There is an overwhelming preference amongst older Australians to stay living in their own home for as long as possible. In fact, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reports that only 5.2% of older Australians live in Residential Aged Care. 94.8% live in households, and more than one in four of these people, 26.8%, are living alone. Many are living in “age unfriendly” homes – homes with tripping hazards, such as uneven floor surfaces, homes that are cluttered, or homes that have poor lighting.

All of these things create falls risks.

The Australian and New Zealand Falls Prevention Society (ANZFPS) reports that 30% of Australians aged over 65, and 50% aged over 80 have a fall each year, and more than 130,000 of these falls result in hospitalisation. In fact, falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury in older Australians. As our population ages and the number of older people grows, the likelihood of more falls and fall-related hospitalisations will increase.