Fall Prevention Awareness Week 2025

Shorter days of sunlight, cooler weather, and the first day of Fall are quickly approaching. With the first day of Fall arriving on Wednesday, September 22, so does the first day of Fall Prevention Awareness Week, which ends on September 25. This is a special week to reflect on how we can all minimize the risk of falling injuries and review the tragic impact of falling injuries on our community.

This year, we reflect on the successes achieved through our focus on fall prevention in 2024.

Outpatient physical therapists and occupational therapists interact with the elderly community daily, many of whom are at risk of falling or have suffered from a recent fall injury. This involves educating older adults and caregivers about exercises that help improve or maintain balance and stability.

Recommended Fall Prevention Exercises

• Walk more briskly! Studies have found that the speed at which you walk correlates to the risk of falling. Walking at a speed of less than 1.0 meters per second increases your risk of falling and may require some medical/physical intervention. You are more likely to be hospitalized should your walking speed be less than .6 m/sec. Walking speed is considered a six vital sign and a good indication of our health and mortality.

• Strengthen your legs! It is essential to recognize that our legs are the pillars on which we stand and support our bodies. Leg strength and mortality have also been associated. Simple exercises, such as raising yourself up and down from a seated position, can be a simple and effective way to strengthen your legs. In the physical therapy clinic or at home, counting the number of repetitions of sit-to-stand performed in 30 seconds provides a reasonable estimate of one’s leg strength. Twelve repetitions completed in thirty seconds is considered normal for the average male aged 65-69 years.

• Improve your endurance! It is essential to have sufficient endurance to walk from one end of a supermarket to the farthest end, where the most critical products are typically located. If you tire easily due to decreased endurance, you may likely increase your risk of falling.

• Improve your mobility! Some recent studies suggest your inability to get yourself up from the floor is also associated with your mortality rate. Individuals who have little or no difficulty getting up from the floor may have a 5x greater life expectancy than those who have problems getting up from the floor. While walking is a horizontal mobility activity, getting up from the floor is a vertical mobility activity that requires strength and flexibility in your body.

• Improve your Balance! Do you find yourself catching your toes when you walk, shuffling your feet, or holding onto walls or furniture when you walk? Your balance may not be sufficient, which could contribute to an increased risk of falling.

The reason an individual falls may be numerous. Medications, the home environment, vision impairments, and nervous system impairments are also significant factors contributing to falls. All older adults must become aware of the health risks associated with falling. Please speak to your health care provider, physician, or therapist should you experience a near-fall episode or have concerns regarding any decline in your physical abilities.

The ResQUp for Fall Prevention

The ResQUp is a mobility device designed and produced to aid those with mobility difficulties. The ResQUp has three incremental horizontal levels, each at 4.5 inches, to assist a fallen individual in returning to a seated position with minimal to no assistance from another. Raising yourself from the floor independently or semi-independently will reduce the risk of a lifting injury to a potential rescuer who comes to your aid after you fall. Additionally, getting up from the floor provides the fallen individual with the opportunity to strengthen themselves and improve their functional mobility.

Additional benefits of utilizing the ResQUp:

• Endurance Training: Improve the number of steps you can perform in two minutes. Repetitively placing the right then left foot on and off the 4.5/9.0/13.5-inch step. Never have both feet on the ResQUp at any one time. CLICK HERE for more information about the two-minute step test.

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• Balance Training: Balance can be improved by holding one foot on a horizontal level for several seconds, either with the right or left foot. Progression can be done by raising the arms, head movements, or closing the eyes. These activities are higher-level and most likely require the supervision of a healthcare provider.

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• Mobility Training: Those fearful of not being able to get to the floor or back up from the floor level can start by moving from a standard height chair, 18 inches, to the uppermost level of the ResQUp, 13.5 inches. As one’s upper body strength and confidence improve, you may be able to move closer to the floor level and then back up to chair height using one of three different methods.

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Consult a licensed physical therapist or other qualified healthcare provider should you have any questions about whether the ResQUp may be an appropriate device for you. Make strength, mobility, balance, and endurance a priority in your life as you age.

Fall-Related Injuries: Key Statistics

Let us all not forget that falls are a leading cause of injury among older adults, and the impact of these injuries can be significant. Here are some important statistics to consider:

• Prevalence of Falls: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 28-35% of people aged 65 and older fall each year, with the rate increasing to 32-42% for those over 70 years old 1.

• Injury Rates: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that one out of five falls causes a serious injury, such as broken bones or a head injury 2.

• Hospitalizations: Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBI). In the United States, over 800,000 patients a year are hospitalized because of a fall injury, most often because of a head injury or hip fracture 2.

• Mortality Rates: Falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths among older adults. In 2020, the CDC reported that over 36,000 older adults died from fall-related injuries 2.

• Economic Impact: The financial toll for older adults who fall is expected to increase as the population ages and may reach $101 billion by 2030.

By including these statistics in fall prevention communication programs, PT/OTs can provide a more comprehensive overview of the significance of fall-related injuries and the importance of fall prevention measures.