Free Webinar Promotes Falls Prevention Initiative
Learn how you can participate in Falls Prevention Awareness Day (FPAD), coming this year on September 23, by attending a free webinar on August 21 hosted by the National Council on Aging (NCOA). The webinar will explore:
- What's new in falls prevention programming and what’s working in communities nationwide
- How organizations are integrating falls prevention programming into their other offerings
- Strategies to recruit older adult participants
- New initiatives for partnering with emergency medical services, community health workers, and others
More than 40 states are part of a coalition to address this public health issue; many are working closely with physical therapists as key contributors to reducing falls. This year's theme, Strong Today, Falls Free Tomorrow, seeks to unite professionals, older adults, caregivers, and family members to play a part in raising awareness and preventing falls in the older adult population. APTA is among the professional associations and federal agencies that constitute the Falls Free© Initiative. Find ideas for observing FPAD on NCOA's website, including this infographic with 6 steps older adults can take to prevent a fall.
APTA has a wealth of resources on balance and falls, most of them accessible via the association's Balance and Falls webpage. Also, find a clinical practice guideline on falls and fall injuries in the older adult and a clinical summary on falls risk in community-dwelling elderly people in PTNow.