Fall Risk Management

Approximately one third of community dwelling adults over the age of 65 report experiencing a fall in the past 12 months. Many of these falls result in significant injuries such as fractures and head injuries, reduced quality of life and mortality. In addition, the annual direct and indirect costs of fall injuries are expected to reach 54.9 billion by 2020.

Multiple studies have validated that interventions such as encouraging physical exercise, performing medication reviews and correcting environmental hazards can have a positive impact on fall management. The American Geriatric Society has published the Clinical Practice Guideline: Prevention of Falls in Older Persons with recommendations for screening, assessment and interventions. This and additional materials on Fall Risk Management including patient education brochures from the CDC and National Council on Aging (NCOA) are provided as a resource for providers. Please use the presentation and materials below to learn more about this important public health issue and incorporate fall prevention into standard office practice.

• American Geriatric Society
• CDC STEADI

Patient Materials

• NCOA Brochure - 6 Steps to Prevent Falls - English (PDF) 
• NCOA Brochure - 6 Steps to Prevent Falls - Spanish (PDF)

• CDC Brochure - Check for Safety: A Home Fall Prevention Checklist - English (PDF) 
• CDC Brochure - Check for Safety: A Home Fall Prevention Checklist - Spanish (PDF) 
• CDC Brochure - Check for Safety: A Home Fall Prevention Checklist - Chinese (PDF)

• CDC Brochure - What You Can Do to Prevent Falls - English (PDF) 
• CDC Brochure - What You Can Do to Prevent Falls - Spanish (PDF) 
• CDC Brochure - What You Can Do to Prevent Falls - Chinese (PDF)

Additional Resources

• The National Council on Aging (NCOA) mission is to improve the lives of millions of older adults, especially those who are struggling, through innovative community programs and services, online help and advocacy. Additional information on Fall Prevention Awareness Day is available on the NCOA website.
• The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has multiple provider and patient educational resources in English, Spanish and Chinese that can be ordered for free.
• www.stopfalls.org - Public/private coalition dedicated to implementing fall prevention programs and providing professional and patient educational materials and resources. Some materials involve cost.
• National Institute on Aging site, where you can order free "Falls and Fractures" brochure in English and Spanish.