Falls Prevention Awareness Day

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Falls Prevention Awareness Day

National Falls Prevention Awareness Day is observed the first day of Fall (September 22 in 2012) to promote and increase public awareness about how to prevent and reduce falls among older adults.

43 states, DC, and Puerto Rico participated in Falls Prevention Awareness Day 2011! The states included were: AL, AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, NM, NV, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, and WI.

We will soon survey states about their activities and publish an overview of our findings. If your organization participated, please contact your state coalition to make sure you are counted. If you do not yet have a coalition listed we still want to capture your efforts, please contact us directly.

National Falls Prevention Awareness Day is September 22 this year. Find resources from the 2011 event below, and start planning for 2012 now!

Start Planning for 2012!

Use these resources to plan and promote a successful Falls Prevention Awareness Day event in your community.

Note: If you adapt any of the materials posted, please credit the state author or NCOA.

Press Release Samples

Proclamation Samples

Fact Sheet Samples

Promote your Events:

Other Resources

Finding Partners

Finding good partners will help build successful Falls Prevention Awareness Day activities. Working collaboratively can help identify new opportunities. Partners can provide marketing and media coverage, help recruit participants or provide a location. Some ideas to get you started include:

churches
elected officials
fire departments
healthcare day clinics
hospital systems

libraries
local businesses
local newspapers
Meals on Wheels
volunteer organizations

Host Locations

Many locations host Falls Prevention Awareness Day activities. Potential locations include:

community centers
churches
fitness centers
hardware stores (Lowe's, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, etc...)
health fairs
hearing aid vendors
hospitals

libraries
malls
older adult housing
opticians' offices
pharmacies
physical therapy clinics
senior centers
senior meal sites
specialist footwear stores

Resources from Falls Prevention Awareness Day 2011

Senate Proclamation

National Falls Prevention Awareness Day passed by unanimous consent in the Senate! Senate Resolution 284 designates September 23, 2011, as "National Falls Prevention Awareness Day" to raise awareness and encourage the prevention of falls among older adults.

Thank you to Senator Kohl [D-WI] and his staff for championing the issue and the co-sponsors Senators Blumenthal [D-CT], Collins [R-ME], Enzi [R-WY], Mikulski [D-MD], and Sanders [I-VT]. A special thanks to the advocacy efforts of our state partners and national coalition members. Read the proclamation.

First Annual Photo Contest Winners!

The results are in and winners have been chosen from the first annual Falls Prevention Awareness Day photo contest! It was difficult to choose winners from the more than 80 wonderful entries. Help us congratulate our first place winner, City of Burien Parks & Recreation, WA and second place winner, City of Phoenix Department of Human Services, AZ. View the top 10 photos.

The deadline for this year's Humana-sponsored Photo Contest has passed, but you can now enter our Story and Photo Contest! Send us your high-quality, action photos of seniors participating in evidence-based falls prevention programs along with the story of how the program improved their life. Learn more about the contest.

Congressional Falls Prevention Briefing

Senator Herb Kohl [D-WI], chairman of the Senate Committee on Aging, sponsored a briefing on falls prevention in conjunction with Falls Prevention Awareness Day 2011. The event featured speakers from NCOA, the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, the Administration on Aging, and representatives from Maine and Wisconsin. Get the slides.

A special highlight of the event was video testimonials of older adults from Maine and Wisconsin who have benefited from falls prevention programs in their community. Watch the Maine video. Watch the Wisconsin video.

Center for Healthy Aging

Center for Healthy Aging