From a U.S. community fall prevention program, see what can be done to prevent falls in older adults
A county in Florida, U.S., made falls among older adults a key community health issue, and used mobile health vans to regularly visit communities, providing environmental assessment, nutrition counseling, mobility assessment, and referral services. The program experience suggests that fall prevention requires care, assessment, and specific small modifications.
Machine translation of our Chinese article, without human translation review. Suggestions concerning China remain specific to China.
Automatically reviewed, without human verification. Programmatic checks are not professional review. Seek professional advice where appropriate. Automatically reviewed on 10/4/2026, 7:14:25 AM
Chinese fact summaries and suggestions for China (not a full translation)
Original: Local Health Department's Role in Fall Prevention | STEADI - Older Adult Fall Prevention | CDC · Original language: en
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Facts from the sources
In the United States, falls are the leading cause of hip fractures, brain injuries, and death among older adults aged 65 and older. View source
In the community health needs assessment conducted in 2019 by the Seminole County Health Department in Florida, falls among older adults were listed as a key health issue for that community. View source
The fall prevention program uses mobile health units that make regular monthly stops at community centers, senior resource centers, and senior residential facilities in Seminole County. View source
The program provides environmental assessment, nutrition counseling and support, physical activity ability assessment and intervention, and resource and referral services. View source
The fall prevention coordinator recommended non-structural environmental modifications, such as using tape to fix rugs, to reduce fall risk. View source
The Seminole County Health Department used data such as the number of referrals, number of assessments, referral types, and satisfaction to secure funding for the next 5 years for the program. View source
For older people and families
Check whether the edges of rugs at home are curled up, and fix them with tape to reduce the risk of tripping.
Pay attention to places where tripping is easy, such as cords and thresholds; if necessary, ask someone familiar with senior-friendly home modifications to visit and inspect.
Take older adults to community or hospital assessments of physical activity and balance, and follow professionals' advice.
If you are concerned about an older adult's nutrition or physical strength, you can consult a nutrition clinic or rehabilitation department for personalized guidance.
See what care and community teams can do
Consider using the roving service format of a "mobile health unit making regular stops" by designating fixed days at community centers and senior activity rooms to reduce the difficulty for older adults to go out.
Service content should include home environment assessment, nutrition counseling, physical activity ability assessment, and referral, and requires the participation of relevant professionals.
Organizations should design assessment procedures and referral checklists in advance and establish stable connections with local hospitals and rehabilitation institutions.
Establish a program data collection mechanism (number of people assessed, referral types, satisfaction) and use the data to win continued support.
What needs local assessment
The above facts come from the program in Seminole County, Florida, U.S., and reflect local practices after the 2019 assessment; they are not current policy in China. If communities in China use this as a reference, they need to combine local resources, regulations, and site conditions. Issues such as load-bearing, slip resistance, and threshold height involved in home modifications should be verified on site by professionals; do not carry out construction based on pictures or experience. For medical content such as nutrition, activity, and rehabilitation, consult qualified doctors or rehabilitation therapists. The risk proportions in statistics do not equal an individual older adult's personal risk; it is recommended to rely on individual assessment. Fact source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Source: CDC). The original material is available free of charge on the CDC website. This website and the suggestions localized for China do not represent endorsement by CDC, HHS, or the U.S. government; no images or logos from the source have been reproduced.
Sources
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Was this article helpful?
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