On average, every 10 minutes a senior is hospitalized because of a fall, contributing to over 90% of hip and wrist fractures and 60% of head injuries among this age group. Most of these deaths and injuries can be prevented with evidence-based effective interventions.
We have compiled a list of resources and links from organizations, like ours, that are dedicated to reducing falls and fall related injuries.
Websites
Following are a list of websites dedicated to fall prevention. You will find current information and resources within each of the following links.
Government of British Columbia
Falls are the main reason why older adults lose their independence. Although the risk factors increase with age, falls are not an inevitable part of aging. Preventing falls may even save your life! Use this section of the website to assess your risk and plan the necessary changes.
Falls are the leading cause of injury for seniors. One in three British Columbians over the age of 65 will fall once every year, and falls are the main reason why older adults lose their independence. Many falls can be prevented, and there are many resources available to help to keep seniors injury-free. In addition to providing information resources, the ministry supports the prevention of falls by working with health care professionals, injury prevention experts, and the public. Learn more about how you can prevent falls.
Every year, thousands of older adults fall and hurt themselves. Falls are one of the main causes of injury and loss of independence in people ages 65 and older. There are many reasons older people fall. They may lose their footing when stepping off a street curb. Or they may fall after getting dizzy from taking medicines. Some falls may be related to the effects of aging, such as muscle weakness or delayed reflexes. Or falls may be related to the results of a stroke.
You can take steps to stay healthy, independent and on your feet. The first step to avoiding a fall is to understand the causes and how to prevent them. Explore this website to learn how to make practical choices that will help you stay on your feet, including how to make a plan in case you fall.
Created by The BC Falls and Injury Prevention Coalition (BCFIPC) a multisectoral collaborative of individuals or organization members who have regional or provincial-level representation for an organization, academic institution, professional association and/or community agency whose work has the ability to influence the reduction falls and fall-related injuries among older persons in British Columbia.
This website has information for seniors and health professionals, including videos, and information on Seniors’ Fall Prevention Awareness Week.
Injury Prevention and Mobility Lab
A program of collaborative research between Simon Fraser University, the University of British Columbia, the B.C. Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport, and Fraser Health for the development of innovative technologies to prevent hip fractures and other fall-related injuries in older adults.
Fall Prevention Community of Practice: LOOP
Our Community of Practice (CoP) strives to create supportive communities in Ontario where adults enjoy quality of life and maintain their independence through the prevention of falls. We support our members to build capacity in the prevention of falls and fall-related injuries.
Falls are a serious concern for adults over the age of 65. Each year, one in three older adults experiences a fall, with nearly half of all injuries occurring in the home. The good news is that falls are predicable and thus, preventable. This collection of evidence-based information is designed for older adults and their caregivers to take control of their health and wellbeing by reducing their risk for falls. The resources in this collection include easy-to-understand information on fall prevention in the form of tip sheets, guidelines, and videos.
Programs and Toolkits
Advances in Indigenous Fall Prevention
Resources from the Indigenous Fall Prevention Symposium held in St. John’s, NL, Memorial University in June of 2018.
Falls and Related Injuries in Residential Care: A Framework & Toolkit for Prevention
This framework for the prevention of falls and related injuries in residential care was developed through a collaborative process with multiple stakeholders and BC Falls and Injury Coalition and residential care practitioners and policy makers.
Strategies and Actions for Independent Living (SAIL)
The goals of the SAIL program are to promote the independence and quality of life for home support service clients by reducing their risk of falling and sustaining an injury and to integrate a comprehensive approach to fall prevention into regular practice. This program is coordinated through the BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit (BCIRPU) and consists of multi-factorial interventions that are targeted towards seniors who are in need of on-going home support but are not yet in need of institutionalized care.
Guidelines for Prevention of Falls among Residents of Assisted Living (PAL)
This is an evidence-based, practical tool designed to ensure older populations continue to have the best possible quality of life, free of falls. These guidelines are designed to assist staff and residents of assisted living residences to identify and reduce falls and related risk factors.
The guidelines provide steps to assess, implement, and evaluate fall prevention strategies in assisted living; and feature some of the following tools:
Fall report form
Checklist and action plan
Resident and staff survey tool
Steps to conduct group fall prevention education sessions
DVD titled: “Insight into Hip Fractures”
Reports
A CDC Compendium of Effective Fall Interventions: What works for Community-Dwelling Older Adults, 4th Edition
This collection of effective fall interventions is designed to help public health practitioners, senior service providers, clinicians, and others who want to address older adult falls in their community.
The Public Health Agency of Canada released their second report examining the issue of seniors’ falls in Canada. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the issue and highlights the most current data available. The report contains the following sections:
scope of the problem, including hospitalization and death data
a discussion of risk factors
best practices for the prevention of falls
The full report is available on the Public Health Agency of Canada’s website.
Other Resources
What Contributes to Falls? – outlines the causes of falls
Prevention of Falls and Related Injuries in Residential Care (PDF 495 K) brochure outlines facts on falling, who is at risk for falls, and tips for the prevention of falls and injuries in residential care settings.
Are You at Risk of Falling? – a questionnaire you can do to assess your fall risk
What You Can Do to Prevent a Fall? – get ideas for fall prevention on topics from improving balance, checking vision, dealing with the fear of falling, and home safety.
Be Prepared Before You Fall – how to stay safer in case of a fall
What to Do if You Fall? – tips for someone who has fallen, and those who want to help
Test Your Knowledge – a quiz on falls facts
Resources to Learn More – a list of useful pamphlets, brochures, websites
Professional Resources – materials for health professionals
Prevent Falls Stay in the Game! (PDF) – Outlines how to be active, take your time, live safe and choose smart to reduce your chances of having a fall, to continue the activities you love, and to “stay in the game.”
Stay on Your Feet – Parkinson’s (PDF) – Provides helpful advice to people with Parkinson’s, their families and caregivers.
Fall Prevention in Community Care (PDF) – A guide to identify and reduce fall risk.
Fall Prevention in Acute Care (PDF) – A guide to preventing falls and related injuries while in hospital.
Hip Protectors Work! (PDF) – Outlines hip protectors and their use for reducing the risk of a hip fracture.
Medications and the Risk of Falling (PDF) – Provides examples of medications that can increase the risk of falling, or of serious outcomes if a fall occurs.
Pre-Admission to Residential Care Fall Checklist (PDF) – This pre-admission checklist can be used if you or a loved one are waiting to move to a residential care facility, and top 10 tips for reducing your risks of falling or being injured from a fall.
Supporting Knowledge for Injury Prevention in Seniors (SKIPS): Fall prevention training videos for long-term care staff with video footage of real-life falls.
International Connections
United States of America (USA)
USA CDC: Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths and Injuries (STEADI)
Make STEADI Part of Your Medical Practice
Falls are not an inevitable part of aging. There are specific things that you, as their health care provider, can do to reduce their chances of falling. STEADI’s tools and educational materials will help you to:
Identify patients at low, moderate, and high risk for a fall;
Identify modifiable risk factors; and
Offer effective interventions.
This “how-to” guide is designed for community-based organizations who are interested in implementing their own evidence-based fall prevention programs. This guide is designed to be a practical and useful tool, and it provides guidelines on program planning, development, implementation, and evaluation.
Australia
NSW Health is committed to preventing falls and fall related injury. The policy directive Prevention of Falls and Harm from Falls among Older People: 2011-2015 outlines the actions NSW Health is undertaking to support the prevention of falls and fall-related harm among older people….