Elder Falls Prevention Act and Health Equity

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 role in setting standards and regulations related to falls prevention. They also provide funding for research and programs aimed at reducing the incidence of falls among elderly adults. Healthcare providers play a vital role in identifying patients at risk for falling and implementing evidence-based interventions to prevent falls. Insurers play a key role in providing coverage for fall prevention therapies and products. And patient advocates work to raise awareness about the importance of falls prevention and ensure that elderly adults have access to the resources they need to stay safe. While each stakeholder group has its own unique role to play, it is clear that they all share a common goal: to reduce the incidence of falls among elderly adults. By working together, these stakeholders can make a significant impact on the public health of this vulnerable population.

Legislative policies can help to create a framework for falls prevention, while non-legislative policies can provide targeted support and funding. One example of a legislative policy is the Elder Fall Prevention Act of 2003, which “Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Administration on Aging within the Department of Health and Human Services to: (1) oversee and support a three-year national education campaign by the National Safety Council focusing on ways to reduce the risk of elder falls and prevent repeat falls; (2) provide grants for State coalitions for local education campaigns addressing reduction and prevention of elder falls; and (3) provide grants and contracts for continuing education to health professionals to effect geriatric fall prevention” (HR 3153, 2003). This policy would positively impact the public health related to falls prevention by giving legislative support to raising health awareness and health literacy on best practices with respect to the issue. It is not clear how it would promote health equity, however (Braveman et al., 2018).

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 practices—both of which would improve public health, but it is not clear what effect it would have on health equity if any (Liao et al., 2021).