NACCHO Observes Falls Prevention Awareness Week and Honors Local Health Department Actions to Prevent Falls Among Older Adults - Statement by NACCHO Chief Executive Officer Lori Tremmel Freeman

Sep 18, 2023 | NacchoVoice

Washington, DC, September 18, 2023 —The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), representing the nation’s nearly 3,000 local health departments, observes this year’s Falls Prevention Awareness Week, which begins on September 18th and continues through September 22nd. It is more important than ever to recognize and address older adult falls prevention as a significant public health issue.

In 2020, 36,000 adults over the age of 65 died from an unintentional fall, making falls the leading cause of unintentional injury death among adults 65 and older. Additionally, more than three million older adults in the United States visited the emergency department in 2020 because of an unintentional fall, resulting in one million hospital stays and about $50 billion of medical costs. The rates of falls have also continued to rise over the years with fall death rates increasing by 41% from 55.3 per 100,000 older adults in 2012 to 78.0 per 100,000 older adults in 2021. This rise in older adult falls is expected to continue as the Baby Boomer generation ages. In addition to being costly, falls can have detrimental effects on an individual’s quality of life since it can create a fear of falling again, physical decline, social isolation, and depression.

Falls are largely preventable. However, there is a common misperception that falling is a part of the aging process. Local health departments are uniquely positioned to connect with clinically- and community-based programming that prevents older adult falls. Together, this collaboration can develop comprehensive and innovative methods to connect community-dwelling older adults with interventions to address fall risk.

An aging society requires an innovative and comprehensive approach to sustain continued health and safety. To address this, NACCHO recently published a new guide called Developing the Capacity to Support Clinical Older Adult Fall Prevention: A Guide to Local Health Departments and a corresponding workbook. These resources were designed to help local health departments engage in clinical fall prevention work by creating or expanding existing programs to meet the needs of older adults living in their communities.

NACCHO would also like to acknowledge the many local health departments who work with older adults in their communities and connect them with resources that will decrease their risk of falling. These include:

  • Knox County Health Department in Knoxville, Tennessee leads a community fall prevention task force that contributes to community events in their region focusing on fall prevention – coordinating an evidence-based fall prevention program in multiple locations for older adults and partnering with two physical therapy companies to conduct free, year-round balance screening events.
  • Farmington Valley Health District in Canton, Connecticut is actively addressing healthy aging and injury prevention through various initiatives such as Fall Prevention and Healthy Aging presentations, conducting fall risk assessments, and implementing the evidence-based program A Matter of Balance. Leaders most recently convened a coalition of community agencies in one of their towns, including fire, police, EMS, social and senior services, and the visiting nurse association to address the high prevalence of falls and fall-related morbidity and mortality and promote the safety and well-being of their aging population in their homes for as long as possible.

To learn more about falls prevention and the work of Knox County Health Department and Farmington Valley Health District’s efforts to address older adult falls, click here.


About NacchoVoice

More posts by NacchoVoice

Related Posts

  • Public Health Informatics

Add Your Local Public Health Voice to the Future of...

Testing

Apr 29, 2025 | Gelilawit Tamrat

Add Your Local Public Health Voice to the Future of...

April podcast 2025
  • Press Release

NACCHO’s Podcast from Washington: Update on Department...

Staff at DCHHS discuss their efforts to prevent, detect, treat, and respond to...

Apr 25, 2025

NACCHO’s Podcast from Washington: Update on Department...

PPHR 600px
  • Press Release Project Public Health Ready (PPHR)

NACCHO Recognizes 22 Local Health Departments for...

Each agency has been recognized for their ability to plan for, respond to, and...

Apr 23, 2025

NACCHO Recognizes 22 Local Health Departments for...

RFA FLEXED
  • Funding Opportunity Epidemiology ID Featured Infectious Disease

Now Accepting Applications: FLEXED Learning Community...

Applications are now open through May 5 for NACCHO’s FLEXED Learning Community.

Apr 22, 2025 | Jaclyn Abramson

Now Accepting Applications: FLEXED Learning Community...

  • Press Release Partnerships

NACCHO and Metopio Announce Partnership to Empower Local...

The partnership will help local health departments access data insights to...

Apr 01, 2025

NACCHO and Metopio Announce Partnership to Empower Local...

MRC Logo
  • Press Release Medical Reserve Corps

NACCHO Announces Medical Reserve Corps Operational...

These awards will build the operational readiness capabilities of MRC units.

Mar 31, 2025

NACCHO Announces Medical Reserve Corps Operational...

Social New Episode w Special Guests 17
  • Press Release Infectious Disease Podcast

NACCHO’s Podcast from Washington: How Lubbock Public...

Lubbock Public Health in Texas, joins NACCHO to discuss the recent measles...

Mar 21, 2025

NACCHO’s Podcast from Washington: How Lubbock Public...

Social New Episode w Special Guests 15
  • Press Release Podcast Research & Reports

NACCHO’s Podcast from Washington: New Online Dashboard...

NACCHO announces the release of the new Profile Study Dashboard.

Feb 14, 2025

NACCHO’s Podcast from Washington: New Online Dashboard...

RFP IPC Facilitator 2
  • Funding Opportunity Healthcare-Associated Infections ID Featured Infection, Prevention, and Control

Request for Proposals: Facilitator for Infection...

NACCHO is seeking a skilled facilitator to lead two one-day, in-person...

Feb 10, 2025 | Jaclyn Abramson

Request for Proposals: Facilitator for Infection...

Back to Top