Falls Prevention
Falls are a significant cause of harm for older people. The Commission has updated the best practice guidelines for preventing falls and harm from falls in older people.
Updated Falls Guidelines
The Falls Guidelines (2025) provide recommendations and good practice points based on evidence and expert opinion on best practice for hospitals, residential aged care and community care.
Hospitals
The Falls Guidelines for Australian hospitals include:
The Preventing Falls and Harm from Falls in Older People: Best Practice Guidelines for Australian Hospitals (Falls Guidelines for Hospitals) aims to improve the safety and quality of care for older people and offers a nationally consistent approach to preventing falls and harm from falls in hospital settings.
This fact sheet outlines recommendations for preventing falls in hospital as well as the major changes to the 2025 Falls Guidelines.
Residential Aged Care Services
The Falls Guidelines for Australian Residential Aged Care Services (RACS) include:
The Preventing Falls and Harm from Falls in Older People: Best Practice Guidelines for Australian Residential Aged Care Services (Falls Guidelines for RACS) aims to improve the safety and quality of care for older people and offers a nationally consistent approach to preventing falls and harm from falls in residential aged care settings.
This fact sheet outlines recommendations for preventing falls in hospital as well as the major changes to the 2025 Falls Guidelines.
Community Care
The Falls Guidelines for Community Care in Australia include:
The Preventing Falls and Harm from Falls in Older People: Best Practice Guidelines for Community Care in Australia (Falls Guidelines for Community Care) aims to improve the safety and quality of care for older people and offers a nationally consistent approach to preventing falls and harm from falls in community care settings.
This fact sheet outlines recommendations for preventing falls in the community and at home as well as the major changes to the 2025 Falls Guidelines.
Hospitals
The Falls Guidelines for Australian hospitals include:
The Preventing Falls and Harm from Falls in Older People: Best Practice Guidelines for Australian Hospitals (Falls Guidelines for Hospitals) aims to improve the safety and quality of care for older people and offers a nationally consistent approach to preventing falls and harm from falls in hospital settings.
This fact sheet outlines recommendations for preventing falls in hospital as well as the major changes to the 2025 Falls Guidelines.
Residential Aged Care Services
The Falls Guidelines for Australian Residential Aged Care Services (RACS) include:
The Preventing Falls and Harm from Falls in Older People: Best Practice Guidelines for Australian Residential Aged Care Services (Falls Guidelines for RACS) aims to improve the safety and quality of care for older people and offers a nationally consistent approach to preventing falls and harm from falls in residential aged care settings.
This fact sheet outlines recommendations for preventing falls in hospital as well as the major changes to the 2025 Falls Guidelines.
Community Care
The Falls Guidelines for Community Care in Australia include:
The Preventing Falls and Harm from Falls in Older People: Best Practice Guidelines for Community Care in Australia (Falls Guidelines for Community Care) aims to improve the safety and quality of care for older people and offers a nationally consistent approach to preventing falls and harm from falls in community care settings.
This fact sheet outlines recommendations for preventing falls in the community and at home as well as the major changes to the 2025 Falls Guidelines.
To provide feedback on the Falls Guidelines or access the reference documents please complete this form.
The guidelines provide strategies relevant to falls and fall injury prevention. These include fall risk assessment, balance and mobility, cognitive impairment, medicines, continence, feet and footwear, syncope, dizziness and vertigo, vision, hearing, environment, monitoring and observation, restrictive practices, hip protectors, Vitamin D and calcium, osteoporosis, and post-fall management.