NCOA and Falls Free© Coalition Lauds Release of National Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy

Plan Ties Prevention and Evidence-Based Programs to a Healthy Lifestyle

WASHINGTON, June 23, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Council on Aging (NCOA) and the NCOA-led Falls Free© Coalition applaud the release of the National Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy and its emphasis on using proven programs to help "increase the number of Americans who are healthy at every stage of life."

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100615/NCOALOGO)

The National Prevention Strategy recognizes that good health comes not just from receiving quality medical care, but also from stopping disease before it starts. Effective strategies include promoting regular exercise, healthy eating, and safe homes and communities. The strategy places a strong emphasis on empowering community, non-profit, and faith-based organizations and increasing the number of organizations providing population-based primary prevention services in injury, mental illness, substance abuse, chronic disease programs, physical activity, nutrition, and others.

"NCOA's goals strongly align with the vision of the National Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy, which includes moving the nation from a focus on sickness and disease to one based on prevention and wellness," said Dr. Nancy Whitelaw, NCOA senior vice president for healthy aging.  "This is a dramatic shift in the way all adults need to think about their health care, and we welcome its inclusion in the national conversation."

NCOA is especially pleased with the National Prevention Strategy's focus on preventing falls, which are the nation's leading cause of fatal injury among older adults. NCOA leads the Falls Free© Coalition, a national network of organizations, and state and local coalitions dedicated to reducing the number of falls among older adults.

The rate of fall-related deaths among older adults aged 65 and older has risen dramatically. The rate rose from 23.7 deaths (per 100,000) in 1993 to the current rate of 45.3, according to the report. To combat this alarming trend, the National Strategy recommends the following:

• Health care systems, clinicians and insurers "conduct falls-risk assessments for older adults, including medication review and modification and vision screening."  
• Health care systems, clinicians and insurers "implement and test models for increasing falls-risk assessments (e.g., physician education, and linkages with community-based services)."
• Community, non-profits, and faith-based organizations "build public awareness about preventing falls, promoting falls prevention programs in home and community-based settings, and educating older adults on how to prevent falls."  
• Individuals and families "engage in regular physical activity to increase strength and balance to help prevent falls."

"With a new national focus on prevention, a mounting awareness to the issue of older adult falls and the growing availability of evidence-based fall prevention programs and interventions, our hope is to greatly reduce the rate of injurious falls for older adults in this country," said Bonita Lynn Beattie, vice president for injury prevention at NCOA. "The inclusion of falls in the National Prevention Strategy is giving the deserved recognition to this largely preventable public health issue."

The National Prevention Strategy was called for under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The Affordable Care Act also includes $15 billion over 10 years to enable states and communities to expand preventive services described in the Strategy.

More information on the National Prevention Strategy and the National Prevention Council can be found at www.HealthCare.gov/center/councils/nphpphc.

For more information about NCOA's healthy aging programs and the NCOA-led Falls Free© Coalition, please visit www.healthyagingprograms.org.

About The Falls Free© Coalition
Led by the National Council on Aging, the Falls Free© Coalition, includes 36 states and over 70 national organizations, professional associations and federal agencies who are working collaboratively to bring education, awareness, and evidence-based solutions to local communities. Falls Free© seeks to provide hundreds of thousands of older Americans with the resources and education needed to reduce their risk of injury.

About NCOA  
The National Council on Aging is a nonprofit service and advocacy organization headquartered in Washington, DC. NCOA's mission is to improve the lives of millions of older adults, especially those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged. NCOA is a national voice for older Americans and the community organizations that serve them. It brings together nonprofit organizations, businesses, and government to develop creative solutions that improve the lives of all older adults. NCOA works with thousands of organizations across the country to help seniors find jobs and benefits, improve their health, live independently, and remain active in their communities.  www.NCOA.org / www.facebook.com/NCOAging / www.twitter.com/NCOAging

SOURCE National Council on Aging