Australian Falls Guidelines 2025: What’s New and Why It Matters

Australian Falls Guidelines 2025 signal the biggest shift in fall-prevention practice since 2009.

Falls remain Australia’s leading cause of injury-related hospitalisations and deaths among older people, costing the health system billions each year. 

This updated national blueprint replaces passive risk scoring with action-oriented, evidence-graded interventions—everything from balance-intensive exercise and vitamin D protocols to OT-led home-safety checks and multifactorial care plans in aged-care homes. 

In the sections below you’ll see what’s changed, why it matters for hospitals, residential facilities and community services, and the concrete steps every clinician, provider, carer and policymaker can take to cut fall rates today. Dive in, download the checklist, and start turning guidelines into safer outcomes for older Australians.

Why These Guidelines Matter Now

  • Falls are still Australia’s No. 1 injury threat. They were the leading cause of injury-related hospitalisations in 2023-24 and the leading cause of injury deaths in 2022-23. aihw.gov.au

  • Cost to the health system: recent AIHW estimates put annual spending on fall injuries at about $5 billion. aihw.gov.au

  • Older Australians carry the burden. Nearly half of all fall hospitalisations involve people 75+, and women account for the largest share of admissions and fatalities. aihw.gov.au

  • Quality-standards pressure: preventing falls is embedded in the National Safety & Quality Health Service Standards, the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards and forthcoming primary-care standards—so every provider must show action, not intent.

What’s Changed in 2025

2009 guideline2025 guidelineWhy it matters
Score the riskTreat everyone 65+ as at risk; interveneSaves time, shifts resources to proven actions
Generic checklists14 (community) / 7 (aged care) / 4 (hospital) evidence-graded recommendationsGives setting-specific roadmaps(australianageingagenda.com.au)
Limited exercise evidenceLevel 1A: 2–3 h/week of balance & strength for all settingsExercise now the strongest single protection
Sparse nutrition adviceDaily–weekly vitamin D + 3.5 serves dairy in aged-care menusTackles bone & muscle loss to cut fractures
Minimal patient voicePerson-centred plans co-designed with older adultsRespects dignity-of-risk, boosts adherence

These changes stem from five years of systematic reviews led by NeuRA and the Australia & New Zealand Falls Prevention Society, culminating in the first full revision since 2009. safetyandquality.gov.au agedhealth.com.au

Three Care Settings, One Goal

SettingSnapshot of key updates (full details in our deep-dive series)
Community Care

14 recommendations:

• Ongoing exercise for everyone (2–3 h/week) – adapt for cognition

• OT-led home-safety assessment for anyone with ≥1 fall/year

• Tiered single → multifactorial interventions based on fall history

Residential Aged Care

7 recommendations:

• Multifactorial fall-prevention becomes routine care

• Continuous supervised exercise—not just short courses

• Daily/weekly vitamin D; menus to hit 3.5 dairy serves

• Consider hip protectors for high fracture risk

Hospitals

4 recommendations:

• Tailored interventions for all older in-patients—no numeric score needed

• OT home-safety visit embedded in discharge for high-risk patients

• Post-operative geriatric ortho pathway for hip fractures

• Staff-, patient- & family-focused education built into Comprehensive Care Standard

Who Should Act & How

AudienceImmediate takeaway
Aged‑care providersAudit menus for dairy & vitamin D, schedule year‑round exercise classes, embed multifactorial care plans in care software.
Clinicians (hospital & community)Drop standalone risk‑score tools; screen for modifiable factors, refer to physio/OT, and plan safe discharge early.
Family carersRequest an OT home‑safety check, encourage balance training, ensure vitamin D supplementation is discussed with the GP.
Policy professionals & fundersAlign accreditation metrics with the intervention‑focused approach; channel incentives toward exercise and home‑modification programs.

Australian Falls Guidelines Series Roadmap

  • Six deep‑dive articles releasing soon:
  • Exercise programs in community care
  • Home‑safety interventions that work
  • Post‑discharge fall safety in hospitals
  • In‑hospital prevention essentials
  • Multifactorial strategies in aged‑care homes
  • Single‑factor fixes (podiatry, cataracts, meds, pacemakers …)

Download our free Falls-Prevention Checklist and see where your service stands.

Whether you oversee a busy orthopaedic ward, coordinate home-care packages, or simply care for an ageing parent, the revised recommendations offer a clear, evidence-backed playbook to reduce fractures, maintain independence, and save precious healthcare dollars. Use the checklist to audit current practices, train staff quickly with bite-sized e-learning, and track monthly fall metrics to prove improvements and secure ongoing funding.

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