For Professionals

Preventing Falls

Funding Opportunity

2023 Localizing Efforts to Address Falls (LEAF) Grant Program

As part of our Falls Free Wisconsin initiative, the Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging (WIHA) provided grants to 10 organizations to support sustainable falls and injury prevention efforts.

Recipients of the LEAF grants are:

• Marquette County Public Health Department
• De Pere Health Department
• Aging and Disability Resource Center of Jackson County
• Aging and Disability Resource Center of Dodge County
• Kenosha County Division of Aging, Disability & Behavioral Health
• Safe Communities of Madison-Dane County
• Gundersen Health System
• Oshkosh Seniors Center
• Milwaukee County Falls Prevention Coalition
• Aging & Disability Resource Center of Portage County

With a focus on sustainability and reaching underserved communities, LEAF grant projects include implementing evidence-based falls prevention programming, data collection and analysis, working with EMS, revitalizing local falls prevention coalitions and more. The LEAF grant program complements WIHA’s statewide strategy to reduce falls in Wisconsin by cultivating and supporting local falls prevention efforts.

Materials and resources for falls prevention in your community

If you share resources via your social media channels, please tag WIHA (Facebook – @wihealthyaging; Twitter – @WIHA3) so that we can better track activity. 

Events

No upcoming events at this time.

Graphics

Download tips to be shared on social media, included in newsletters, or shared as handouts.

Handouts

Click to download for your use.

Easy Steps to Fall-Proof Your Home
Download this 4-page home check list for removing falls hazards from the home. 

MyMobility Plan
Download this CDC planning document to help avoid injuries and plan for mobility as people age. 

Templates

• Article: Avoiding Falls Means Honest Talk, New Skills for Older Adults Publish in your own newsletters, website or other venues. Add your own quotes or contact information in the highlighted areas for local interest.

• Article EXAMPLE Due to an increase in residents ages 65+ being seen at hospitals for fall-related injuries, Sauk County released this press release. If relevant to your community, customize and share with your local media.

• Letter to the Editor: Falls Can Be Prevented Customize and share with your local newspaper or online opinion news sources.

• “What’s Your Falls Risk” Self-Assessment Tool by NCOA Download this 1/2 page (front & back) falls risk self-assessment, add your contact information, print back-to-back and share as a bag stuffer or anyway you like. The tool provides consumers with a falls risk score and follow-up contact with resources based on their falls risk. See the Spanish version here.

Toolkits

Falls prevention toolkits developed by partner organizations

• Falls Free Wisconsin Coalition Quick Guide

Download
NCOA Falls Prevention Awareness Month Toolkit 
The National Council on Aging has a wide variety of resources including flyers, infographics, social media graphics, videos and other materials to support falls prevention locally.

Download

Download
CDC Still Going Strong Injury Prevention Campaign Resources
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Still Going Strong campaign speaks directly to older adults, age 65 and older, and their caregivers to raise awareness about preventable injuries among older adults.

There are a variety of resources including social media graphics, print ads/flyers, videos and other tools for falls prevention.

Videos

The Brown County Falls Prevention Partnership shared the following three videos featuring health care and public safety professionals discussing falls.

AARP WI and WIHA teamed up to produce a series of videos discussing the factors that can lead to a fall and steps people take to avoid a fall.

AARP WI’s Amber Miller and WIHA’s Shannon Myers discuss the prevalence of falls in Wisconsin and the factors that influence a fall. (19.13 minutes) 

AARP WI’s Amber Miller and Dr. Ann O’Rourke, MD, MPH, FACS – Adult Trauma Medical Director, Associate Professor of Surgery, UW School of Medicine and Public Health discuss the topic of assessing falls risk and falls interventions. (9.02 minutes)

Check out this conversation between AARP’s Amber Miller and occupational therapist Valeree Lecey on removing falls hazards in your home. (13.54 minutes)

AARP’s Amber Miller and Kristi Hallisy, PT, DSc – Associate Professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at the UW-School of Medicine & Public Health discuss and demonstrate balance and strength exercises that can help you avoid a fall. (13:22 minutes)

AARP’s Amber Miller and Tabarius Smith, PharmD., pharmacy manager at Walgreens in Glendale, WI discuss the impact prescription and over-the-counter medications can have on your falls risk. (6:14 minutes)

AARP’s Amber Miller talks with Jean Kalscheur of the Wisconsin Council of the Blind about the relationship between low vision and falls and what people can do to prevent a fall. (16:01 minutes)