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

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

Who Should Act & How

Conclusion

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, and track monthly fall metrics to prove improvements and secure ongoing funding.

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.