One in 4 older Americans fall every year
Falls are costly
Falls disrupt lives – often the start of medical decline
An average fall can cost 50 times the price of a grab bar installation
Exercise and balance programs like Matter of Balance or STEADI are just not sticky.
Reactive, person-centered home modifications projects
are complex
time consuming
expensive
And aren’t preventive
Permanent
Don’t need to be medicalized
Work for everyone in the household…not just the person taking the class
Low cost
Don’t need to be associated with disability or frailty
84% of older adults said it’s very or somewhat likely that they’ll live in their current home for the rest of their lives
80% of those have done nothing to prepare their homes to age in place
93% of older Canadians would take a grab bar if it were installed for free