The National Council on Aging (NCOA) recently blogged about research to help define effective messaging to help prevent falls among older adults.

NCOA created three messaging themes that tested with focus groups of older adults in-person and online. The themes included:

• Family: Part of staying healthy involves reducing our chances of falling so that we can continue to do the things we love, like eating, dancing, and spending time together. The good news is that many falls are preventable!

• Cultural: One thing about nuestra comunidad: We’re always there for each other. That includes helping each other stay active as we age. Staying active can reduce the risk of falls.

• Practical: We all want to stay healthy and independent as we get older. One of the best ways to do that is to understand our risk for a fall.

NCOA suggests that starting with the research is a great way to build and adjust your falls prevention messages so they speak to the communities you serve. Here are some key takeaways to put into practice:

• Practical and positive messaging works best. Negative or fear-based framing can increase social isolation and cause people to feel hopeless about preventing falls. In our research, practical messaging was at the top of testing results. Use this type of messaging consistently, focusing on the benefits of falls prevention measures rather than leading with frightening statistics or images.

• Adjust for your audience. Slight adjustments to messages with a nod to the target culture can boost engagement. Practical messaging layered with cultural elements can help signal to people that this messaging is for them.

• Keep it simple. With digital messages, the shorter the copy, the better. People generally have short attention spans online. Keep your call to action clear and concise.

Through it all, it’s important to normalize talking about falls—not just with older adults, but with caregivers, friends, and community members. This will empower all of us to learn more about our risk of falling, take precautions, share with our loved ones.

Learn more from NCOA’s resources about talking to older adults about falls, sharing falls prevention success stories, and resources for caregivers. See the full blog post here.