Taking steps to prevent falls

COLUMBUS — September is Falls Prevention Awareness Month in Ohio. Approximately one in three Ohioans age 65 or older will fall this year, yet falls are not a normal part of aging and most falls can be prevented. The Ohio Department of Aging, through its STEADY U Ohio falls prevention initiative, is once again hosting the 10 Million Steps to Prevent Falls campaign to raise awareness and connect older Ohioans with information and resources to help them lower their risk.

“A single fall can dramatically affect not just the older adult who took the tumble, but also their family, friends, and communities,” said Ursel J. McElroy, director of the department. “10 Million Steps to Prevent Falls engages everyone in Ohio to understand that we all have a role to play to help older adults remain safe and healthy.”

The goal of 10 Million Steps to Prevent Falls is to get Ohioans of all ages to walk at least one mile during the month of September in the name of falls prevention.

You can participate in one of four ways:

1. Walk a mile and share a picture. Walk at least one mile during September and post a picture of you walking to social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram) with the hashtags #10MStepsOH and #PreventFalls.

2. Attend or host a walking event. 10 Million Steps walking events provide an opportunity for people to gather and walk a mile or more to raise awareness of older adult falls.

3. Join or organize a walking group. Gather one or more friends, family members, neighbors, or co-workers and walk together or individually on one or more occasion.

4. Participate in an online webinar. Beginning Sept. 13, the Ohio Department of Aging and their STEADY U Ohio partners will post a series of on-demand falls prevention webinars featuring experts discussing simple things you can do to reduce your risk of falling.

More information about participating is available at the 10 Million Steps to Prevent Falls webpage, Aging.ohio. gov/10millionsteps.

The website includes statewide lists of walking events and groups, guides for planning events or groups, webinar links and more.

In 2019, Ohioans contributed more than 126 million steps to the statewide campaign.