Falls are preventable, especially at home, and must be prevented to reduce the number of hospitalizations and deaths—an average of 9,000 older adults die each year as a result of an accidental fall.

This is a common occurrence—about 1 in 3 people over the age of 65 falls each year—due to biological aging, which can impair the functioning of the various components involved in a person’s posture and balance (sensory, muscular, postural, somatosensory, and cognitive). The good news is that working on a person’s physical and mental balance, combined with home modifications, can reduce the number of falls and their impact on health.

“Feeling Good About My Balance” – A Multi-platform Information Strategy for the General Public

Since falls are multifactorial, their prevention requires information covering multiple topics: physical activity, diet, cognitive functions, social connections, and medications. This prevention effort must target younger seniors, starting at age 55, to help them maintain their balance for as long as possible; older adults to prevent frailty; caregivers to learn how to assist seniors; and professionals who work with older adults.

A website, videos, and a brochure form the core of the new multi-channel initiative. The “Well-Balanced” section offers the general public—young seniors, older adults, and caregivers—numerous pages to learn everything about fall prevention. It provides information on how to be more active, take steps to improve health, maintain mental well-being, and support older adults as a caregiver… through personal stories, expert insights, and key statistics.

The three videos titled “It’s a Matter of Balance” are aimed at young seniors to encourage them to recognize the importance of balance. They highlight the three key behaviors that help prevent falls: physical balance, mental balance, and home modifications. Available on the pourbienvieillir.fr website, they can also be used in activities led by professionals and designed for young seniors.

To help older adults prevent falls in their daily lives, the brochure “Moving with Confidence” explains how to maintain balance, engage in a variety of activities, adapt one’s home, and, of course, what to do in the event of a fall. “Useful Contacts” helps identify professionals who can assist older adults with their “fall prevention” efforts. The brochure is available for download and can be ordered for distribution to the public.

For professionals: analyzing falls to prevent them

A fall can be defined as “a sudden and completely accidental loss of postural balance while walking or performing any other activity, causing the person to fall to the ground or any other surface lower than where they were standing.” It can have numerous consequences, both physical and psychological, which must be understood and prevented. Professionals can find reports, expert analyses, and other documents in the professional section of the pourbienvieillir.fr website to access surveillance data, effective prevention measures, and guidelines for assessing the risk of falls.