---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 280b–1f"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "280b–1f"
heading: "Prevention of falls among older adults"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/280b-1f"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter II — General Powers and Duties"
  - "Part J — Prevention and Control of Injuries"
---

# §280b–1f. Prevention of falls among older adults

- (a) **Public education—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may—
  - (1) oversee and support a national education campaign to be carried out by a nonprofit organization with experience in designing and implementing national injury prevention [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4), that is directed principally to older adults, their [families](/usc/42/12704.md?p=11), and [health care providers](/usc/42/300jj.md?p=3), and that focuses on reducing falls among older adults and preventing repeat falls; and
  - (2) award grants, contracts, or cooperative [agreements](/usc/42/1320b–8.md?p=a-3-A) to qualified organizations, institutions, or consortia of qualified organizations and institutions, specializing, or demonstrating expertise, in falls or fall prevention, for the purpose of organizing [State](/usc/42/300gg–91.md?p=d-14)-level coalitions of appropriate [State](/usc/42/300gg–91.md?p=d-14) and local agencies, safety, health, senior citizen, and other organizations to design and carry out local education campaigns, focusing on reducing falls among older adults and preventing repeat falls.
- (b) **Research—**
  - (1) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may—
    - (A) conduct and support research to—
      - (i) improve the identification of older adults who have a high risk of falling;
      - (ii) improve data collection and analysis to identify fall risk and protective factors;
      - (iii) design, implement, and evaluate the most effective fall prevention interventions;
      - (iv) improve strategies that are proven to be effective in reducing falls by tailoring these strategies to specific populations of older adults;
      - (v) conduct research in order to maximize the dissemination of proven, effective fall prevention interventions;
      - (vi) intensify proven interventions to prevent falls among older adults;
      - (vii) improve the diagnosis, [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11), and rehabilitation of elderly fall victims and older adults at high risk for falls; and
      - (viii) assess the risk of falls occurring in various settings;
    - (B) conduct research concerning barriers to the adoption of proven interventions with respect to the prevention of falls among older adults;
    - (C) conduct research to develop, implement, and evaluate the most effective approaches to reducing falls among high-risk older adults living in communities and long-term care and assisted living [facilities](/usc/42/11049.md?p=4); and
    - (D) evaluate the effectiveness of community [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) designed to prevent falls among older adults.
  - (2) **Educational support—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c), either directly or through awarding grants, contracts, or cooperative [agreements](/usc/42/1320b–8.md?p=a-3-A) to qualified organizations, institutions, or consortia of qualified organizations and institutions, specializing, or demonstrating expertise, in falls or fall prevention, may provide professional education for [physicians](/usc/42/1395cc–4.md?p=a-2-E) and allied health professionals, and aging [service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) providers in fall prevention, evaluation, and management.
- (c) **Demonstration projects—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may carry out the following:
  - (1) Oversee and support demonstration and research [projects](/usc/42/11360.md?p=20) to be carried out by qualified organizations, institutions, or consortia of qualified organizations and institutions, specializing, or demonstrating expertise, in falls or fall prevention, in the following areas:
    - (A) A multistate [demonstration project](/usc/42/16281.md?p=d-2) assessing the utility of targeted fall risk screening and referral [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4).
    - (B) [Programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) designed for community-dwelling older adults that utilize multicomponent fall intervention approaches, including physical activity, medication assessment and reduction when possible, vision enhancement, and home [modification](/usc/42/7501.md?p=4) strategies.
    - (C) [Programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) that are targeted to new fall victims who are at a high risk for second falls and which are designed to maximize [independence](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=1-B) and quality of life for older adults, particularly those older adults with functional limitations.
    - (D) Private sector and public-private partnerships to develop technologies to prevent falls among older adults and prevent or reduce injuries if falls occur.
  - (2)
    - (A) Award grants, contracts, or cooperative [agreements](/usc/42/1320b–8.md?p=a-3-A) to qualified organizations, institutions, or consortia of qualified organizations and institutions, specializing, or demonstrating expertise, in falls or fall prevention, to design, implement, and evaluate fall prevention [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) using proven intervention strategies in residential and institutional settings.
    - (B) Award 1 or more grants, contracts, or cooperative [agreements](/usc/42/1320b–8.md?p=a-3-A) to 1 or more qualified organizations, institutions, or consortia of qualified organizations and institutions, specializing, or demonstrating expertise, in falls or fall prevention, in order to carry out a multistate [demonstration project](/usc/42/16281.md?p=d-2) to implement and evaluate fall prevention [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) using proven intervention strategies designed for [single](/usc/42/2304.md?p=m) and multifamily residential settings with high concentrations of older adults, including—
      - (i) identifying high-risk populations;
      - (ii) evaluating residential [facilities](/usc/42/11049.md?p=4);
      - (iii) conducting screening to identify high-risk individuals;
      - (iv) providing fall assessment and risk reduction interventions and counseling;
      - (v) coordinating [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) with health care and social [service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) providers; and
      - (vi) coordinating post-fall [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) and rehabilitation.
  - (3) Award 1 or more grants, contracts, or cooperative [agreements](/usc/42/1320b–8.md?p=a-3-A) to qualified organizations, institutions, or consortia of qualified organizations and institutions, specializing, or demonstrating expertise, in falls or fall prevention, to conduct evaluations of the effectiveness of the [demonstration projects](/usc/42/16281.md?p=d-2) described in this subsection.
- (d) **Priority—** In awarding grants, contracts, or cooperative [agreements](/usc/42/1320b–8.md?p=a-3-A) under this section, the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may give priority to entities that explore the use of [cost-sharing](/usc/42/18022.md?p=c-3-A) with respect to activities funded under the grant, contract, or [agreement](/usc/42/1320b–8.md?p=a-3-A) to ensure the institutional commitment of the [recipients](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=6) of such assistance to the [projects](/usc/42/11360.md?p=20) funded under the grant, contract, or [agreement](/usc/42/1320b–8.md?p=a-3-A). Such non-Federal cost sharing contributions may be provided directly or through donations from public or [private entities](/usc/42/12181.md?p=6) and may be in cash or in-kind, fairly evaluated, including plant, equipment, or [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a).
- (e) **Study of effects of falls on health care costs—**
  - (1) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may conduct a review of the effects of falls on health care costs, the potential for reducing falls, and the most effective strategies for reducing health care costs associated with falls.
  - (2) **Report—** If the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) conducts the review under [paragraph (1)](#e-1), the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall, not later than 36 months after April 23, 2008, submit to Congress a report describing the findings of the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) in conducting such review.

## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, § 393D, as added Pub. L. 110–202, § 2(2), Apr. 23, 2008, 122 Stat. 697.)