The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) will provide up to $27.8 million in funding to support three initiatives that aim to reduce falls.
An Oct. 9 HHS announcement noted, “Falls are the leading cause of injury for people 65 and older.” The announcement added that non-fatal falls are responsible for an estimated $80 billion in annual healthcare spending.
The three initiatives “will connect screening with community support, expand proven programs statewide, and help organizations deliver and sustain them.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries” (STEADI) initiative focuses on helping healthcare providers to screen for, assess and address fall risk.
Stepping On, described as an evidence-based community falls prevention program, will help older adults to improve their strength and balance while addressing fall risks related to their medication, vision, footwear and home safety.
As the first initiative, the National Council on Aging will scale the STEADI and Stepping On initiatives via clinical-community partnerships.
Additional organizations will be awarded funds to scale their existing evidence-based falls prevention programs as the second initiative.
And the cross-agency National Falls Prevention Action Plan, coordinated by HHS and including such organizations as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute of Aging, will work together to reduce falls over the next three years.
“A fall can change an older American’s life in an instant, and we can prevent many of these injuries,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the announcement. “HHS is connecting healthcare screening with proven community programs to identify risks earlier, improve strength and balance, and help older adults maintain their independence. These investments will reduce injuries and healthcare costs while helping more Americans remain safely in their homes and communities.”
