Every year on the first day of fall, September 23, the National Council on Aging celebrates Falls Prevention Awareness Day to “raise awareness about how to prevent fall-related injuries among older adults.” When the event was first started back in 2008, only 11 states participated. But now on the 8th Anniversary, 48 states and the District of Columbia are getting involved.

The activities surrounding this year’s Falls Prevention Awareness Day included webinars, workshops, screening events, and even a video contest. To enter the video contest, entrants are required to make videos under 1 minute and 15 seconds of “older adults engaged in a variety of falls prevention activities.” The contest is still open until November 2nd, the top prize is $600, and if you want to participate you can check out all the rules at https://www.ncoa.org/healthy-aging/falls-prevention/falls-prevention-awareness-day/falls-free-video-contest-2015/.

The National Council on Aging also created a number of handouts, media toolkits and fact sheets for the event. One popular handout is 6 Steps to Prevent a Fall. According to it, the 6 Steps are--

  1. Find a good balance and exercise program.

  2. Talk to your health care provider.

  3. Regularly review your medications with your doctor or pharmacist.

  4. Get your vision and hearing checked annually and update your eyeglasses.

  5. Keep your home safe.

  6. Talk to your family members.

For more details and fall prevention resources, visit https://www.ncoa.org/healthy-aging/falls-prevention/.