Falls are the leading cause of hospitalised injuries and injury-related deaths among older Australians. Among various contributing factors –  impaired vision significantly increases the risk of falls. Approximately 75% of older adults admitted to hospitals following a fall have a correctable vision problem, highlighting the critical role of eye care practitioners in falls prevention. 

A multifaceted and cross-disciplinary approach is essential for effective falls prevention. Optometrists play a pivotal role by ensuring proper spectacle corrections and identifying vision issues that can be addressed through surgery, such as cataracts. However, considerable work is needed to normalize falls prevention as part of optometric practice and increase awareness among other health professionals. This paper makes nine recommendations. 

Key messages

• Guidelines for optometrists have been published to support falls prevention, yet the implementation and impact of these guidelines remain underexplored. 
• Multidisciplinary care plans significantly reduce fall-related hospitalisations, but vision assessment is often excluded from these plans.
• Cataract surgery, which can significantly reduce falls risk, faces challenges due to healthcare professional shortages and inadequate funding, resulting in long wait times.
• Implementing standardised diagnostic coding systems and enhancing the interoperability of electronic health records can improve data quality and support falls prevention efforts. 
• Addressing the multifactorial causes of falls among older adults requires a coordinated effort involving optometrists, general practitioners, and allied health professionals.