News Release

Celebrating Falls Prevention Awareness Week in September

August 29 , 2011

Governor Beverly Perdue has proclaimed the week of September 19-24, 2011 (the first week of fall) as Falls Prevention Awareness Week. In honor of that week, the Institute on Aging (IOA) would like to highlight the work of the North Carolina Falls Prevention Coalition. The IOA is a founding partner of the NC Falls Prevention Coalition, along with the North Carolina Division of Public Health, North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services, and the Carolina Geriatric Education Center.

Falls are the leading cause of fatal injuries and the second leading cause of nonfatal injuries among North Carolinians 65 and older. The North Carolina Falls Prevention Coalition was formed with the aim, through education and training, of reducing the number of falls, falls-related injuries, and seriousness of injuries resulting from falls. 

One of the key activities of the Coalition is bringing together many different agencies to work on the issue of falls. Since its formation in 2008, the Coalition has grown to become a multi-disciplinary group comprised of key leaders from over 70 organizations across the state. The benefits of this group include increased awareness of the problem throughout the state, more efficient use of resources through sharing and dissemination, and increased participation in partnerships and collaboration. Ellen Schneider, Research Scientist at the IOA, coordinates the Coalition and says, “We are fortunate to have so many dedicated professionals as members of the Falls Prevention Coalition. Together, we are building an infrastructure in North Carolina to address the growing public health issue of older adult falls and help keep our older citizens healthy and safe."

One of the strategies used by the Coalition is supporting the statewide dissemination of evidence-based programs such as Matter of Balance. It also supports best practice programs such as "Get Some Balance in Your Life," which was recently implemented and assessed by IOA Research Scientist Tiffany Shubert. Get Some Balance is currently in 3 senior centers in Orange, Haywood and Jackson counties. Dr. Shubert is also conducting a study with Dr. Lori Schrodt (former CPHAR Fellow at the IOA) at Western Carolina University to determine if fitness professionals can deliver the class and achieve the same outcomes. Dr. Shubert’s hope is that, “we can create a continuum of care between health care providers, fitness professionals and community organizations to offer evidence-based and best practice programs to minimize the risk of falls and maximize independence."

Another Coalition strategy is to expand the network of people trained to screen older adults at risk of falling. The Coalition has translated the American Geriatrics Society's falls risk screening guidelines into a document that can be used to train both community and healthcare providers to screen all older adults for falls. The document will eventually be available online and have a companion online, interactive learning module based on the training.

For more information on the North Carolina Falls Prevention Coalition please visit their website at www.med.unc.edu/aging/ncfp/welcome.htm

For tools and resources to plan and observe Falls Prevention Awareness Week, please visit www.healthyagingprograms.org/content.asp?sectionid=149