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GAINING TRACTION: STATES’ FALL PREVENTION STRATEGIES

Volume 28, Issue 503                                                        November 12, 2007

Sarah Steverman

While considered a risk of the natural aging process, falls among older adults are startlingly commonplace, dangerous and costly. Each year, more than a third of adults ages 65 and older will take a tumble, and 40 percent of those who do will end up in a nursing home.

The number of accidents can only rise as the population ages. In 2004, 1.8 million people over age 65 sought treatment in emergency departments for fall-related injuries, and nearly 15,000 seniors died from falls, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It’s estimated that the total costs of fall injuries will reach $43.8 billion by 2020.

Concerned about this growing public health issue, the CDC Injury Center has made reducing falls a priority. It’s seeking to educate the public and providers about evidence-based practices that can help prevent spills. For example, some simple lifestyle changes—such as knowing whether medications will induce dizziness, getting rid of throw rugs and engaging in regular exercise—can drastically reduce the risk of falls.

Enabling Seniors to Live at Home

Some lawmakers, meanwhile, are looking to protect their seniors by translating evidence-based tactics into policy. There are ample incentives for them to do so. In addition to reducing human suffering and financial costs, fall prevention can help states maintain their Home-and Community-Based Services programs, which help older adults and the disabled maintain their independence and remain in their homes.

In Massachusetts, Senator Richard Moore introduced two fall-related bills during the 2007 legislative session. One bill (SB 421) would establish a commission on falls prevention, while another (SB 422) would develop statewide fall prevention strategies, educate health-care workers and others about evidence-based research, and provide grants for demonstration projects. “We can avoid falls through prevention,” he said. “The passage of these two critical bills will save lives, prevent serious injuries and save scarce health-care dollars.”

In Connecticut, lawmakers have introduced SB 1226, which would require the Department of Public Health to develop a fall-prevention program. New Jersey’s SB 1732 would establish a pilot prevention program specifically aimed at elders. New York’s A5740 would authorize the development of a fall and injury prevention program and create a council to call attention to the issue.

Some state agencies and local communities also are tackling the issue. In Maine, the federal Administration on Aging (AoA) has helped fund a program that teaches “master trainers” how to empower older adults to reduce the risk of falling. These trainers go out into the community to recruit and educate “coaches” who teach seniors about fall prevention at senior housing developments, churches, and senior and community centers. Run by the nonprofit organization MaineHealth, the program—A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls—uses evidence-based research from the Roybal Center at Boston University.

According to Michelle Nevers, program coordinator at MaineHealth’s Partnership for Healthy Aging, the program has been found to be effective in reducing falls and making older adults feel safer living independently. Program leaders are teaching others outside of Maine.  “We have trained 226 master trainers at 123 sites in 19 states throughout the country…and we continue to grow,” said Nevers.

© Copyright 2007, State Health Notes