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National Action Plan Underway to Prevent Falls by
Elderly
 April
12, 2005 - In response to escalating concerns related to falls and
fall-related injuries among the aging population, health and safety
organizations led by the Home Safety Council, The National Council on
the Aging (NCOA) and the Archstone Foundation, have collaborated in an
initiative entitled Falls Free: Promoting a National Falls Prevention
Action Plan.
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Related Story |
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Alarming Increase in Falls by Elderly Prompts
National Educational Campaign
Emergency room visits by those 75 and older increased
by 73 percent
Feb.
14, 2005 The number of emergency room visits by elderly Americans
resulting from product-related injuries primarily falls has
increased by 73 percent, according to a study released today by the U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission. A national education campaign is
being launched by CPSC and the National Safety Council aimed at reducing
the staggering number of preventable injuries occurring among older
Americans. Read more...
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Helpful Materials |
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The following links are to
PDF files of the program materials. These are available for free
download.
Poster of Safety Tips -
Home Assessment Chart -
Medication Tracker -
Exercise Tips -
Guide for Activity Center Directors
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The National Action Plan is a one of its kind
monograph that addresses the challenges and barriers related to a
national falls prevention initiative and outlines key strategies and
action steps to help reduce fall dangers for older adults, says the
announcement of the program.
In 2002, about 12,800 people 65 years and older, or
38% of all unintentional injury deaths among older adults, were caused
by falls, and 1.64 million seniors were treated in U.S. hospital
emergency departments (EDs) for non-fatal falls. Or put another way,
every hour one older adult died and 183 were treated in EDs for
fall-related injuries.
The growth of the aging population, the desire of
mature adults to remain independent and the rising costs of health care
and long-term care make finding ways to prevent and reduce falls of
paramount importance, said James Firman, President & CEO of NCOA.
This National Action Plan is offered as both a call to action and a
guide for implementing an effective, coordinated approach to reducing
injurious and fatal falls among older adults.
Within the home, falls are the leading cause of
home injury and related death, and older adults are at greatest risk of
suffering a serious or fatal fall injury. In fact, research conducted by
the Home Safety Council, a primary funder of the Falls Free initiative,
shows that for adults ages 65 and older, falls at home cause an average
of more than 4,700 deaths and 1.1 million medical visits each year.
The National Action Plan will help consumers,
health care and service providers, policy makers and the housing and
remodeling industry become more aware of and promote home safety
measures that can lower the risk of falls, said Home Safety Council
president Meri-K Appy. Through this important initiative, we hope that
all older adults and caregivers will have knowledge and access to
critical resources that can help reduce fall dangers and increase the
safety of their homes.
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We all have someone in our lives who has been injured or perhaps died
as a result of a fall, said Joseph F. Prevratil, President and CEO of
the Archstone Foundation. The National Action Plan provides strategies
that can be used on a local, state or national level to reduce the risk
of falls. This effort was funded by the Archstone Foundation as a part
of its multiyear initiative to reduce falls among older adults.
National Action Plan - Key Strategies
The National Action Plan, which is available at
www.healthyagingprograms.org , Whats New outlines strategies
related to the key risk factors for falls including physical mobility,
medications management, home safety and environmental safety in the
community. Among the thirty-six strategies outlined in the plan, they
include:
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Creating national web-based clearinghouses to
disseminate consumer information and resources about falls
prevention
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Increasing the number of adults who have an
annual medication review conducted by a health care provider or
pharmacist and insure this review includes an adequate focus on
falls and fall-related injury prevention, with the goal of reducing
or eliminating medications that increase falls risk
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Conducting a strategically planned consumer
education campaign to increase awareness of falls risks associated
with medication use
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Identifying best practice information about
effective strategies to reduce falls inside and outside the home
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Supporting consumer adoption of home
modifications aimed at falls prevention by featuring examples that
are attractive, aesthetically appropriate for home environments,
simple to understand, easy to implement, affordable, and effective
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Developing a public policy agenda to promote
falls prevention in America at the national, state, and local levels
Experts also advocate a cross-cutting approach to
effectively move the action plan forward and promote interdisciplinary
activities to identify, synthesize and translate falls prevention
information in the areas of communications, marketing, public policy and
advocacy.
The National Action Plan resulted from the Falls
Free Summit, a collaborative meeting sponsored by the Home Safety
Council, NCOA and the Archstone Foundation that was held in December
2004. The Summit convened a diverse group of health and safety
organizations to tackle this serious and complex public health issue.
The CDCs National Center for Injury Prevention and Control has provided
additional funding support for the publication of the National Action
Plan. To download Falls Free: Promoting a National Falls Prevention
Action Plan, and for additional information on falls prevention, log
onto
www.healthyagingprograms.org, Whats New.
About Home Safety Council
The Home Safety Council is a
501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping prevent the nearly
21 million medical visits that occur on average each year from
unintentional injuries in the home. Through national programs and
partners across America, the Home Safety Council works to educate and
empower families to take actions that help keep them safe in and around
their homes. To learn more about the Council's programs, partnerships
and resources, visit the Home Safety Council at
www.homesafetycouncil.org.
About NCOA
Founded in 1950, The National
Council on the Aging is a national network of organizations and
individuals dedicated to improving the health and independence of older
persons; increasing their continuing contributions to communities,
society and future generations; and building caring communities. Its
3,800 members include senior centers, adult day service centers, area
agencies on aging, faith congregations, senior housing facilities,
employment services, and other consumer organizations. NCOA also
includes a voluntary network of more than 14,000 leaders from academia,
business and labor who support our mission and work.
About the Archstone Foundation
The Archstone Foundation is a
private non-profit grantmaking organization founded in 1985, whose
mission is to contribute toward the preparation of society in meeting
the needs of an aging population. It has awarded more than $50 million
in grants since its inception. The Archstone Foundation is currently
focusing the majority of its resources to address the following four
issue areas, with an emphasis on funding California-based initiatives:
Elder Abuse and Neglect
Fall Prevention
End-of-Life Issues
Responsive grantmaking to address
emerging needs within societys aging
population.
The Archstone Foundation strives for
lasting change and working in partnership with others. To learn more
about the Archstone Foundation and the work of its grantees visit
www.archstone.org.
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