Texas Falls Prevention Coalition: Mobilizing Falls-Prevention through the Area Agencies on Aging

Background: In the next 40 years, nearly seven and a half million adults over 60 will live in Texas. As the population ages, the number of adults at risk of falling is expected to increase. The Texas Association on Area Agencies on Aging (T4A) recently initiated a statewide effort to prevent falls to help reduce hospitalizations and deaths attributed to falls in older adults.

Purpose: Describe the development of a Texas statewide coalition to prevent falls and discuss essential components of this effort.

Methods: T4A initiated the Texas Falls Prevention Coalition (TFPC) in 2007 to serve as the primary mechanism to coordinate statewide implementation of the evidence-based A Matter of Balance- Volunteer Lay Leader program and promote wider falls prevention awareness. A Matter of Balance master training sessions, volunteer lay leader trainings and courses were disseminated in urban and rural settings to build infrastructure.

Results: Twenty-four of 28 AAA's are now participating in this coalition, covering 216 counties throughout Texas. Key partners include representatives from the aging services network, state government, health care industry, and public health academia. Four master trainings were conducted and 119 participant classes held. A broad mission statement was created to mobilize efforts. Promotional materials were developed to raise falls awareness across the state, and a statewide coalition planning meeting has been established to prioritize fall prevention activities.

Conclusion: A statewide falls prevention coalition needs to be comprehensive, supporting evidence-based programs, and soliciting programmatic and policy priorities from key stakeholders at statewide meetings.