Stay on Your Feet (SOYF)
Click on the relevant reports, resources and publications for more information.
Program/Project | Stay on Your Feet (SOYF) |
Period/Length | Four years |
Aim | To improve the health and well-being of older residents of the North Coast Region; To reduce by 10% the projected number of falls and consequent injuries among older North Coast residents. |
Year | 1992-1997 |
Target Group | People 60 years of age and over, in moderately good health and living independently in the community. |
Reach | Residents of the North Coast of NSW |
Locations | North Coast of NSW |
Partners | |
Funding | |
Contact | NNSWLHD-HealthPromotion@health.nsw.gov.au |
Full Report | Stay On Your Feet Final Report 1992-1997 |
Resources | |
More Information | See below |
Publications |
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What strategies were used?
Stay of your feet was implemented along five strategy lines: Raising awareness of the problem of falls and dissemination of information on falls prevention; community education; developing falls-prevention policies; home hazard reduction; and working with health professionals. These major strategies were phased in over the life of the programme and each encompassed numerous activities.
What were the program outcomes?
SOYF was a successful intervention on a number of levels:
- During the intervention period – There has been a 22% reduction in self-reported falls among the target population, a result that surpasses the original goal of a 10% reduction.
- At follow-up – The hospital admission rate for falls-related injuries was 20% lower in the target population as compared to a comparable control population.
- As a result of – This significantly lower rate of falls-related admissions, there has been a substantial saving to the health system
- The programme has raised the awareness of older people regarding the risk of falling, improved their perceptions in relation to the preventability of falls and increased their knowledge of risk factors
- There have been important behaviour changes in the target group, particularly an increase in the wearing of safer shoes, greater activity directed to improving balance and decreased use of medications having fall-related side effects
- The programme has contributed significantly to the body of knowledge about falls prevention
Stay on Your Feet has demonstrated that a well planned, well executed and comprehensively monitored and evaluated community intervention to reduce falls can achieve measurable gains in both intermediate and health outcomes.