Fall Prevention Articles

We hope you'll find these articles, guides, and news topics helpful.

If you have any questions about falls and fall prevention, please don't hesitate to contact us.

• Fall Prevention - Falls and Statistics (PDF) April 2013 - Latest statistics, recommendations, and preventative measures.

• Ten Ways to Fight Ageism (PDF) April 2013

• Fear of Falling: Limited Mobility (PDF) April 2013

• Happiness Increases with Age (PDF) April 2013
  

• National Family Caregivers Month (PDF) December 2012 - NFCA coordinates National Family Caregivers Month as a time to thank, support, educate and empower family caregivers.
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• Boomers Influential on Future Housing (PDF) December 2012 - The demographic these builders and developers are focused on is the largest growing group of buyers that we have ever seen in this age group, and it continues to grow.
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• Greater DC Rated as One of the Top Cities for Aging (PDF) December 2012 - the greater DC area and two related cities have rated #9 for successful aging for age groups 65-79.
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• The Most Dangerous Room in the House   By Melissa Breyer (PDF) December 2012 - Pertinent facts, such as, "People over 85 suffer more than half of their injuries near the toilet."
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• Would Age-friendly Outdoors Inspire Folks to Spend More Time? (PDF) August 2012 - The desire to get out and about does not diminish with older age.  Would mature adults spend more time outdoors if the environment was right?

• Tapping Mature Talent: Policies for a 21st Century Workforce (PDF) August 2012 - Demographic and other trends indicate that the U.S. will be seeing more mature workers actively engaged in the labor market

• Updated Falls Prevention Guidelines (PDF) August 2012 - Read about the USPSTF's recent recommendation statement on the prevention of falls.

• Boomers Represent New Norm for Caregiving (PDF) August 2012 - With people living longer than ever, this is the first generation that might care for its parents as long as it cared for its children.

• Physical Activity Improves Health & Is Linked to Good Health (PDF) August 2012 - Additional research is in the media weekly making the direct connection between lack of exercise and disease, no matter what your weight.

• 2012 Update from NVFPC Chair (PDF) August 2012 -Tony Schaffer says, "2012 shows great promise in engaging a larger membership promoting the important message: 'Falls are not an inevitable part of aging, Falls are preventable.'"

• The role of communities in senior fall prevention and how unconventional community partnering can have a positive impact in reducing falls among our older population. (PDF) August 2012

• Gerotechnology: the Study of Aging & Technology (PDF) April 2012 - Gerotechnology is a convergence of two, previously separate fields -- social gerontology and technological studies.  Social gerontology is a wide field of study that looks at how older adults respond to aging, analyzed from different social science perspectives.

• Getting Up From a Fall (PDF) April 2012 - Getting up from a fall or termed here as fall recovery, training can be taught through a sequential method or through backward-chaining.  Both are explained in this article.

• Occupational Therapists Help Prevent Falls (PDF) April 2012 - An occupational therapist can help people implement prevention practices to decrease their risk of falling. This article lists 11 ways.

• Gait, Cognition, and Falls Risk (PDF) April 2012 - A recent study examined gait and cognition using “dual-task tests".

• Positive Psychology and Keystones to Aging (PDF) April 2012 - Six areas to enhance your quality of life.
  

• Care giving and Choosing Your Attitude (PDF) February 2012
  A study from the American Psychological Association's "Stress in America" survey, reported that Americans caring for chronically ill relatives stated they had higher levels of stress and a greater tendency to engage in unhealthy behaviors to alleviate stress; Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) Plans
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• Falls Reduction & Balance Issues: Wii™ Shows Promise To Help Older Adults Post-Limb Loss
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• Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF) Announced Awards (PDF) February 2012
  In 2011 CRCF issued 29 awards to 22 organizations with grants totaling $3.6 million to spark innovation, company formation in the Commonwealth, including a NVFPC member, A-Frame Digital!
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• Physical Activity improves quality of life for people with Arthritis (PDF) February 2012
  physical activity can benefit people with arthritis by easing stiffness in the joint, managing weight, elevating mood and potentially easing the pain.
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• Six Tips to Change the Way You Age Now (PDF) February 2012
  when we take responsibility for own health and wellness, we transform aging into a time of opportunities, during which we can continue to lead productive lives.
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• Happiness Increases after 50? (PDF) September 2011
  Read results from a recent survey that asked adults to rate how they currently felt their life stood on a scale of 0 to 10.
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• Effects of Chemotherapy & the Tendency to Fall Down (PDF) September 2011
  Chemotherapy can cause a number of side effects that can affect balance and movement, causing individuals to fall down more frequently.
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• Shared Living-Welcome Home (PDF) September 2011
  Read this story of how shared living helped two elderly women feel safe and remain independent.
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• Perceptions of Older Workers  (PDF) September 2011
  Misperceptions (including both positive and negative assumptions) regarding aging and older adults continue.
  
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• Surviving the Holidays with our Loved Ones (PDF) September 2011
  Suggestions on how caregivers can help their aging loved ones that have memory impairment or behavioral problems, and their family members, get the most enjoyment out of holiday gatherings.
  

• Universal Design can Make Life at Home More Enjoyable (PDF)
  UD can provide lifelong designs for short term and long term needs, style, safety, and function, especially for the Age Wave of Boomers.

• Don’t let the Fear of Falling Debilitate You (PDF)
  Overcoming the fear cycle and striving for a balanced life and open communication.

• It Pays to Keep Exercising (PDF)
  A new study found that people who continued strength training after participating in an exercise intervention program had significantly improved results on the step test and believed the program aided their physical activity more than the people who stopped exercising.

• 1 in 3 adults sleep less than 7 hours (PDF) June 2011
  A new report from the CDC says that "lack of sleep can impact day-to-day function and mortality, including personal balance and gait."
  

• Rewards of Strength Training (PDF) June 2011
  A study showed that older women who perform weekly or twice weekly weight training visit their doctors less, report fewer balance issues and less falls.

• Mid-Atlantic Work Zone Traffic Safety (PDF) March 2011
  The Federal Highway Administration (FHA) is promoting a campaign for the safety of highway workers and motorists in specified highway improvement zones.

• Updated Directives for Fall Prevention (PDF) March 2011
  New in the published media is a report from the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society with straightforward guidelines on fall assessment.

• Virtual Senior Centers (PDF) March 2011
  How the Rosenthal Senior Center in New York State is implementing a new concept to bring homebound seniors together.

• Lester and His Violin (PDF) March 2011
  About 6.4% of Americans 75 or older, slightly more than 1 million were working last year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Read about some insights and a real-life example, Lester, who says, "...image and appearance is irrelevant when you have something to offer."

• Auto Is Most Important Travel Option for Elders by Sandra Rosenbloom (PDF) March 2011
  Ensuring the continued mobility of older people.

• Great Gains for the Administration on Aging (PDF) March 2011
  The Administration on Aging (AoA) emerged from the President’s budget a big winner, securing significant increases for several core Older Americans Act (OAA) programs. Read more...

• Pets and Snow Related Falls (PDF) December 2010
  Data from the CDC and the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System All Injury Program says an average of 86,629 Americans visit emergency rooms each year due to falls caused by pets. Here are helpful tips to reduce the risk of fall-related injuries for pet owners.

• Fall Prevention in Ice and Snow (PDF) December 2010
  Read Nine Tips to help you avoid potential injury that could lead to a painful surgery and a long term recovery.

• Even the Military Wants to Prevent Falls (PDF) December 2010
  Installation Safety Offices (ISO) have received reports of more than a dozen slip-and-fall accidents in the winter. Read this summary of the notices they are posting in every building on base.

• Virginia Injury Update, Vol 4, Issue 4; Fall Related Injuries in Older Virginians, 2004-2008 (PDF)
  Each day in the United States an average of 50 older adults (65+ years) die from injuries sustained during a fall; making falls the leading cause of injury death for this age group.1 An additional 1,200 older adults are hospitalized each day from fall related injuries. Older adults who fall often suffer injuries such as hip fractures or traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) that can make it difficult to get around or live independently.

• Walking enhances brain circuit connectivity and brain function (PDF)
  Moderate walking for 40 minutes three times per week for a year -- rather than just stretching and toning -- helped increase brain function in older adults. United Press International 8/30/2010

• Challenges After a Fall (PDF) September 2010
  What are some of the factors that influence whether resignation sets in or the person attains a complete recovery? Review these factors and see if they resonate with your loved one's retrieving their independence.

• Highlights of the CDC's Revised Injury Research Agenda (PDF) September 2010
  Read about the revised agenda, which describes the Injury Center's research needs and priorities for 2009-2018.

• Is Clutter Increasing Your Fall Risks at Home? (PDF) June 2010
  Falls most occur in the home due to clutter such as, excessive items stacked on stairways or main entryways. Falling over clutter is especially compounded for those with mobility restrictions or visual impairment. Find more information plus guidelines to help someone you love avoid falls over home clutter.

• Important Information from the Northern Virginia Fall Prevention Coalition (PDF)
  Did you know that falls after the age of 70 in the United States were 2 million in 2008! Reports from the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality documented that 1 in 10 men and 1 out of every 7 women visited an emergency department for fall injuries. Here are guidelines to help reduce risks and ensure your independence.

• Who’s falling in Virginia? A Snapshot of Fall-Related Injuries Among Older Adults (PDF)
  Available as PDF (1.13MB) by clicking the link above or view the video (below)
  Read about causes of falls among older adults, fall statistics, and preventing a fall-related injury.
  PDF of the slideshow presentation given by Lenny Recupero, M.Ed., of the Virginia Department of Health at our 2009 Fall Prevention Summit.

• Staying on Our Feet - Some Strategies to reduce the risk of falling
  Available as PPT (1.6MB) by clicking the link above or view the video (below)
  PowerPoint slideshow presentation given at our 2009 Fall Prevention Summit by Bonita Lynn Beattie, PT, MPT, MHA; Vice President, Injury Prevention; Center for Healthy Aging, National Council on Aging