Hannah Watkin-Brown

Allied Health Consultant, Older Peoples’ Health, Te Toka Tumai Auckland and Registered Physiotherapist

Hannah Watkin-Brown is an Allied Health Consultant within Older Peoples’ Health at Te Toka Tumai Auckland and registered Physiotherapist with vast experience across New Zealand and the United Kingdom. She specialises in the care of older adults with experience across acute, rehabilitation, community, and trauma services. Hannah is also an active member of the Injury Prevention Rōpū Rangatira within the Trauma National Clinical Network.
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Hannah recently completed a research-based Master's exploring the timeliness of chest injury identification in older adults presenting to hospital. This work combined with her clinical experience, highlighted opportunities to improve trauma care and injury prevention in older adults and sparked a broader research interest in proactive approaches to reducing injury before it occurs. She is now pursuing further research focused on early identification and falls prevention strategies, with a particular interest in injury prevention, healthy ageing, and translating research into clinical practice. 

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The Fall Before The Fall: Early Identification As A Trauma Prevention Strategy

Falls are a leading cause of injury and trauma among older New Zealanders, yet many are preceded by identifiable warning signs. This presentation explores how we, as healthcare professionals can recognise falls risk earlier and potentially intervene before a serious injury occurs.

Drawing on current evidence, we will explore practical clinical approaches in preventing falls as well as the challenges we currently face in efforts to reduce falls-related trauma admissions in older adults.

Attendees will gain insights into opportunities to shift from reactive to proactive strategies in attempts to prevent injuries from falls.