1. What article did we discuss? We reviewed and discussed an article presenting international clinical practice guidelines on falls prevention, that were developed by an expert panel utilising a Delphi study methodology. The guidelines presented recommendations regarding defining an older person’s risk of falls, factors to consider in a multi-factorial assessment and intervention approach, and special considerations for certain settings (e.g. hospitals). Information about a number of resources available to assist implementation of the guidelines is also discussed.

2. What ‘Research Fundamentals’ tip was covered in this session? We covered an overview of what the “GRADE” criteria are and how you can interpret the GRADE ratings to determine the strength of the research evidence behind recommendations.

3. What were the key points from the article critique? These guidelines were put together by an expert panel following a systematic process. The authors were clear on the strength of the recommendations, and they provide extra resources to assist with the implementation phase. Just like most systematic reviews or clinical practice guidelines though, don’t take everything at face value and go back to the original articles, or article summaries, to ensure you are interpreting the meaning of different terminology and recommendations correctly.

4. What were some of the key take home messages from the discussion? OTs should be asking all older adults about falls, and those identified as being high risk should receive a multifactorial falls assessment and management plan addressing factors such as cognition, pain, incontinence, vision, and the home environment. A range of standardised assessments were recommended to assist this process, while it was also acknowledged that an approach where clients were provided with an opportunity to actively participate in decision making was essential, even when this meant allowing dignity of risk.

5. How are OTs going to use what they learnt in this session? Some OTs reported they were going to investigate some of the standardised assessments mentioned in the article, while others were going to think more carefully when raising the issues of falls with their clients, including avoiding the terminology “fear of falling.” Others were planning to investigate different personal alarms available, including AI home monitoring (e.g. Home Guardian).