HHS Announces Up to $27.8M for Fall Prevention Programs

WASHINGTON—The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced the recipients of three falls prevention initiatives totaling up to $27.8 million over three years.

The department said funding will “expand proven programs, strengthen connections between healthcare providers and community organizations and help states and local partners reach more older adults before a fall leads to injury or loss of independence.”

Falls are the leading cause of injury for people 65 and older. One in four older adults falls every year, and a fall is rarely just a fall. It can result in an injury or hospital stay, and non-fatal falls account for an estimated $80 billion in healthcare spending per year. A fall can also shake a person’s confidence and make everyday activities more difficult. Healthcare and aging network providers can help prevent many falls by identifying risks early. They can then connect older adults with programs and support that build strength, improve balance, and make their homes safer.

“A fall can change an older American’s life in an instant, and we can prevent many of these injuries,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “HHS is connecting healthcare screening with proven community programs to identify risks earlier, improve strength and balance, and help older adults maintain their independence. These investments will reduce injuries and healthcare costs while helping more Americans remain safely in their homes and communities.”

The three initiatives put prevention first and will connect screening with community support, expand proven programs statewide, and help organizations deliver and sustain them.

The awards will expand two complementary approaches:

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries (STEADI) initiative helps health care providers screen for, assess, and address fall risk.
• Stepping On, an evidence-based community falls prevention program, helps older adults improve strength and balance and address risks related to medications, vision, footwear and home safety.

3 Major Investments

The grants include three major investments:

1. Demonstration to Scale Innovative Person-Centered Approaches to Falls Prevention through Clinical-Community Partnerships

• Recipient: National Council on Aging, Arlington, VA
• Award: $4,781,733

The National Council on Aging will work to scale STEADI and Stepping On through clinical-community partnerships in five geographies. Rapid cycle evaluation will be used to improve the impact of the interventions as they are scaled.

2. Expanding State Programs

• Recipient: Various, see list below
• Award: Roughly $1.8 million – $1.9 million per program

This funding will help states expand STEADI and Stepping On and address the many factors that increase fall risk. Recipients will strengthen referral networks, prepare more local organizations to deliver the programs, and share lessons with other states and communities.

3. National Falls Prevention Resource Center 

• Recipient: National Council on Aging, Arlington, VA
• Award: $7.5 million

The National Falls Prevention Resource Center will provide aging and disability networks with training, tools, and individualized assistance to deliver and sustain high-quality fall prevention programs. It will also help organizations learn from one another and preserve the elements that make proven programs effective.