Are we giving falls the respect they deserve? Role of the nervous system and the Care Pathway

In the first part of this webinar, the presenters will discuss the Neurotrauma Care Pathways project based in Ontario. Ontario, like other jurisdictions in Canada and internationally, lacks an equitable system of care for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI), where quality of care and health outcomes depend on where you live, available funding and severity/type of injury. Evidence-based standardized neurotrauma care pathways for all persons living with TBI or tSCI of any severity were developed by engaging 170 key partners from across the Ontario representing different care and funding sectors common to all jurisdictions. Partners include people with lived experience, clinicians, researchers, funders, and community providers from different sectors. In addition, a companion set of quality indicators has been developed that map onto the Pathways and preliminary data has been collected. While these pathways and quality indicators have been developed in Ontario, they are applicable and relevant to any province or territory. Falls represent a significant cause of TBI and tSCI and data will be presented on the cohort of persons with TBI or tSCI who have sustained a fall. To understand why falls happen, we need to understand how the nervous system reacts after balance is lost, and how the ability to recover can be impacted by neurological impairments or aging. By understanding the neural mechanisms of falls, we can better create rehabilitation programs to prevent them. At the newly established Gray Centre for Mobility and Activity at Parkwood Institute in London, Ontario we are creating several new initiatives to promote lifelong mobility for populations that are impacted by falls. These programs are designed to prevent falls and their secondary complications, and to facilitate safe participation in activities of daily living and physical activity.

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