Falls Prevention Awareness Week 2022
Fall is in the air. Observed on the first day of fall, Falls Prevention Awareness Week is a national campaign to increase awareness around falls health and injury prevention.
Falling is NOT a normal part of aging, and the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance is committed to empowering all older adults to age well, which includes avoiding falls. This September 18-24, 2022, we are partnering with the National Council on Aging (NCOA) to observe Falls Prevention Awareness Week.
Falls remain a leading cause of injury for people aged 65 and older. As a result, falls threaten older adults’ safety and independence and generate enormous economic and personal costs. However, through practical lifestyle adjustments, evidence-based falls prevention programs, and clinical-community partnerships, the number of falls among older adults can be substantially reduced.
Falls prevention is a team effort and everyone has a role to play to reduce falls risk, including members of your local neighborhood. Your falls prevention team may include family and friends, your primary care physician (PCP), occupational therapist (OT), pharmacist, and more. Each of them brings a unique mix of expertise and familiarity that can provide important protections against falling.
Finally, remember to use the hashtag #FallsPreventionAwarenessWeek when sharing these great resources on social media!
Sometimes we fall, sometimes we stumble, but we can’t stay down. We can’t allow life to beat us down. Everything happens for a reason, and it builds character in us, and it tells us what we are about and how strong we really are when we didn’t think we could be that strong.
–Gail Devers
|