Nationally, at least one out of four older adults experiences a fall each year, and at least 2.8 million older adults visit an emergency room for fall-related injuries. On average, hospital costs for a fall-related injury total over $30,000. In 2015, fall-related costs reached over $31 billion for Medicare alone.
In Texas in 2011 alone, over 60,000 people age 50 and older were hospitalized for fall-related incidences. These hospitalizations represented a hefty $3.1 billion price tag, with an average $51,000 charged per discharge. This is a substantial increase from just four years previous in 2007, when the total cost of fall-related hospitalizations came to almost $1.9 billion, with an average $37,000 discharge.
Falls can be accompanied by negative personal (e.g. injury, loss of independence), familial, societal, and, as described above, economic consequences. However, falls are not an inevitable part of aging.
Need
In American adults aged 65 and older, falls are the primary cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries. Tens of thousands of Texans suffer falls every year, resulting in millions of dollars in healthcare costs. Fall prevention programming, provider education, and policy advocating can help reduce falls in Texas and promote a better quality of life for all Texans.
Purpose & Key Steps
While the Texas Falls Prevention Coalition (TFPC) will technically be ‘absorbed’ into the Texas Active for Life® Coalition (TALC), fall prevention will remain a primary focal area of the TALC. Historically, the TFPC has been committed to expanding and promoting evidence-based fall prevention programming, effecting policy change, and unifying fall prevention efforts across the state.
In an effort to make our vision a reality, the TALC is focusing its efforts in the following areas:
- Increase awareness about health issues impacting older Texans and prevention/management strategies
- Increase provider participation in prevention/management practices
- Increase funding opportunities and investments for prevention/management
- Enhance data surveillance collection, analysis, and system linkages
- Increase availability and accessibility of community programs and services
History of the Texas Falls Prevention Coalition (TFPC)
Vision & Mission
The vision of the Texas Falls Prevention Coalition (TFPC) is Texans working together for a falls free tomorrow.
The mission of TFPC (now part of the new TALC) is to reduce falls and fall-related injuries and costs in older Texans through public education, clinical intervention, community partnerships, and public policy.
The TFPC was established in 2007 and originally coordinated by the Texas Association of Area Agencies on Aging (T4A) with support from the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services and Humana.
In May 2014, TFPC began a resurgence when responsibilities and leadership were transferred to the Texas A&M Health Science Center Program on Healthy Aging.
The TFPC consisted of over 180 individuals across the state and was led by a steering committee of 12 professionals representing various sectors. Administrative responsibilities and leadership were provided by the Center for Population Health and Aging at Texas A&M University.
The TFPC reached dozens of agencies across Texas. The monthly newsletter reached 180 people, many of whom served on the coalition’s subcommittees of funding, programming, building networks, and provider participation.
Steering Committee
The TFPC Steering Committee, under the leadership of Dr. Marcia Ory, consisted of 12 individuals from varying organizations, including:
- Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Public Health
- Texas Health and Human Services Commission
- Texas Association of Area Agencies on Aging (T4A)
- Baylor Scott & White
- WellMed
- Texas Physical Therapist Association
- Texas Silver Haired Legislature
Goals & Accomplishments
The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is the national leader in service and advocacy for older adults and the organizations that serve them. The NCOA designed a State Policy Toolkit for Advancing Fall Prevention, from which TFPC adopted the following aims:
- Increase awareness of falls and prevention strategies
- Increase provider participation in fall prevention practices
- Increase funding opportunities and investments for fall prevention
- Enhance data surveillance collection, analysis, and system linkages
- Increase availability and accessibility of community programs and services
In September 2016, the TFPC hosted its first annual statewide conference. Over 50 attendees learned about identifying fall risk factors, keys to successful program implementation, and building partnerships for fall prevention in rural areas.