Falls pose a real risk to both health and quality of life, especially for individuals aged 65 and above. Every day, around 1,000 older individuals experience falls in Israel, indicating that one-third of older adults in the country will encounter a fall at least once.

While not all falls result in significant injuries, certain falls can lead to injuries, fractures, and, in severe cases, fatalities. Falls are the leading cause of hip fractures at older ages.

In 2017, the Ministry of Health launched the National Fall Prevention Program to save lives, to prevent morbidity, and to promote the level of health and functioning.

Writing the program was shared by the Ministry of Health, as well as numerous professionals from various expertise fields, including the Health Division, the EfshariBari Program, the National Insurance Institute’s nursing fund, Joint-Israel Eshel, the National Geriatrics Division, the Healthy Cities Program, and the Ministry for Social Equality.

The program is one of several initiatives undertaken by the Ministry of Health to address the challenges associated with aging and to proactively prepare for it. These programs aim to enhance the quality of life for older adults and minimize medical deterioration for as long as possible.

The aims and targets of the National Fall Prevention Program

• To promote awareness among healthcare professionals and the general public regarding falls, as well as prevention and treatment measures
• To reduce the occurrence of falls through primary prevention, which involves establishing an infrastructure for a healthy lifestyle
• To enhance health and maintain the functionality of older adults by ensuring accessibility to healthcare services
• To maintain home environmental safety
• To conduct research and development

Implementing the Fall Prevention Program

The program involves the creation of communication initiatives targeting both the general public and professional audiences. It provides incentives to the HMOs and offers rehabilitation services following falls. Additionally, the program includes home visits by professionals to assess the safety of the home environment. Furthermore, local authorities collaborate through incentive systems to encourage healthy nutrition and suitable physical activity, aiming to prevent falls. They also implement the Healthy Cities Program, which focuses on creating age-friendly environments for older residents.

Additionally, the program includes nationwide intervention in the health system to improve identification and assessment of falls among older adults, and intervention according to the individual’s level of risk:

• Detection of fall hazards – past falls, walking difficulties and balance issues
• Detection of unique fall hazards such as in the field of drug therapy
• Implementing a diagnosis of fall hazard in the HMOs computer systems
• Falls monitoring in the community and hospitals
• Providing incentives to healthcare workers for performing control measurements for older adults
• Training medical teams to implement the Fall Prevention Program, including identifying and assessing fall risks, guiding older individuals in performing physical activities, and providing personalized fall prevention guidance based on individual risk factors
• Defining guidelines and standards for optimal treatment of fall prevention
• Making function rehabilitation treatment accessible for individuals experiencing walking difficulties and balance issues

The program aims to encourage research and development efforts by creating national data resources, such as establishment of a national registrar for falls, funding applied studies on fall prevention, coordinating information between the HMOs and the National Insurance Institute, conducting a research follow-up on the implementation of the intervention programs and their achievements, and developing digital solutions for fall prevention.