Guest blog by Dorothea K. Vafiadis, Senior Director, National Council on Aging
As we mark World Osteoporosis Day on October 20, it’s a powerful reminder that bone health and fall prevention are inseparable, especially for women.
The National Council on Aging (NCOA) has released a new 2025 National Falls Prevention Action Plan that shines a light on a critical issue: women are far more likely than men to experience a fall and suffer serious injuries, such as fractures or head injuries. This plan provides a roadmap for action, one that recognizes women’s unique risks, needs, and opportunities for prevention.
The Plan: Six Goals for Action
The 2025 National Falls Prevention Action Plan identifies six goals to address this growing public health challenge and to empower women to take control of their health:
- Expand Public Awareness and Messaging. Too many women believe that falls are “just part of getting older.” The plan calls for targeted messaging, especially for women at risk of osteoporosis, to emphasize that falls are preventable through lifestyle and environmental changes, including home modifications.
- Broaden and Sustain Funding and Investment. Sustainable funding ensures access to programs that reach women in every community, particularly those who are isolated, live alone, or face socioeconomic barriers.
- Increase Implementation of Evidence-Based Interventions. Programs like Tai Chi for Arthritis and Falls Prevention and A Matter of Balance are proven to help women build strength, flexibility, and confidence. The results speak for themselves: participants in falls prevention programs experience a 56% reduction in falls resulting in injuries and a 26% reduction in hospital admissions, according to NCOA data. Using that same data, researchers estimate that a $45 million annual investment in falls prevention could generate $1 billion in savings for Medicare and Medicaid.
- Foster Cross-Sector Partnerships. Preventing falls among women requires coordination among clinicians, community health workers, fitness professionals, and advocates for women’s health and equity.
- Promote Technology, Innovation, and Product Solutions. Wearable devices, smart home sensors, and fall-detection technologies can give women greater autonomy and peace of mind.
- Improve Data, Surveillance, and Research. We need more targeted fall prevention strategies that reflect the complex and gendered realities of aging. Stronger data help us understand why women fall more often and what interventions work best across different life stages.
What Women and Organizations Can Do
Women can:
- Engage in regular balance, strength, and mobility exercises.
- Have regular bone density, vision, and hearing checks.
- Review medications with their doctor to identify those that increase fall risk.
- Make their homes safer by improving lighting, adding grab bars, and removing trip hazards.
- Avoid wearing socks around the house unless they have grip-pads on them.
- Speak openly about fear of falling; it’s a common and manageable concern.
Organizations can:
- Offer evidence-based fitness and fall prevention programs tailored to women’s needs.
- Improve professional education about falls prevention and interventions.
- Promote the integration of fall risk assessments into women’s health visits.
- Partner with local agencies to reach women where they live, work, and socialize.
- Advocate for expanded funding to support evidence-based falls prevention programs, including physical activity programs, tailored for women.
Why NCOA Created This Framework
Falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths among older adults, and they are not an inevitable part of aging. Yet every year, one in four older adults falls, with women experiencing a disproportionate share of the burden. Women are more likely to live longer, develop osteoporosis or low bone density, and sustain injuries that compromise mobility and independence. Fear of falling is also more common among women, which can lead to reduced activity, muscle loss, and an even higher risk of falls. This is a vicious cycle that NCOA aims to break.
As Harvard’s Dr. Suzanne Salamon points out, “A lot of people know someone who has fallen and broken a bone, or had a parent who did, so they know it’s possible in their future. But it’s definitely not inevitable.” This perspective underscores the message at the heart of the Action Plan: falls are preventable, and proactive steps can make a real difference.
The new framework builds on nearly two decades of national collaboration through NCOA’s Falls Free® Initiative, bringing together experts across health care, public health, aging services, and community organizations. The goal: to align efforts around a shared vision that every woman can age with confidence, mobility, and safety.
What’s Next
The 2025 National Falls Prevention Action Plan is more than a framework: it’s an invitation to action. NCOA will continue to collaborate with partners nationwide to expand programs, share data, and raise awareness about women’s fall risk. The next step is to put this guide into practice, translating knowledge into programs that reach every woman, in every community.
Together, we can make falls prevention a cornerstone of women’s health and ensure every woman can live stronger, longer, and free from the fear of falling.
Photo credit: Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images for National Council on Aging