EUPHA/ProFouND Seminar on falls, Glasgow, UK

By HelenHawley on October 27, 2014 in News

EUPHA/ProFouND Seminar, Glasgow, UK Falls prevention: Evidence into Practice

Place: Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, Glasgow, Scotland, UK

Date: 19 November 2014

Organised by:

EUPHA Section Injury prevention and safety promotion in collaboration with ProFouND and EuroSafe

Scope and purpose:

Each year, one in three adults aged 65 and older falls, mostly at home. Falls often lead to severe injury and long-term physical disability, increased dependency and reduction in quality of life. The associated costs of treatment and the ‘cost’ to the individual’s engagement in an active and fulfilling life are considerable.

Clear evidence now exists that most falls among older people are associated with identifiable and modifiable risk factors, i.e. a combination of age and disease-related conditions and the individual’s interaction with their social and physical environment. There is also ample evidence to show that interventions, particularly those promoting physical activity and strength and balance training, are effective and can significantly reduce the burden of the rising epidemic of fall injuries in an ageing Europe.

ProFouND was initiated to overcome limited awareness and usage of innovative solutions to prevent falls and make these available throughout the EU. ProFouND develops and widely disseminates customised best practice guidance and tools for a wide range of professionals. It provides also a cascade training model programme using face to face and e-learning approaches to create a cadre of accredited exercise trainers across Europe to implement exercise regimens that have been proven to reduce falls amongst older people.

The European Seminar will give participants the knowledge and skills needed to operate from an evidence-based approach to falls and fall-related injury prevention among seniors. Participants will also learn about current effective programs, and the reliability and validity of existing resources and tools for screening and assessing fall risk. The seminar will provide insight into how to involve seniors as partners in the development of effective strategies and interventions.

Who should attend?

Those wishing to play a part in working together to implement falls prevention interventions at local and/or national level are encouraged to participate in this pre-conference, including those working in:

government and in public institutions;

health care, community care and active lifestyle promotion;

housing, urban planning, transportation and education;

academic institutions, institutes of public health and research institutions;

private sector organisations, e.g. insurance businesses, leisure and hospitality industry, care services and those working in product design and manufacturing;