California No More Falls! Senior Injury Prevention Program

A randomized controlled multi-component fall prevention study for older adults. The study integrates fall prevention into an existing community-based public health program for older adults. The study will evaluate the effectiveness of a fall prevention intervention among 552 seniors attending Preventive Health Care for the Aging (PHCA) clinics in two counties: urban San Diego county and rural Humboldt county. The intervention includes four elements: education about fall risk factors, referrals to community exercise programs to increase strength and balance, medication review, and home modification to reduce home hazards. The goal of the intervention is to reduce incidence of falls requiring hospitalization by 10%. Results of the study, which are expected to be completed by October 2004, will help guide future efforts to develop multifaceted fall prevention programs.