NeuRA’s Falls, Balance and Injury Research Centre (FBIRC) researchers are world leaders in understanding human balance, fall risk factors and strategies for prevention of falls in older people. 

Established in 2014, the FBIRC brings together the expertise of three senior research groups at NeuRA led by Professor Stephen Lord (Centre Director), Professor Jacqueline Close (Clinical Director) and Professor Kim Delbaere (Director, Innovation and Translation) to address falls and fall injury prevention and management.

Research focus areas

• Fall prevention and management, in older population as well as specific conditions like dementia, Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis
• Balance training
• Hip fracture epidemiology, care and outcomes including the Australia and New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry
• Frailty and cognition in older people in the surgical setting
• Delirium prevention and management
• Decreasing unwarranted clinical variation
• Developing interventions that will improve outcomes for older people
• Determining clinical models of care that can be adapted and adopted nationally

Why this research matters

Falls and fall injuries among older people are a large and growing problem in Australia. Every day, 14 Australians aged 65+ will die from a fall and 364 will have a fall that puts them in hospital.

Treatment of injuries from falls in older people cost over $2.3 billion in 2020, with multiple flow-on effects for ambulance services, loss of independence by older people, and family impact.

One of the most serious consequences of a fall is a hip fracture. There are approximately 20,000 hip fractures in Australia every year. A hip fracture is a devastating injury for an older person and for many results in pain and lasting disability which directly impacts on the ability to live independently. For some a hip fracture can result in a move to residential care or death. By advancing community and clinical understanding of the impact of falls, frailty and cognition, and ageing we’re proud to contribute to the delivery of better health care interventions and outcomes.