Resources

Balance & Falls CE Courses

•  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) information for fall prevention interventions and guidelines for fall prevention program planning, development, implementation, and evaluation:

"Preventing Falls : What Works: A CDC Compendium of Effective Community-based Fall Prevention Interventions from Around the World"

" Preventing Falls : How to Develop Community-based Fall Prevention Programs"

• What You Need to Know About Balance and Falls Brochure
  This consumer pamphlet discusses how the body maintains its balance; common problems with balance seen in older adults; and provides some advice and exercises for improving balance and preventing falls. 
• Fall Prevention for Older Adults 
  A five-step algorithm for fall prevention for older adults is presented in the original guideline document. Steps 1, 2, and 3 review the multidimensional falls assessment, Step 4 summarizes falls interventions, and Step 5 outlines falls evaluation. An overview of the steps included in the algorithm is presented below. 
• Temple University Institute on Aging 
  Provides a series of on-line educational modules on falls, their assessment and reduction/prevention. Additional educational modules related to Older Adult Foot Health and Assessment are also available. 
• National Institute on Aging 
  NIA, one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of NIH, leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. In 1974, Congress granted authority to form NIA to provide leadership in aging research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs relevant to aging and older people. NIA?s mission is to improve the health and well-being of older Americans through research. 
• Administration on Aging 
  The web site is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of a wide variety of topics, programs and services related to aging. Whether you are an older individual, a caregiver, a community service provider, a researcher, or a student, you will find valuable information provided in a user-friendly way. 
• Falls Free National Action Plan 
  The National Council on the Aging (NCOA), the Archstone Foundation and the Home Safety Council, released Falls Free: Promoting a National Falls Prevention Action Plan, in March of 2005. This monograph addresses the challenges and barriers related to a national falls prevention initiative and outlines key strategies and action steps to help reduce fall dangers for older adults. 
• Falls in older adults: assessment and intervention in primary care (Colon-Emerick, CS. Journal of Clinical Outcomes Measurement 2001; 8(3) 
• Theoretical considerations in balance assessment - (Huxham, FE, Goldie, PA, Patla, AE. Australian Journal of Physiotherapy 2001; 47:89-100) 
• Evidence Report: Identification and Measurement of Falls Risk in Elderly Community-dwelling Adults
• Falls in Community Dwelling Older Adults - Part I: Introduction to the Problem 
  Author: Mary Fran Delaune, PT, MPT
• Falls in Community Dwelling Older Adults - Part II: Examination and Evaluation
  Authors: Mary Fran Delaune, PT, MPT, and Cathy Ciolek, PT, DPT, GCS