To amend the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to intensify programs with respect to research and related activities concerning falls among older adults.

Summary: Safety of Seniors Act of 2008 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) oversee and support a national education campaign focusing on reducing falls among older adults and preventing repeat falls; and (2) award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to design and carry out local education campaigns.

Allows the Secretary to conduct and support research to: (1) improve the identification of older adults who have a high risk of falling; (2) improve data collection and analysis to identify fall risk and protective factors; (3) design, implement, and evaluate the most effective fall prevention interventions; (4) tailor effective strategies to reduce falls to specific populations of older adults; (5) maximize the dissemination of proven, effective fall prevention interventions; (6) improve the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of elderly fall victims and older adults at high risk for falls; and (7) assess the risks of falls occurring in various settings.

Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) conduct research concerning the barriers to the adoption of proven fall prevention interventions; (2) conduct research to develop, implement, and evaluate the most effective approaches to reduce falls among high-risk older adults living in communities and long-term care and assisted living facilities; (3) evaluate the effectiveness of community programs; (4) provide professional education for physicians and allied health professionals in fall prevention; (5) oversee and support specified demonstration and research projects; (6) award grants to design, implement, and evaluate fall prevention programs using proven intervention strategies and carry out a multistate demonstration project; (7) give priority in awarding grants under this Act to entities that explore the use of cost-sharing to ensure the institutional commitment of the recipients of such assistance to the funded projects; and (8) report to Congress on the effects of falls on health care costs, the potential for reducing falls, and the most effective strategies for reducing associated health care costs.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Safety of Seniors Act of 2008''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT.

    Part J of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
280b et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating section 393B (as added by section 1401 
        of Public Law 106-386) as section 393C and transferring such 
        section so that it appears after section 393B (as added by 
        section 1301 of Public Law 106-310); and
            (2) by inserting after section 393C (as redesignated by 
        paragraph (1)) the following:

``SEC. 393D. PREVENTION OF FALLS AMONG OLDER ADULTS.

    ``(a) Public Education.--The Secretary may--
            ``(1) oversee and support a national education campaign to 
        be carried out by a nonprofit organization with experience in 
        designing and implementing national injury prevention programs, 
        that is directed principally to older adults, their families, 
        and health care providers, and that focuses on reducing falls 
        among older adults and preventing repeat falls; and
            ``(2) award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to 
        qualified organizations, institutions, or consortia of 
        qualified organizations and institutions, specializing, or 
        demonstrating expertise, in falls or fall prevention, for the 
        purpose of organizing State-level coalitions of appropriate 
        State and local agencies, safety, health, senior citizen, and 
        other organizations to design and carry out local education 
        campaigns, focusing on reducing falls among older adults and 
        preventing repeat falls.
    ``(b) Research.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may--
                    ``(A) conduct and support research to--
                            ``(i) improve the identification of older 
                        adults who have a high risk of falling;
                            ``(ii) improve data collection and analysis 
                        to identify fall risk and protective factors;
                            ``(iii) design, implement, and evaluate the 
                        most effective fall prevention interventions;
                            ``(iv) improve strategies that are proven 
                        to be effective in reducing falls by tailoring 
                        these strategies to specific populations of 
                        older adults;
                            ``(v) conduct research in order to maximize 
                        the dissemination of proven, effective fall 
                        prevention interventions;
                            ``(vi) intensify proven interventions to 
                        prevent falls among older adults;
                            ``(vii) improve the diagnosis, treatment, 
                        and rehabilitation of elderly fall victims and 
                        older adults at high risk for falls; and
                            ``(viii) assess the risk of falls occurring 
                        in various settings;
                    ``(B) conduct research concerning barriers to the 
                adoption of proven interventions with respect to the 
                prevention of falls among older adults;
                    ``(C) conduct research to develop, implement, and 
                evaluate the most effective approaches to reducing 
                falls among high-risk older adults living in 
                communities and long-term care and assisted living 
                facilities; and
                    ``(D) evaluate the effectiveness of community 
                programs designed to prevent falls among older adults.
            ``(2) Educational support.--The Secretary, either directly 
        or through awarding grants, contracts, or cooperative 
        agreements to qualified organizations, institutions, or 
        consortia of qualified organizations and institutions, 
        specializing, or demonstrating expertise, in falls or fall 
        prevention, may provide professional education for physicians 
        and allied health professionals, and aging service providers in 
        fall prevention, evaluation, and management.
    ``(c) Demonstration Projects.--The Secretary may carry out the 
following:
            ``(1) Oversee and support demonstration and research 
        projects to be carried out by qualified organizations, 
        institutions, or consortia of qualified organizations and 
        institutions, specializing, or demonstrating expertise, in 
        falls or fall prevention, in the following areas:
                    ``(A) A multistate demonstration project assessing 
                the utility of targeted fall risk screening and 
                referral programs.
                    ``(B) Programs designed for community-dwelling 
                older adults that utilize multicomponent fall 
                intervention approaches, including physical activity, 
                medication assessment and reduction when possible, 
                vision enhancement, and home modification strategies.
                    ``(C) Programs that are targeted to new fall 
                victims who are at a high risk for second falls and 
                which are designed to maximize independence and quality 
                of life for older adults, particularly those older 
                adults with functional limitations.
                    ``(D) Private sector and public-private 
                partnerships to develop technologies to prevent falls 
                among older adults and prevent or reduce injuries if 
                falls occur.
            ``(2)(A) Award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements 
        to qualified organizations, institutions, or consortia of 
        qualified organizations and institutions, specializing, or 
        demonstrating expertise, in falls or fall prevention, to 
        design, implement, and evaluate fall prevention programs using 
        proven intervention strategies in residential and institutional 
        settings.
            ``(B) Award 1 or more grants, contracts, or cooperative 
        agreements to 1 or more qualified organizations, institutions, 
        or consortia of qualified organizations and institutions, 
        specializing, or demonstrating expertise, in falls or fall 
        prevention, in order to carry out a multistate demonstration 
        project to implement and evaluate fall prevention programs 
        using proven intervention strategies designed for single and 
        multifamily residential settings with high concentrations of 
        older adults, including--
                    ``(i) identifying high-risk populations;
                    ``(ii) evaluating residential facilities;
                    ``(iii) conducting screening to identify high-risk 
                individuals;
                    ``(iv) providing fall assessment and risk reduction 
                interventions and counseling;
                    ``(v) coordinating services with health care and 
                social service providers; and
                    ``(vi) coordinating post-fall treatment and 
                rehabilitation.
            ``(3) Award 1 or more grants, contracts, or cooperative 
        agreements to qualified organizations, institutions, or 
        consortia of qualified organizations and institutions, 
        specializing, or demonstrating expertise, in falls or fall 
        prevention, to conduct evaluations of the effectiveness of the 
        demonstration projects described in this subsection.
    ``(d) Priority.--In awarding grants, contracts, or cooperative 
agreements under this section, the Secretary may give priority to 
entities that explore the use of cost-sharing with respect to 
activities funded under the grant, contract, or agreement to ensure the 
institutional commitment of the recipients of such assistance to the 
projects funded under the grant, contract, or agreement. Such non-
Federal cost sharing contributions may be provided directly or through 
donations from public or private entities and may be in cash or in-
kind, fairly evaluated, including plant, equipment, or services.
    ``(e) Study of Effects of Falls on Health Care Costs.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may conduct a review of 
        the effects of falls on health care costs, the potential for 
        reducing falls, and the most effective strategies for reducing 
        health care costs associated with falls.
            ``(2) Report.--If the Secretary conducts the review under 
        paragraph (1), the Secretary shall, not later than 36 months 
        after the date of enactment of the Safety of Seniors Act of 
        2008, submit to Congress a report describing the findings of 
        the Secretary in conducting such review.''.