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NCOA and Falls FreeŠ
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 FreeŠ 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."
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 FreeŠ 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 atwww.HealthCare.gov/center/councils/nphpphc.
For more information about NCOA's healthy
aging programs and the NCOA-led Falls FreeŠ
Coalition, please visit www.healthyagingprograms.org.
About The Falls FreeŠ Coalition
Led by the National Council on Aging, the
Falls FreeŠ 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 FreeŠ 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 inWashington,
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
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