The Falls Free® Initiative is a national effort led by NCOA to address the growing public health issue of fall-related injuries and deaths among older adults. During Falls Prevention Awareness Week, NCOA is also promoting the Falls Free Checkup, where people can answer 13 simple questions to get your falls risk score and resources to prevent falls. The questionnaire is available in English and Spanish.
The questions in the Falls Free CheckUp are the same ones that are used in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Stay Independent Checklist.
Researchers have compared these questions to physician judgement to see how well they predict falls risk. They found that the results are highly comparable to what a physician would determine during an office visit when screening an older adult for falls risk. The Test Predictability of Falls Study also measured how the Stay Independent brochure predicted future falls. It found that a score of 4 or more can moderately predict falls. This means that if you score 4 or higher on the Falls Free CheckUp, a physician would likely determine that you are at risk for falls and that your risk for falling in the next year is moderate.
Anyone wanting a hard copy can contact the CDC Information Center, which will mail a free copy of the CDC’s Stay Independent Checklist, which has the same questions as the Falls Free CheckUp.
The Massachusetts Falls Prevention Coalition encourages participating partners and communities to complete the annual online Falls Prevention Awareness Week Impact Survey at the end of Falls Prevention Awareness Week observance. This survey is used to capture efforts, hear successful stories, best practices, lessons learned, and help plan ideas for next year’s observance. The survey submissions provide NCOA with valuable content that we include in the annual Falls Prevention Awareness Week Impact Report (view past reports here). The report will be shared with stakeholders involved in older adult falls prevention. Please complete the survey by Tuesday, October 31, 2024.