For Immediate Release
May 13, 2010
PHI Media Contact:
Deane Beebe
718.928.2033 / dbeebe@PHInational.org
NCOA Media Contact:
Connie Hofmann
610.687.5495 / chofmann@aboutscp.com
Falls Prevention Curriculum Available Online at No Cost
Washington, D.C. — The National Council on Aging (NCOA) and PHI have launched a new partnership to provide, at no cost, a Falls Prevention Awareness curriculum for home health care workers across the country, in an effort to reduce occurrences of the most common injury to older adults.
Uniquely designed for adult learners, the Falls Prevention Awareness curriculum helps home health aides reduce client falls and injury by increasing awareness of the risk factors for common falls and improving communication skills. Specifically, participants build on their existing knowledge, strengthen their “observe, record, report” skills, and develop communication skills to help them educate clients on how to reduce their risk of falling.
The training program is available now and can be downloaded directly from the PHI or NCOA websites. The downloadable course includes two three-hour sessions that employers can use to meet in-service requirements.
Falls are the leading cause of death by injury for older Americans. They threaten the lives, safety, and independence of older adults and have an enormous impact on the cost of health care.
In 2005, the total direct cost of all fall injuries for people 65 and older exceeded $34 billion.
“The incidence of falls can be reduced through lifestyle adjustments and intervention programs,” said Jim Firman, President of NCOA. “Working with PHI, we can greatly expand training options for the dedicated home health aides who provide so much of the day-to-day care to older Americans.”
“PHI is honored to partner with the NCOA to make this curriculum more widely available to the 3.2 million paid caregivers who serve and support older Americans,” said Steven Dawson, President of PHI. “We are also working with NCOA on national policies impacting elder services as part of the Eldercare Workforce Alliance, and look forward to new partnership opportunities to support both older adults and their caregivers.”
NCOA is a leading advocate for the prevention of falls among older adults. As a lead partner in The Falls FreeTM Coalition, NCOA developed a roadmap for how to reduce falls among older adults. Congress used the plan as the basis for the Safety of Seniors Act, passed in 2008. NCOA will make the training program available to all of its members through its website, community newsletters, and through the Falls Free Coalition state networks. This curriculum was developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Labor as a special project of NCOA’s Senior Community Service Employment Program.
PHI is nationally recognized for its development of high-quality training programs for direct-care workers. Its adult learner–centered approach has proven successful in engaging diverse learners with more life experience than formal education.
For more information, or to download the curriculum, please visit the PHI or NCOA websites.
********
About the National Council on Aging
The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is a non-profit service and advocacy organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. NCOA is a national voice for older Americans — especially those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged — and the community organizations that serve them. It brings together non-profit 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 to improve their health, live independently, and remain active in their communities. For more information, visit www.ncoa.org.
About PHI
PHI (www.phinational.org) works to improve the lives of people who need home and residential care—and the lives of the workers who provide that care. Using our workplace and policy expertise, we help consumers, workers, employers, and policymakers improve eldercare and disability services by creating quality direct-care jobs. Our goal is to ensure caring, stable relationships between consumers and workers, so that both may live with dignity, respect, and independence.
