Don't Let Older People Hide 'I Had a Fall': Speak Up Promptly After a Fall
A U.S. survey shows that more than one quarter of people aged 65 and older fall each year, and more than half of those who fall do not tell their health care providers. When older people hide a fall, examinations and follow-up prevention may be delayed. Family members should take the initiative to ask; professionals may refer to overseas training approaches, but they need to adapt them to China's actual conditions and have them professionally verified.
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: Provider Training & Continuing Education | STEADI - Older Adult Fall Prevention | CDC · Original language: en
Read the original ↗Facts from the sources
In the United States, more than one quarter of older adults aged 65 and older experience a fall each year, and more than half of those who fall do not tell their health care provider. View source
The U.S. STEADI initiative provides training and resources to help health care providers put fall prevention strategies into practice. View source
There is a free certified course titled 'STEADI: Empowering Health Care Providers to Reduce Fall Risk' that offers continuing education. View source
STEADI provides a slide set titled 'Our Staff Prevent Falls' that can be used to train health care providers and clinic staff to prevent falls using the STEADI initiative. View source
STEADI provides a set of slides to help administrators of health care organizations understand the importance of a STEADI-based fall prevention program. View source
For older people and families
After an older person falls, whether or not it looks serious at the time, they should tell their family.
When talking with an older person, take the initiative and ask: 'Have you fallen or nearly fallen recently?'
When older people are unsteady when walking or afraid of falling, they should say so truthfully and not feel embarrassed.
If there is pain, dizziness, or unusual difficulty moving after a fall, go to the hospital for an examination as soon as possible.
Tidy up cords and small clutter on the floor at home to reduce the chance of tripping.
Leave a small night light on along the path from the bedroom to the bathroom at night, and keep the floor dry.
See what care and community teams can do
The U.S. STEADI approach can be used as a reference, but it must be redesigned according to China's regulations and professional standards, and cannot be copied directly.
When conducting fall risk questioning in communities or facilities, note that older people may hide falls because they are afraid of causing trouble.
Train care staff to use assessment tools applicable in China to identify fall risk and record older people's self-reports.
Establish a proactive reporting and follow-up process after falls to keep incidents from being hidden out of concern about accountability.
When organizing fall prevention education, emphasize the importance of 'telling family or staff after a fall'.
Balance training, age-friendly home modification, and similar measures require assessment by medical and engineering professionals before implementation.
What needs local assessment
This article is based on U.S. population survey data and cannot directly represent the current situation in China. The STEADI mentioned in this article is a U.S. initiative, not a current policy in China. When carrying out fall prevention services in China, please consult local medical institutions, rehabilitation departments, or professionals in age-friendly home modification. All assessment, training, and modification measures must be implemented after professional verification. Source of facts: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Source: CDC). Original materials are freely available on the CDC website. This website and its China-localized suggestions do not represent endorsement by CDC, HHS, or the U.S. government; no images or logos have been reproduced.
Sources
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Was this article helpful?
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