October 29, 2025Northern Health’s Ready Steady Home team, Rachael Walsh, Senior Physiotherapist, and Jess Viergever, Occupational Therapist, are ready to hit the road for another day of home visits.
Falls are one of the leading causes of hospital presentations among older adults, often resulting in extended stays and repeat visits to the Emergency Department. The Ready Steady Home program, a rapid response allied health initiative, is designed to change that trajectory.
Targeting patients aged 65 and over (or 50+ for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples) who present to the Emergency Department following a fall, the program delivers short, targeted interventions, typically one or two visits. These focus on falls prevention strategies tailored to each person’s home environment, with the aim to:
- Prevent hospital admission
- Reduce length of stay
- Minimise re-presentations to the Emergency Department related to falls and frailty
Occupational Therapist Jess Viergever, a key member of the program, says, “Ready Steady Home is about more than just preventing falls — it’s about empowering patients to stay safely and confidently in their own homes.”
Dr Sarah Thomas, Medical Deputy Director, Hospital Without Walls, adds, “This is such a great initiative to care for our vulnerable yet impactable older patients — keeping them home first, preventing hospital-acquired functional decline and providing rapid access to targeted, specialised allied health interventions. By bringing expert care directly to patients at home, Ready Steady Home helps prevent prolonged admissions, reduces hospital-acquired complications, and supports independence and recovery.”
The Ready Steady Home team is dedicated to making a meaningful difference in the lives of older adults — delivering timely, tailored care that helps people live safely, independently, and well at home.
Pictured in featured image (L-R): Rachael Walsh, Senior Physiotherapist and Jess Viergever, Senior Occupational Therapist.
