Falls prevention: partnering occupational therapy and general practitioners.

The Falls STOP project was a partnership between general practitioners (GPs) and occupational therapists with the common goal to reduce accidental falls in the elderly. A home visiting service was implemented that included the organisation of home modifications, education on falls prevention strategies and referral to other community services. The pilot demonstrated some valuable benefits to sixty-eight clients referred to the program by twenty GPs. A number of resources were developed such as a falls risk questionnaire completed by patients while waiting to see the doctor, and a falls prevention educational booklet. A significant challenge for future preventative programs is rousing the interest of a larger group of referring doctors, and promoting the benefits of shared care arrangements with occupational therapists that target specific health issues such as falls in the elderly.