December 13th, 2018
Introduction
Older adults value their independence and a fall can significantly limit their ability to remain self-sufficient. More than one-third of people aged 65 and older fall each year, and those who fall once are two to three times more likely to fall again. Fall injuries are responsible
for significant disability, loss of independence, and reduced quality of life. In 2000, direct medical costs
for fall injuries totaled $19 billion. However, we know that falls are not an inevitable result of aging. In recent years, systematic reviews of fall intervention studies have established that prevention interventions can reduce falls.
Purpose
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed the CDC Compendium of Effective Fall Interventions to help public health practitioners use the best scientific evidence to effectively address the problem of falls. The Compendium includes 22 specific interventions for community-dwelling older adults that have rigorous scientific evidence of effectiveness, and provides relevant information about these interventions to public health practitioners, aging service providers, and others who wish to implement fall prevention programs.