Rounds, King Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Falls Prevention Programs for Veterans
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Angus King (I-Maine) recently introduced bipartisan legislation to help older veterans avoid injuries from costly, dangerous falls. The SAFE STEPS for Veterans Act would establish an Office of Falls Prevention within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and create a falls prevention coordinator role there.
The legislation would also create a pilot program for incorporating falls prevention programs into VA home modification programs, and establish an assessment for veterans to identify those most at risk of falling. Since veterans, on average, have more chronic conditions than their non-veteran counterparts, additional programs would be incredibly important to prevent unnecessary injuries, hospitalizations and expenses associated with falls.
“America’s veterans deserve access to the preventative care solutions that evidence-based slip and fall prevention programs offer,” said Rounds. “It’s our responsibility to make certain veterans have access to these programs so they can live safely and comfortably after giving their time and talents to protect our great nation. I’m proud to join Senator King on the SAFE STEPS for Veterans Act to build and expand fall prevention programs at the VA.”
“We all know the saying that ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,’ so preventative care is a win-win for patients, family support systems, VA beneficiaries and taxpayers,” said King. “The bipartisan SAFE STEPS for Veterans Act will ensure older veterans across the United States have access to a dedicated office and resources solely focused on their health and safety in the falls prevention space. Thanks to my colleague, Senator Rounds, for continuing to prioritize our veterans who gave so much to our country.”
Falls prevention is an interdisciplinary approach that requires screening and coordination among health care providers, referral to community-based falls prevention programs, and addressing home-based risks. However, neither the VA nor VHA currently have a single authority that leads falls prevention efforts for the Department. Additionally, while VA provides funding for home modification programs for certain veterans’ populations, these programs do not incorporate evidence-based falls prevention programs into their work. The VHA also does not include a requirement that veterans at risk be screened, leaving too many veterans susceptible to otherwise preventable falls. South Dakota ranks 2nd nationwide in fall rates among adults ages 65 and over according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Specifically, the SAFE STEPS for Veterans Act would:
- Establish an Office of Falls Prevention and creates a falls prevention coordinator within VHA;
- Relatedly, it would make the falls prevention coordinator the point person on federal panels focused on falls prevention, including the HHS Administration on Community Living’s Interagency Coordinating Committee on Aging.
- Would require the falls prevention coordinator to develop a national education campaign to promote injury prevention programs.
- Require the falls prevention coordinator to work with NIH to develop veterans-specific research for evidence-based falls prevention programs;
- Require a report on Falls Prevention Initiatives in the Department;
- Make improvements to Safe Patient Handling Transfer Techniques, which ensure that injured or paralyzed veterans are safely transferred between seated positions;
- Create a pilot program for current home modification grant programs to incorporate evidence-based falls prevention programs as a component of receipt of grant funding; and
- Establish a Falls Assessment and Fall Prevention Service requirement for veterans to screen for those at risk of falling and to better ensure care plans are developed.
Click HERE for full bill text.
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