III 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 265 

Designating September 22, 2017, as ‘‘National Falls Prevention Awareness 

Day’’ to raise awareness and encourage the prevention of falls among 

older adults. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017 

Ms. COLLINS (for herself and Mr. CASEY) submitted the following resolution; 

which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating September 22, 2017, as ‘‘National Falls Prevention Awareness Day’’ to raise awareness and encourage 

the prevention of falls among older adults. 

Whereas individuals who are 65 years of age or older (referred to in this preamble as ‘‘older adults’’) are the fastest growing segment of the population in the United 

States and the number of older adults in the United 

States will increase from 46,200,000 in 2014 to 

82,300,000 in 2040; 

Whereas more than 1 of 4 older adults in the United States 

falls each year; 

Whereas falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal 

injuries among older adults; 


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•SRES 265 ATS 

Whereas, in 2014, approximately 2,800,000 older adults were 

treated in hospital emergency departments for fall-related 

injuries and more than 812,000 of those older adults 

were subsequently hospitalized; 

Whereas, in 2014, more than 27,000 older adults died from 

injuries related to unintentional falls and the death rates 

from falls of older adults in the United States have risen 

sharply in the last decade; 

Whereas, in 2015, the total direct medical cost of fall-related 

injuries for older adults, adjusted for inflation, was 

$31,000,000,000; 

Whereas, if the rate of increase in falls is not slowed, the annual cost of fall injuries will reach $67,700,000,000 by 

2020; and 

Whereas evidence-based programs reduce falls by utilizing 

cost-effective strategies, such as exercise programs to improve balance and strength, medication management, vision improvement, reduction of home hazards, and fall 

prevention education: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates September 22, 2017, as ‘‘Na3 tional Falls Prevention Awareness Day’’; 

4 (2) recognizes that there are proven, cost-effec5 tive falls prevention programs and policies; 

6 (3) commends the 72 member organizations of 

7 the Falls Free Coalition and the falls prevention coa8 litions in 43 States and the District of Columbia for 

9 their efforts to work together to increase education 


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1 and awareness about preventing falls among older 

2 adults; 

3 (4) encourages businesses, individuals, Federal, 

4 State, and local governments, the public health com5 munity, and health care providers to work together 

6 to raise awareness of falls in an effort to reduce the 

7 incidence of falls among older adults in the United 

8 States; 

9 (5) recognizes the Centers for Disease Control 

10 and Prevention for its work developing and evalu11 ating interventions for all members of health care 

12 teams to make falls prevention a routine part of 

13 clinical care; 

14 (6) recognizes the Administration for Commu15 nity Living for its work to promote access to evi16 dence-based programs and services in communities 

17 across the United States; 

18 (7) encourages State health departments and 

19 State units on aging, which provide significant lead20 ership in reducing injuries and related health care 

21 costs by collaborating with organizations and indi22 viduals, to reduce falls among older adults; and 


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1 (8) encourages experts in the field of falls pre2 vention to share their best practices so that their 

3 success can be replicated by others. 

Æ 


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