Pre Oct 2014

Falls Related Brain Injury in Older People (Alice Springs)

Falls, particularly in the elderly, are now not only the leading cause of injury admissions to Australia’s hospitals but also the leading cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Of the roughly 130,000 hospitalisations due to falls annually, around 8,000 will result in a TBI – 1 in every 3 in a person aged 65 and over. TBIs the result of a fall are also the most deadly – 63% prove fatal. Overall, brain injury is 10 times as common as spinal injury and produces, on average, 3 times the level of disability.

The presentation will focus on the very high mortality rates from falls-related TBI in those aged 80 and over, as well as address the plight of the young-old - those aged between 65 and 80, who are at the greatest risk of TBI due to their active lifestyles. They fall into service gaps, being too old for rehabilitation aimed at return-to-work but also too young for general geriatric rehabilitation and medical management.

Even though fall-related injuries to the head are consistently the second most common after hip fracture, head trauma in older people is often discounted in hospitals and aged care settings and appropriate neurological assessment and monitoring overlooked. And though rates of falls-related injuries to the head are rising while those for hip fracture are falling, head injury fails to feature in falls prevention programs in any setting.

Brain Injury Australia, alongside organisations such as the US Centers for Disease Control, is campaigning for greater attention to be paid to the prevention, assessment and rehabilitation of falls-related TBI in older people.

Hear from Leading Expert

Nick RushWorth Executive Officer of Brain Injury Australia - the national peak acquired brain injury (ABI) advocacy organisation representing the needs of people with an ABI, their families and carers. Before joining Brain Injury Australia, Nick worked for the Northern Territory Government setting up their new "Office of Disability". He was also President of the Brain Injury Association of New South Wales between 2004 and 2008. Formerly a producer with the Nine Television Network’s “Sunday” program and ABC Radio National, Nick’s journalism has won a number of awards, including a Silver World Medal at the New York Festival, a National Press Club and TV Week Logie Awards.

Event Details

Click here to download a copy of the flyer and manual registration form.

Event Date and Time:

Event Date & Time: Thursday, 29th August 2013, 5.30pm - 7.30pm

Event Location: Centre for Remote Health, Flinders University Alice Springs, NT
Cnr Simpson & Skinner Sts
Alice Springs NT 0871

Registrations Open: 14th Jul 13 12:00 AM

Registrations Close: 28th Aug 13 11:59 PM

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Member: Free
Non Member: $10.00

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