Understanding the epidemic. Bridging the gap. Caring for your independence.
There is a growing, costly, and largely unnoticed epidemic raging across one of the most vulnerable segments of the population: preventable falls among older adults.
Each year, millions of people 65 and older fall. More than one in four older people fall each year; 3 million are admitted to emergency rooms and one million are hospitalized. One fall doubles the chances of a second fall within a year.
Falls account for over 250,000 hip fractures annually — 27% of those result in death within a year. Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injury in older adults. The estimated annual cost is $50 Billion.
The financial consequences can be catastrophic. The CDC estimates the average cost per fall is about $19,000 — but ongoing costs for hospitalization, rehabilitation, in-home care, or institutionalization can far exceed that.
Even relatively minor fall injuries can trigger Fear of Falling — a self-reinforcing condition experienced by 70% of fall victims. This leads to reduced activity, weaker muscles, poorer balance, greater social isolation, loneliness, and depression — paradoxically increasing the risk of more falls.
Surprisingly, the incidence of falls among seniors in the US is higher than in other developed countries.
94% of older adults at high risk for falls do not receive effective fall prevention training.
A meta study by the National Council on Aging (NCA) found a 52% reduction in falls, a 56% reduction in injurious falls, and an 18% reduction in ER admissions among those participating in well-structured, evidence-based fall prevention programs.
Yet most older adults don’t have access to such programs. Among high-risk seniors, only 40% used rehabilitation services — and of those, only 14% received care that explicitly addressed fall prevention.
Most physical therapy clinics offer "fall prevention" among a long list of services but focus mostly on rehabilitation after a fall.
Fall prevention training isn’t just strength or walking — it’s a complex bodily system integrating visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems, all of which must be engaged. Physical therapists typically focus on general practice; almost none specialize in fall prevention.
That’s exactly where Center of Balance fills the gap.
Proactive. Holistic. Personalized. Compassionate.
We focus on preventing falls from ever happening — not just rehabilitating after they occur.
Home hazards, medications, dehydration, vitamin deficiencies, footwear, alcohol use — we leave nothing to chance.
Dual-task exercises engage both physical and cognitive systems, improving proprioception, executive function, and situational awareness.
Using the Berg Balance Scale, CDC risk assessment, and proprietary tools to deliver precise, personalized programs.
Experienced, caring therapists certified by leading organizations in balance and fall prevention.
Board-certified physical therapist with 20+ years in geriatric care. Certified by the CDC and Academy of Geriatric Therapy.
Vestibular rehabilitation specialist and Feldenkrais-certified practitioner with extensive experience in balance training.
Occupational therapist specializing in home environment modification and adaptive strategies to reduce fall risk.
To empower older adults to live safely, confidently, and independently by providing the most compassionate, evidence-based fall prevention programs available — because no one should lose their independence to a preventable fall.