The Falls Free Coalition Advocacy Work Group has achieved some success in drawing attention to the need for elder falls prevention. Earlier today, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved H.R. 3701, a bipartisan bill introduced by Representatives Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Ralph Hall (R-TX). On August 1, 2007, the Senate passed S. 845, the Safety of Seniors (SOS) Act of 2007, introduced by Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY) and co-sponsored by Senators Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Herb Kohl (D-WI). These bills would authorize increased federal activity related to falls prevention for older Americans.
"If we are to make a meaningful difference for older adults, we must communicate to Congress and the White House that more resources are needed to adopt programs that are working," said Patricia Adkins, Chief Operating Officer of the Home Safety Council. "Trying to solve a $19 billion problem with a $1 million budget just won't work. Our older Americans deserve better."
The Falls Free Coalition Advocacy Work Group, a broad-based coalition of nonprofit organizations led by the National Council on Aging, the National Safety Council, the Home Safety Council, AARP, the American Occupational Therapy Association, and the American Physical Therapy Association, is dedicated to improving the safety and health of older adults. Additional organizations supporting the coalition include:
Alliance for Retired Americans
Alzheimer's Foundation of America
American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
American Geriatrics Society
American Society on Aging
Association for Gerontology and
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