It's Time to Fight the Fall!

Physical Therapy can save lives and FYZICAL is going big to bring awareness to national fall prevention! According to the National Council on Aging, falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older adults, and falls generate astronomical economic and personal healthcare costs.

Startling Fall Facts from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• One-fourth of Americans 65+ falls each year

• Every 11 seconds, an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall; every 19 minutes, an older adult dies from a fall

Fall prevention costs

• In 2015, the total cost of fall injuries was $50 billion. It is expected to increase as the population ages and may reach $67.7 billion by 2020

With Medicare and Medicaid shouldering 75% of these costs, there is a tremendous need to reverse these trends. Falls carry a heavy impact on quality of life as well as financial. The fear of falling can severely limit older adults’ mobility and cause further physical decline in other areas.

Our annual “Fight the Fall” campaign aims to:

• Drive awareness of physical therapy as a preventative measure for falls

• Increase fall risk screenings to save lives and decrease future healthcare costs

Fight the fall campaign

The start of this 30-day campaign begins with Falls Prevention Awareness Day (FPAD). FPAD raises awareness about how to prevent fall-related injuries among older adults. National, state, and local partners collaborate to educate others about the impact of falls, share fall prevention strategies and promote fall prevention programs. FYZICAL has partnered with Meals on Wheels to spread the message to seniors and help them live healthy, independent lives.

Fall prevention and balance rehabilitation are core services and market differentiators for FYZICAL clinics. FYZICAL franchisees are participating in a month-long initiative to increase the number of fall risk screenings conducted in their clinic and promote fall prevention awareness in their local communities.

FYZICAL clinic owners use our proprietary BodyQ app to test and diagnose whether patients are at risk of fall. Understanding who is at risk for a fall is at the core of fall prevention. Fall Risk Assessments are no different than the breast cancer screenings, colon cancer screenings and other preventative measures.

Physical therapy can play a key role in strengthening balance and giving confidence back to older adults so they can continue to live active, healthy and independent lives. Fall risk assessments will allow our clinic owners to provide balance therapy and fall preventative services to more patients in need – doing our part to aid in saving lives and decreasing heathcare costs.

Franchisees all over the country will make an impact in their communities by participating in this campaign, and ultimately alter the nation by increasing fall prevention measures and awareness. By making a unified effort towards the same goal, our organization will make a huge step towards prevention and independence among older adults. Let’s work together to #FightTheFall!