Ageing safely at home: The Safety at Home Fall Prevention Programme

Falls at home pose serious risks for the elderly, often leading to injuries, fractures, and a decline in physical function and independence. To address this issue, a local community organisation called Peace of Mind launched the Safety at Home Fall Prevention Programme. The Programme aims to identify fall hazards in the homes of the elderly and empower them to adopt lifestyle changes that reduce their fall risk, ultimately supporting healthy ageing in place.

From November 2023 to June 2024, 25 CARE@hkjc volunteers were trained to support this initiative. During three training sessions, the volunteers learnt about home fall prevention and developed skills for the home visits, including conducting preliminary assessments, understanding the programme's multidisciplinary approach, and connecting the elderly to individualised support and community resources. The nature of inter-disciplinary collaboration was highlighted, where doctors, nurses and occupational therapists shared their expertise. Doctors discussed the impacts of falls on the elderly's physical and quality of life, nurses introduced the Hospital Authority's "HA Go" mobile app and its "Caregiver" function, and occupational therapists shared practical knowledge on home modifications and other fall prevention products.

Armed with this knowledge, the CARE volunteers conducted five home visits at the public housing estates in Fanling and Sheung Shui. During the visits, they expressed care for the elderly as well as checking the fall prevention checklist to assess the elderly residents’ physical condition, walking habits and potential fall risks in their homes. The volunteers carefully documented their observations and recommendations regarding the potential concerns of the floor, living room, kitchen and bathroom, which they sent to the programme's social workers for follow-up support.