Falls Policy

Falls among the elderly are a serious problem, both in terms of the potential for injuries and the cost of healthcare. As the population ages, the number of falls is expected to rise, making the development of effective prevention policies more important than ever. As the CDC (2021) points out, more than one in four older adults (age 65 and older) experience a fall, resulting in 3 million emergency department visits, 950,000 hospitalizations and 32,000 deaths. Falls are preventable, however, and this paper will discuss public health policy related to this health issue.

Key information on public health policy, including the stakeholders, with regard to falls prevention among elderly adults is how to standardize, regulate and mandate practices to prevent falls. One of the key public health policy issues with regard to falls prevention among elderly adults is the role of stakeholders. Stakeholders include government agencies, healthcare providers, insurers, and patient advocates. Each of these groups has a vested interest in ensuring that falls are prevented and that elderly adults have access to the resources they need to stay safe.

Government agencies play a critical...

One example of a non-legislative policy is Falls Free, an initiative of the National Council on Aging. Falls Free works to improve clinical practice and promote public awareness about falls prevention. It does this through a variety of activities, including developing clinical guidelines, sponsoring educational webinars, and providing free resources on its website. In addition, Falls Free provides grants to support research on falls prevention strategies. This policy promotes, like the legislative policy, education and best practicesboth of which would improve public health, but it is…