Falls prevention

The "Falls Prevention Best Practice Guide for State Health Departments," developed by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is a comprehensive resource designed to address the public health impact of unintentional falls among older adults.

In this report, GAO explores the four agencies that oversee federal falls prevention programs, including the Administration on Community Living (ACL), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. GAO found that these programs serve limited numbers of individuals at risk of falls, including adults with disabilities under age 60. GAO's analysis of national data on self-reported falls from 2020 found that adults with disabilities aged 45 to 59 reported rates of falls and fall-related injuries that were higher than those reported by individuals 60 and over.

Evidence-based community falls prevention programs can reduce falls, risk factors, and costs associated with falls. Community-based programs address a wide range of risk factors such as improving muscle strength and balance, removing home hazards that contribute to falls, and increasing confidence to engage in falls-reduction activities. NCOA's infographic highlights key statistics on falls injuries and solutions to help save lives and money.

This report was released by the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. The report notes that one in four Americans 65 and older falls each year, leading to lasting health and economic consequences. Falls are preventable and not necessarily a part of the normal aging process. The report also includes a list of recommendations from the committee.

This study reviews literature on fall risk factors and prevention strategies. It uses peer-reviewed research from between 1994 and 2017 to estimate the number of medically treated falls that could be prevented and the direct medical costs that could be adverted. The estimates were created by looking specifically at evidence-based fall interventions in clinical settings.