New online or interactive Fall Risk Screening Tool Debuts for Falls Prevention Awareness Week

Fall Prevention Screening Tool

Falls Free CheckUp CDC has partnered with CDC Foundation and NCOA to create an online interactive Falls Free CheckUp screener based on CDC’s STEADI Stay Independent brochure. Older adults or caregivers and healthcare providers (on behalf of an older adult) answer 13 simple yes or no questions to get a result of either normal fall risk or high fall risk.   The results page offers a brief video explaining your results and what to do next. The main goal is to encourage older adults at high risk to schedule an appointment with their doctor to talk about their fall risk and strategies to reduce their fall risk moving forward. These may include strength and balance exercises, physical therapy, and tapering or discontinuing medications that cause unsteadiness.

 

Learn more about this collaboration in CDC Foundations’ press release and use the partner toolkit to share information about this important tool.
Falls Prevention Awareness Week—September 18–24, 2022

 

Every September, on the first day of fall, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) promotes National Falls Prevention Awareness Week. Fall prevention is a team effort. Healthcare providers, including primary care, pharmacists, specialists, and physical therapists, can work together to reduce fall risk in their older adult patients. It doesn’t stop there. Caregivers, family members, communities, local fire and rescue services, and more can all play a role in fall prevention.

We also encourage you to host and promote falls prevention education and screening activities to raise awareness about the impact of falls among older adults and offer practical, evidence-based interventions.

 

Still Going Strong
Injuries from falls and motor vehicle crashes are more common as we age. The Still Going Strong campaign offers simple tips and resources for older adults (age 65 and older), caregivers, and healthcare providers to prevent these injuries from happening.   Over 10,000 people in the United States turn 65 every day. Each year, older adults experience 36 million falls and 1.6 million motor vehicle crashes. An injury from a fall or motor vehicle crash can decrease independence, but there are effective strategies to prevent these injuries. Getting older doesn’t have to mean giving up your favorite hobbies and activities.   Share Still Going Strong campaign resources and help older adults stay healthy and independent longer.

 

 

Recent Fall Prevention Publications   In May 2022, CDC published an article in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, Older Adult and Healthcare Provider Beliefs About Fall Prevention Strategies. The article used older adult demographic and fall-related data from ConsumerStyles and found that older adults were not as familiar with evidence-based strategies to prevent falls as healthcare providers. Increased patient and provider communication can increase older adults’ awareness of the benefits of evidence-based strategies, such as Tai Chi, strength and balance exercises, and medication management.

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1600 Clifton Rd   Atlanta, GA 30329   1-800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636)   TTY: 888-232-6348