September is Falls Prevention Awareness Month
MADISON, WI) As Wisconsin’s aging population grows, the incidence and economic burden of falls is also increasing – a fact that has the attention of aging advocates and public health officials and has prompted a continued statewide falls prevention initiative. More than one in four older adults will have a fall each year making older adult falls a growing public health crisis as Baby Boomers enter the ranks of higher-risk age groups. A Wisconsin-focused initiative – Falls Free® Wisconsin (FFWI) – aims to address the falls crisis by providing older adults, their families, and caregivers with information and resources to reduce falls risk.
Launched by the Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging (WIHA) in partnership with the Falls Free Wisconsin Coalition, the Falls Free Wisconsin website – FallsFreeWI.org– has tools for older adults and their families or caregivers, and everyone in between, to assess their falls risk, learn more about risk factors and get practical information and resources to reduce their risk. With videos, quizzes, an interactive Home Safety Challenge, and easy-to-use, printable materials, Falls Free Wisconsin helps people take some control over their safety and age with confidence. While falls may be common, they are not an inevitable part of growing older.
“Falls can be prevented,” says Jill Renken, WIHA’s Executive Director, “but it starts with believing you can and taking steps to reduce your risk. Addressing the factors in your home and life that can cause a fall such as medication use, vision, trip hazards, balance – even footwear – can make a big difference. Falls Free Wisconsin can help.“ Renken also noted that people who fall can lose self-confidence and often avoid activities they feel may increase their chances of another fall. “Inactivity often leads to social isolation, loss of muscle strength and worsening balance, which in turn, further increases the risk of falling. Falls Free Wisconsin encourages practical lifestyle adjustments, home modifications, and evidence-based programs and interventions to substantially decrease falls risk.”
While the impact on individuals and their families is clear, falls also have serious implications for health care and emergency systems in the state. According to data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), emergency medical service (EMS) providers responded to over 130,000 older adult falls across the state in 2022, making falls the top injury response in 2022 with over 25,000 more than in 2019.
Nearly one in five 911-related ambulance runs were for older adult falls in 2022, the majority of which are happening in people’s homes. In addition, more than 47,000 older people went to the emergency department due to a fall in 2022 and over 10,000 were hospitalized.
“Falls are not a normal part of the aging process. Many risk factors can be identified and their impact on falls reduced”, says Gerald Pankratz, MD, an associate professor of geriatrics at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. “Primary care providers and our interdisciplinary Falls and Mobility Clinic at UW Health can offer a wide array of interventions to help with your balance including various falls prevention programs out in the community that WIHA supports.”
One such program – Stepping On – has been researched and proven to decrease the incidence of falls by 31%. WIHA is the national license-holder and administrator of the 7-session program. To date, over 22,700 people in Wisconsin have participated. That, according to Renken, is a great start, but there’s plenty more to do. “Programs like Stepping On, coupled with things people can do on their own to protect themselves from a fall, can make a big difference,” says Renken. “Falls Free Wisconsin brings the information and resources together in one place to make it easier to find and act on. We’re grateful for our partners for their support and commitment to the safety and independence of older people as we work together to reduce falls through Falls Free Wisconsin.”
