Through ACL Supplemental funding, NCOA’s National Falls Prevention Resource Center invited community-based organizations across the country to develop innovations in falls prevention. The grantees selected one of the following focus areas for their innovation: First Responders/EMS, Nutrition, and Housing. Throughout the year, these grantees successfully implemented falls prevention innovations to improve the lives of older adults and their loved ones.

The Innovations in Falls Prevention project supports evidence-based approaches to reduce fall risk among older adults, a leading cause of injury, hospitalization, and premature loss of independence. By investing in new community-based strategies, grantees aimed to prevent costly health care utilization, promote aging in place, and improve overall well-being for diverse older adult populations.

This tip sheet provides insight into the lessons learned from the falls prevention innovation grantees.

Lessons learned at a glance

Flexibilty is key to the longevity of your innovation

Grantees learned that flexibility is essential for sustaining and scaling innovation. Whether adapting to inclement weather or shifting programming indoors, planning contingencies helped ensure consistency and accessibility. Recognizing the time required for older adults to participate and complete programs also enabled better pacing and results.

Flexibility in action: McDowell Senior Center was greatly impacted by Hurricane Helene in 2024, which caused them to place their grant on a temporary hold. During that time, the center became a shelter for residents in their community as many lost their homes. Once they were able to operate their center, they continued working with their partners to implement their innovation.

Among the lessons learned about flexibility:

• Inclement weather may delay your timeline.
  • If your innovation is held primarily outside, plan for indoor events. Ensure that you have a “Plan B” in the event your events must be relocated. Consider how this might impact on those who require assistance getting into facilities (e.g., wheelchair accessibility).
• Be mindful of the time it will take for participants to complete the planned innovation.
  • Does this innovation require participants to be physically active? Do they have to travel to and from events to participate in this innovation?
• Consider the length of time it will take to implement your innovation in the community you are serving fully.
  • Can the innovation be easily implemented for all or some older adults?

Partnerships strengthen reach

Successful initiatives actively engage older adults where they live—at home, in senior centers, and in senior living communities. By collaborating with caregivers, transportation providers, and services like home delivered meals, grantees reduced access barriers and built trust.

Partnerships in action: The Council on Aging collaborated with the Meals on Wheels program to design and implement an in-home comprehensive fall reduction program that considers the physical, cognitive, and psychological aspects of fall prevention.

Among the lessons learned about strong parterships:

• Meet older adults and people with disabilities where they are.  
  • With more older adults seeking to age in place, home modifications may be part of the innovation to reduce falls in the home.
• Conduct thorough research on what innovations your audience would benefit from.
  • Providing community outreach and speaking with residents, community leaders, and community-based organizations that work directly with the community can provide insight into what health concerns are.
• Think outside the box when collaborating on your innovation.
  • Incorporating caregivers into innovation by asking leading questions to learn about their day-to-day interactions with their loved ones or clients’ Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) can help develop an action plan
• Partner with transportation services and food delivery services (e.g., Meals on Wheels) that older adults could benefit from.
  • This can help reduce isolation and build community care, which can lead to older adults having a better quality of life.

Tap into social media

Grantees used social media, local media, and grassroots channels to amplify their programs. Creative marketing—like flyers, giveaways, and Facebook posts—helped draw in both older adults and their caregivers, generating buzz and ongoing engagement.

Social marketing in action: The Public Policy Research Institute (PPRI) at Texas A&M University collaborated with a marketing expert from Texas A&M University to develop a culturally responsive social marketing campaign. The campaign was tailored to reflect the values and identities of the local community and disseminated through trusted networks, including Congregate Meal Programs (CMPs) and social media. This effort not only promoted the Matter of Balance (MOB) classes but also highlighted the broader benefits of CMPs, encouraging participation and community engagement.

Among the lessons learned in social marketing:

• Use social media (e.g., Facebook) to increase and enhance your outreach into the virtual community.
• Create eye-catching flyers and other marketing materials, including education and giveaway opportunities.
• Cultivate impactful conversations with the online community on topics related to falls prevention and invite them to participate in your innovation.
• Find your community’s natural leaders that everyone trusts (i.e., the local librarian who knows all the community resources, or the store owner who’s been in business for decades) and recruit them as program champions.

Data is important for justifying value

Data collection played a critical role in telling the story of the importance of falls prevention innovations to ensure older adults live and age well. Collaborations with emergency management systems, hospitals, and local health departments allowed for tracking falls, response rates, and program reach. This evidence is key to advocating for funding, integration with broader aging services, and showing the unmet needs of older adults living in the community.

Data in action: The El Paso Fire Department collaborated with the Paso Del Norte Health Information Exchange (PHIX). This collaboration improved coordination and outcomes, showcasing the potential of integrated health information systems in enhancing community health services.

Among the data collection lessions learned:

• Ensure your organization collaborates with partners using data collection to tell  stories illustrating the importance of fall prevention innovations and their impact on older adults.
• Work with emergency management systems to collect data on the prevalence and trends of falls within the community, which can be used to advocate for more falls prevention program funding.

Continuous feedback improves quality

Grantees are committed to continuing their efforts to prevent falls among older adults through the innovations their organization established this grant year.   

Evaluation in action: The Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging successfully created the CBO-EMS toolkit during this grant. This toolkit will be housed on FallsFreeWI.org and will be regularly updated through the FFWI Best Practices Workgroup. This ensures that emerging resources, success stories, and community-informed strategies continue to shape and improve their approach. Also, this grantee plans to sustain and grow their outreach and support for EMS providers and CBOs by offering technical assistance, highlighting model partnerships, and facilitating connections through their statewide network.

Among the feedback lessons learned:

•  Provide pre- and post-surveys for participants to understand what works and what needs improvement within the innovation.
  • This process allows your organization to continue working towards best practices to ensure the best health outcomes for older adults.
• Create innovations and information that are user-friendly and focus on person-centered care for participants, especially those aging in place.
• Encourage open dialogue during your innovation so participants can learn from each other and build community with those who may have experienced falls or are actively working to prevent falls.

A pathway for healthy aging

The Innovations in Falls Prevention initiative demonstrates how community-driven, evidence-based approaches can reduce costs, support independence, and contribute to healthy aging for all. By embracing flexibility, integration, data, and innovation, grantees are not only transforming falls prevention from reactive to proactive care—but also building models that can be scaled nationwide for greater impact.

We thank the following grantees for their hard work throughout this grant year: Council On Aging Services for Seniors (California), Kansas State University, Public Policy Research Institute, Texas A&M University, Sound Generations (Washington), Habitat for Humanity Detroit (Michigan), Jewish Family Service of San Diego, McDowell County Senior Center (North Carolina), The City of El Paso Fire Department, and Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging.

This project was supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $5,000,000 with 100 percent funding by ACL/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.