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As part of Falls Prevention Awareness Week in September, the National Council on Aging and the CDC Foundation launched a new and improved Falls Free CheckUp, an online tool to help older adults check their risk for a fall and learn how to reduce it.
The tool asks 13 yes/no questions and produces a score showing whether a person is at normal or high risk for a fall. It also provides recommended next steps, such as speaking with a doctor and falls-prevention tips and resources.
Individuals can sign up for reminders to schedule an appointment with their doctor and take the Falls Free CheckUp again in six months to see if their risk has changed.
“Falls threaten older adults’ safety and independence and generate enormous economic and personal costs,” Kathleen Cameron, senior director at NCOA’s Center for Healthy Aging, said.
“However, falling is not an inevitable result of aging. The Falls Free CheckUp makes it easy to learn your risk and discover steps to reduce it.”
According to the CDC, more than one-fourth of Americans over age 65 fall each year, and falls result in more than 3 million injuries treated in emergency departments annually, including over 800,000 hospitalizations.
For more information, please visit ncoa.org/falls.