Falls Free© E-News

September 2011

		Our biggest year yet! This year was our biggest ever for National Falls Prevention Awareness Day! A total of 43 states, DC, and Puerto Rico participated on Sept. 23 by hosting events. At least 12 states secured governor’s proclamations declaring Falls Prevention Awareness Day in their state, and the U.S. Senate passed a federal proclamation sponsored by Sen. Kohl (D-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. Find your state coalition | See state proclamations | Read the Senate proclamation

Debunking the myths of older adult falls 

In conjunction with Falls Prevention Awareness Day, we held a webinar and published an article on Debunking the Myths of Older Adult Falls. The webinar attracted more than 260 participants, and the article was published on NCOA.org and in Aging in Stride, an enewsletter for older adults nationwide.
Access the webinar | Read the article

Photos tell the story

Thank you to everyone who submitted photos in the first annual Falls Prevention Awareness Day photo contest sponsored by Humana! It was difficult to choose winners from so many wonderful entries. Help us congratulate our first place winner, City of Burien Parks & Recreation, WA (shown at top), and second place, City of Phoenix Department of Human Services, AZ (shown here).

Senate Committee gives falls prevention a funding boost

Due to NCOA’s advocacy, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a five-fold increase in falls prevention funding to $10 million for FY12. Funding for falls prevention research under the Centers for Disease Control would increase from $2 million to $3 million, and the Administration on Aging also would have a new line item of $7 million in its budget for falls prevention activities. Both amounts are made available from the Prevention and Public Health Fund. The House and Senate now have to come to a compromise on their respective proposals in the coming months before a final bill is brought for a vote.
Read highlights of the bills | See a chart of proposed funding

Congress hears seniors' stories

Last week, Sen. Kohl (D-WI), chairman of the Senate Committee on Aging, sponsored a briefing on falls prevention in conjunction with Falls Prevention Awareness Day. The event featured speakers from NCOA, the Centers for Disease Control, Administration on Aging, and state representatives from Maine and Wisconsin. A special highlight 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

Thanks for taking the survey!

Brookside R&D, a Falls Free© member, wants to thank everyone who responded to its survey that was included in the July enews. Thanks to your help, Brookside has made matching donations of $700 to Falls Free©! Unfortunately, many individuals only completed the first page of the survey. If you didn’t realize there were additional pages or you didn’t tell us where to send your gift certificate or matching donation, please complete the survey again as soon as possible. Results are being compiled and will help us understand your needs.
Take the survey