preventing falls in your communityGetting Started
An easy first step is to spread the message that falls are preventable. Use the information on this website to raise awareness and educate adults and professionals that falls are not a normal part of getting older.
Distribute the Minnesota Falls Prevention handouts and watch "Anyone Can Fall," a program that provides simple tips to stay independent and prevent a fall. The handouts and tv program are available in English, Spanish, Hmong, Somali, Vietnamese, Lao, and Khmer.
Falls Data in Your Community
More than one-third of individuals 65 and older fall each year in the United States, with 10% of those falls resulting in serious injury. Minnesota has the third highest unintentional fall death rate in the country. Falls are the number one cause of all trauma care in Minnesota hospitals.
Review the data on falls in your local community and Minnesota.
- For a summary, review the Introduction PPT
- For county level mortality data, visit CDC wonder at: http://wonder.cdc.gov. Click on: Mortality-underlying cause of death
- For state mortality data, visit WISQARS at http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars
- For county level hospital data, visit MIDAS at http://www.health.state.mn.us/injury/midas
Bringing Partners Together
- Identify agencies and individuals who have an interest in preventing falls. Some ideas are listed below.
- Complete a community inventory of fall prevention programs and services, identify gaps in programs and services, and develop a plan to fill the gaps.
- Include services to persons with disabilities and special health care needs in your community inventory. Learn about initiatives to improve community based services.
- Develop strategies to reduce and prevent falls. Learn the evidence-based healthy aging programs. Review the MS PowerPoint presentations from the 2007 Falls Prevention Pre-Conference session and the 2008 Age and Disabilities Odyssey Conference
- Be sure to include older adults in your planning activities.
- Learn about Creative Best Practice Community Partnerships at Creative Best Practice Community Partnerships
- Read a Practical Guide to State Coalition Building at http://www.coalitions.fallsfree.org/
- For more ideas visit the Fall Prevention Center of Excellence at http://www.stopfalls.org/grantees_info/index.shtml
- Learn how partners in Minnesota are Working Together to Stay Right Side Up (pdf)
- Learn strategies to encourage greater use of effective fall prevention services
| Agencies | Individuals |
|---|---|
Area Agency on Aging |
Geriatric nurse practioners |
Getting the Tools in Place
- Learn the evidence-based healthy aging programs being implemented in Minnesota and how to implement them.
- Review the MS PowerPoint presentations from the 2007 Falls Prevention Pre-Conference session at the Age and Disabilities Odyssey conference.
- Review Community Based Fall Prevention: It's a Team Sport (pdf) by Dr. Ericka Tung, Mayo Clinic.
- View the Center for Healthy Aging's online training modules to learn about evidence-based health promotion for older adults.