Key Takeaways

  • Each year, on the first day of Fall, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and its Falls Free® Initiative turns a spotlight on falls prevention among older adults. 

  • Falls Prevention Awareness Week reaches millions of older adults across the country with a simple message: You can take steps to prevent a fall.

  • See the impact of falls prevention campaigns across the country.

Falls have been the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries among older adults, leading to serious injuries and increased risk of additional falls. For years, NCOA has been committed to changing the trajectory of falls-related injuries by helping older adults gain the confidence and skills needed to prevent a fall.

Every year we spearhead Falls Prevention Awareness Week, an awareness and activation campaign that reaches millions of people. Learn more about the impact of these efforts by reading our reports below. 

Falls Prevention Awareness Week 2022 Impact Report

The 15th Annual Falls Prevention Awareness Week was observed by 48 states and reached over 513 million people through education, falls risk screening, advocacy, digital, and traditional media.

NCOA encouraged state falls prevention coalitions and community organizations to engage with community partners in falls prevention activities. Community partners include local libraries, senior centers, faith-based organizations, and other sites that are well-known by older adults. They serve as delivery sites for evidence-based falls prevention programs and help connect older adults to other available services and resources to manage their fall risk factors, demonstrating that falls prevention is truly a team effort.

In 2022, NCOA debuted the redesigned Falls Free CheckUp, which provides customized resources and next steps depending on how individuals answered the assessment.  With the support from national and local partners disseminating this digital assessment, over 31,000 people use the Falls Free CheckUp to understand their falls risk.  This report also includes examples of falls prevention awareness activities that can be replicated for the next observance. 

Falls Prevention Awareness Week impact throughout the years

Year Summary
2021, Falls Prevention Awareness Week

The 14th Annual Falls Prevention Awareness Week engaged partners in 44 states, reaching over 314 million people with messages about preventing falls through social media, grassroots education, advocacy and media. NCOA encouraged state falls prevention coalitions and community partners to engage fire and emergency medical services (EMS) in falls prevention efforts and activities.  The Falls Free CheckUp continued to be disseminated by partners. 

Download the report (link).

2020, Falls Prevention Awareness Week

In a year impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, partners in 36 states spread the word to over 370 million about the importance of falls prevention through traditional media, new media, and community outreach. NCOA also launched the Falls Free CheckUp, a digital screening tool modeled after the 12-question screener included in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths and Injuries (STEADI) Stay Independent brochure. Over 4,000 users completed the tool and received a copy of their personalized results sent to their email.

Download the report (link).

2019, Falls Prevention Awareness Day

The 12th Annual Falls Prevention Awareness Day engaged organizations in 49 states and reached 300 million people with messages about preventing falls through social media, grass roots education, advocacy, and media.

Download the report (link).

2018, Falls Prevention Awareness Day

The 11th Annual Falls Prevention Awareness Day was observed by 43 states and the District of Columbia. National awareness and media efforts collectively reached 154.7 million individuals through national, state and local press releases, Twitter, Facebook, and more. At the state and community level, the State Falls Prevention Coalitions members reached 2.5 million individuals through fall risk screenings, participation in community-based falls prevention programs, and public awareness events. 

Download the report (link).

This project was supported, in part by grant number 90FPSG0051 from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration for Community Living policy.