in the community.
  Racey, M., Markle-Reid, M., Fitzpatrick-Lewis, D., Ali, M. U., Gagne, H., Hunter, S., Ploeg, J., Sztramko, R., Harrison, L., Lewis, R., Jovkovic, M., & Sherifali, D. (2021). Fall prevention in community-dwelling adults with mild to moderate cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC geriatrics, 21(1), 689. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-021-02641-9
• Falls Risk and Alzheimer Disease: A Patient Guide (2020)

  An overview of falls risk and Alzheimer's disease. It discusses what you can do help minimise your risk of falling.
  Kahya, M., Sood, P., Devos, H., Krishnan, S., Hirsch, M. A., & Heyn, P. (2020). Falls Risk and Alzheimer Disease: A Patient Guide. Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation, 101(5), 931–935. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2020.01.005

• Dementia and falls / Dementia UK

  Falls are common in older people and people with dementia, and can make it difficult for them to live independently. One in three adults over the age of 65, and half of people over 80, will experience at least one fall a year.
• Staying steady and independent with dementia: Hints and tips to help reduce your chance of falling

  It is common to think that feeling unsteady is an inevitable part of ageing but that is not the case. Falls can be prevented and we want to help you understand what you can do to help yourself.
• Injury Matters

  A range of resources by Injury Matters aimed at reducing older person's risk of falls. Resources can be downloaded and printed.
• Online fall risk assessments / Stop falls at home

  Online risk assessment(s) for use by people living at home and for health care professionals.
• Australian and New Zealand Falls Prevention Society

  Resources for Older People and their Families in relation to falls reduction. Resources are listed by state.
• Falls prevention online training module / NSW Government

  In this module, you will learn common causes of falls and simple tips to reduce your risk of falling, including the importance of staying active. You will also learn how to improve safety in and around your home, and what to do if you experience a fall at home.

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  Exercise and dementia topic guide
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  Home environment and dementia topic guide