Preventing falls among older people starts with a home check
US information indicates that more than a quarter of older people report a fall each year, and many are injured. Prevention can begin with four actions: speaking up about concerns, staying active, checking vision and making home safer. Drawing on these materials, this article offers ideas for families and community teams and identifies the need for professional verification.
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: Patient & Caregiver Resources | STEADI - Older Adult Fall Prevention | CDC · Original language: en
Read the original ↗Facts from the sources
More than a quarter of older people report a fall each year. Approximately 43,000 older people die from falls, equivalent to 117 a day. View source
The US CDC developed the STEADI fall-prevention initiative, which includes educational materials and tools to improve prevention. View source
The resource page provides fall-prevention educational materials and tools in English and Spanish for organisations serving older people. View source
Each year, 3 million older people receive treatment for fall injuries. View source
A CDC educational resource lists actions for fall prevention: speak up about concerns, stay active, check vision and make home safer. View source
STEADI resources include a home fall-prevention checklist booklet for older people called Check For Safety. View source
For older people and families
Falls are common among older people. US statistics indicate that more than 1 in every 4 older people falls within a year, and many seek hospital care for injuries.
If the older person fears falling or feels unsteady, do more than tell them to be careful. Take the concern seriously and seek medical or rehabilitation assessment.
Support appropriate activity such as walking or tai chi, but ask a doctor about suitable intensity and methods first.
Arrange regular vision checks. Poor vision can affect judgement of distance and balance.
Check walkways: remove clutter, put away small rugs or secure them with slip-resistant backing, and pay attention to thresholds and cables.
Consider rails in the bathroom or beside the bed and slip-resistant flooring, with load capacity and slip-resistance ratings verified by professionals.
Use a simple checklist with the older person to inspect bedrooms, the living room, kitchen and bathroom, and record any problems.
See what care and community teams can do
Organisations serving older people can consider the US STEADI screening approach, but must adapt it to local regulations and building standards before implementation.
Establish initial screening that records falls in the past year, medication, vision and walking ability, then decide whether medical or rehabilitation referral is needed.
Home assessments should be carried out by professionals familiar with age-friendly adaptations, rather than relying only on leaflets or verbal reminders.
For rails, check wall load capacity. For bathroom slip resistance, verify flooring materials and ratings. Measure dimensions on site rather than copying overseas specifications.
Communities can offer fall-prevention education, but English and Spanish materials require translation and adaptation for China rather than direct reuse.
Give families four reminders: speak up, stay active, check vision and make home safer. Explain which matters require a doctor’s judgement.
When using home checklists, follow recorded problems with improvement suggestions rather than merely assigning scores.
Training must explain that overseas systems are not current Chinese policy and that statistics cannot promise an individual level of risk.
What needs local assessment
This content is based on public US CDC materials, not Chinese statistics or policy. “More than a quarter” is a population proportion, not an individual’s risk. Estimates of people treated for fall injuries cannot be directly applied to China. The prevention actions are educational suggestions; consult doctors, rehabilitation professionals and others about specific methods. Home adaptations involving load capacities, slip resistance or dimensions require on-site professional verification before work begins. This article is not a construction plan. All suggestions are options to consider, not mandatory requirements. Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The original materials are freely available on the CDC website. This site and its suggestions for China are not endorsed by the CDC, HHS or the US government. Their images and logos have not been reproduced.
Sources
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Was this article helpful?
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