Healthy Steps for Older Adults

Falls are the leading cause of injury for older adults. Limited physical activity can lead to falls, and fear of falling often causes older people to reduce their activity. To address this threat, the Pennsylvania Department of Aging asked Health Research for Action to help develop the first statewide community-based fall-prevention program in the nation.

We developed and evaluated the pilot program in 2005–2006, and added an ongoing exercise component in 2007. Healthy Steps is now expanding to serve all Pennsylvanians over the age of 50.

The Pennsylvania fall-prevention program includes:

• A series of interactive workshops that address home safety, health care, exercise, and other fall risk factors.
• The full-color Healthy Steps for Older Adults guide, which is a take-home resource.
• Healthy Steps in Motion, an ongoing exercise program and take-home exercise “calendar.”

Pennsylvania’s Healthy Steps for Older Adults Sample Pages	Programa Healthy Steps (Pasos Saludables) para Personas Mayores de Pennsylvania Sample Pages
Pennsylvania’s Healthy Steps in Motion Sample Pages	Healthy Steps (Pasos Saludables) en Movimiento Sample Pages