Falls are a concern for wheelchair users with SCI. To date, the perspectives of wheelchair users with lived experiences of SCI on the contributors to falls has been understudied. This research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors that influenced the risk of falling as perceived by wheelchair users with SCI.

Although falls are the second most common cause of SCI in the US, they are the largest cause of SCI after age 65. Read about risk factors, complications and prevention.

This website from the Victorian Government’s Better Health Channel discusses the causes of falls and gives practical advice to avoid falls. You will find useful checklists of ways to improve home safety both inside and outside.

Professor Kim Delbaere and Dr Rik Dawson share their work on raising awareness for falls prevention nationally. Did you know that over 400 risk factors for falls in the older population have been identified?

Based in Canada, the mission of this initiative is to create standardised World Clinical Practice Guidelines for Falls Prevention and Management that can be adapted and used in different settings and countries. Take a deep dive into the work being done in this area around the world.

Falls are a major health issue in the community with around 30% of adults over 65 experiencing at least one fall per year. Find resources, guidelines, and implementation guides for those working in hospitals, residential aged care facilities, and community care.

Falls, whether at home, in the workplace, or in public spaces, remain a significant yet preventable risk factor for SCI. However, with the right knowledge, tools, and interventions, their occurrence and impact can be significantly reduced. For those living with SCI, preventing secondary injuries caused by falls is equally critical to maintaining independence and well-being.

These three short videos from SCIRE Community cover three aspects of wheelchair falls prevention: five situations that most commonly cause falls, moving the wheelchair unexpectedly, and safe transfers.

The Spinal Cord Injury-Falls Concern Scale (SCI-FCS) is a self-report scale assessing the level of concern about falling during common activities of daily life in people with spinal cord injuries who are dependent on manual wheelchairs.