The Injury Prevention Research Center at Emory (IPRCE) has received nearly $150,000 in funding from the National Council on Aging and the Administration for Community Living to support fall prevention efforts among older adults in Georgia. The grant will help enhance Georgia’s fall prevention coalition by enabling collaboration with stakeholders across the state.
Jonathan Rupp, PhD, director of IPRCE, stated, “We are so proud to accept this grant to strengthen our fall prevention network and establish best practices for reducing falls among older adults in Georgia. Falls can have a huge impact on a person’s quality of life. Preventing them takes all of us, not just one or two organizations. We’re excited to embark on this cross-sector work and support both older adults and their caregivers.”
Falls are the main cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries among older Americans nationwide. In Georgia, about 30% of people aged 65 or older experience a fall each year. IPRCE aims to reduce these incidents through practical lifestyle changes, evidence-based prevention programs, and collaboration between clinical and community organizations.
The grant will fund an 18-month project during which IPRCE plans to recruit new coalition members, assess current challenges in fall prevention across Georgia, set priorities, and develop new programming to advance fall prevention goals.
Rupp explained further: “Through the distribution of micro-grants and technical assistance, IPRCE aims to increase opportunities for community organizations to implement evidence-based fall prevention programming in communities across Georgia—particularly in rural regions where aging populations face higher risk of injury from falls.”
IPRCE is one of six organizations nationally chosen to expand or enhance existing fall prevention coalitions; six additional organizations are located in states without established coalitions.
To achieve its objectives, IPRCE is partnering with groups such as the Georgia Department of Public Health and Area Agencies on Aging to evaluate local needs and provide training for program implementation. The center is also working with libraries, trauma centers, faith-based groups, and other agencies to improve collaboration within the coalition. These efforts are intended to support evidence-based programs that can help reduce falls and improve safety for older Georgians.
Founded in 1993, IPRCE is a collaborative research center focused on reducing injuries throughout Georgia and the Southeast. Its work includes taskforces on drug safety, transportation safety, traumatic brain injury prevention, violence prevention, injury equity, and fall prevention.
