Following an increase in fall-related emergency medical services calls in recent years, Allen officials are launching a fall prevention initiative.
The Allen Fire Department is aiming to reduce falls and fall-related calls by 20% over the next three years through its Steady Together initiative, which launched in January, Community Safety and Prevention Manager Jill Hernandez said.
The context
The fire department has seen a 10% increase in fall-related calls since 2023, according to city documents.
“One in 3 [seniors] will experience a fall this year, with an average of 1 in 17 going to an emergency room,” Hernandez said.
The department also answers many “lift assist” calls, which happen when a senior falls and is uninjured but needs help getting up, Hernandez said.
How it works
The Steady Together initiative has five phases over the next three years and includes education, environmental improvements and community outreach.
Phase 1 began in January and will continue through April, city documents state. This phase includes partnering with four skilled nursing facilities to provide education to seniors that would help decrease fall risks, as well as home visits and free safety improvements.
Phase 2, which will begin in April and continue through May, includes presentations and guidance on reducing fall risk for skilled nursing facility staff and fire department staff personnel, plus follow-up visits for residents.
Phase 3 will last from July to December and include expansion of program initiatives to additional senior living facilities in Allen. Phase 4, which will last for the duration of 2027, includes outreach to residential seniors and collaboration with the Allen Senior Center.
Phase 5 will begin in 2028 and includes bringing education efforts to all individuals over age 55 to proactively prevent falls.
“You get much more value out of preventative measures in community risk reduction if you can prevent the incident from occurring at all,” Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said. “That is way better for everyone, and it's way less costly.”
Get involved
Any fall-preventing equipment, such as a grab bar in a shower, will be installed at no cost to the resident, Hernandez said.
“We wanted to make this as accessible to seniors as possible,” Hernandez said. “We didn't want to give them any burdens or worries.”
The Allen Fire Department is collecting donations of fall-prevention tools, such as:
- ”Grabbers” or reaching tools
- Night lights
- Nonslip bath mats
- Grab bars
- Surge-protected power strips
- Smoke alarms
- Carbon monoxide alarms
- Nonslip socks
Community members can drop off items at 310 Century Parkway, Allen, anytime during regular business hours, the city’s website states. Individuals can also purchase items from the fire department’s Amazon wishlist to support the initiative.
For more information on the Steady Together initiative, visit the Allen Fire Department’s website.
