āāOlder Adult Falls Prevention Program
The goal of the Older Adult Falls Prevention Program is to decrease fall-related injuries among California adults over the age of 65. California is home to more than 4.7 million adults over the age of 65, the largest older adult population in the nation. In California, falls cause 41 percent of the injury deaths and 70 percent of injury-related hospitalizations among seniors. In 2013, 1,733 Californians ages 65 and older died from a fall. In 2014, 208,564 people ages 65 and older were treated for falls in California's emergency departments and 74,945 were hospitalized.
To achieve the goal of preventing fall-related injuries, the Older Adult Falls Prevention Program works to increase local capacity to address this critical public health issue and increase the number of interventions and policies implemented at the community level. The program also aims to increase knowledge of universal design and solutions to older adult mobility challenges and support sustainable fall prevention services by promoting partnerships between local health departments and their local health care organizations.
For more information about the Older Adult Falls Prevention Program, contact ivpb@cdph.ca.gov.