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Dr Ruth McCullagh awarded €240, 000 from the HRB Applied Partnership Awards for Falls Management Evaluation Research
Dr Ruth McCullagh (right), Lecturer in the Discipline of Physiotherapy, School of Clinical Therapies, has received €240,000 in research funding to roll out FaME (Falls Management Exercise), an evidence-based falls prevention programme for older people, in Ireland. Over a third of those aged 65 and older fall each year, and research has proven that exercise, including strength and balance training, is key to reducing falls.
The FaME programme, which was developed by Professor Dawn Skelton at Glasgow Caledonian University, a co-applicant on this project, differs from many exercise programmes in that it has proven to reduce falls. First introduced in Ireland in 2021 and with over 100 trained specialists in delivery of FaME, this study will determine the best route to delivering and sustaining FaME into the Irish healthcare system.
"Falls are common in later life. They can limit independence, lead to social isolation, injury and hospitalisation. The good news is that exercise can prevent falls, but not just any exercise programme. We aim to get a proven, established falls-prevention exercise programme, up and running in Ireland. FaME enables older people to get up, stay up, and live their best lives. Our aim is to link the programme with existing healthcare services, to reach everyone who may fall, and to find enjoyable activities to stay independent after the programme. We will work with people who have completed the programme, their families, healthcare providers and international partners," said Dr McCullagh.
The HRB Applied Partnership Awards scheme aims to support applied research projects in which researchers and knowledge users come together to advance timely and relevant research and optimise knowledge translation into policy and practice. The award requires a joint application encompassing both researchers and knowledge users.