November is Fall Prevention Month (FPM) in Canada. Many falls are predictable and preventable. Fall prevention should focus on promoting independence through strength and balance activities, medication reviews, home safety, and annual vision screening. FPM is an annual call to encourage organizations and individuals to come together for a coordinated fall prevention campaign.

The mission of FPM is to raise awareness about the importance of preventing falls and fall-related injuries, reduce fall risk among older adults (65+ years), and encourage communities to promote initiatives that improve the health and safety of older adults.

Finding Balance BC is the central hub for fall prevention resources for older adults (65+), their families, and health care practitioners in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Preventing falls and fall-related injuries among older adults 65 years and older is one of the three provincial priorities for injury prevention.

BC Seniors’ Fall Prevention Awareness Week takes place from November 3 to 9 this year. BC has one of the most rapidly aging populations in Canada. By 2043, almost one in four people in BC (over 1.5 million) will be age 65 and older. Falls are the leading injury-related cause of hospitalization and death for older adults.

What can I do?

For older adults: Take steps to prevent falls. Start doing some strength and balance exercises, get an annual eye exam, ask your pharmacist about possible side effects of your medications, or make some easy changes to your home. ‍

• Resources for older adults
• Complete a falls risk assessment

‍For practitioners and family members: Share these messages with your community. Talk directly with your patients or loved ones about how they can prevent falls.

• Resources for practitioners

Share these messages on your social media channels. We have a social media toolkit available with key messages and images for you to use.