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HHS has named eight recipients for a $27.8 million, three-year initiative to prevent falls among older adults. The awards will support expansion of the CDC’s STEADI program and the community-based Stepping On program; each recipient is set to receive $1,940,162, subject to fund availability.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has named eight recipients for a $27.8 million, three-year initiative to reduce falls among older adults, including two organizations that provide or support home-based care. The awards are intended to expand fall-prevention programs and connect health care providers with community organizations.
HHS said the funding will support three fall-prevention programs, with goals that include expanding programs described as proven, strengthening links between health care and community organizations, and helping state and local groups prevent falls. Each of the eight named recipients is set to receive $1,940,162, subject to fund availability, according to the department.
The recipients are Health Research, Inc.; the Maryland Department of Health; CHPcommunity, Inc., doing business as Iowa Community HUB; AgeOptions, Inc.; Texas A&M University; Partners In Care Foundation; Central Maine Area Agency on Aging; and The Oasis Institute. The source report says the awards will expand two programs: the CDC’s Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries initiative, known as STEADI, and the community-based Stepping On program.
STEADI aims to help health care providers screen for, assess and address fall risk. Stepping On works with older adults on strength and balance and on identifying fall-related risks, according to the report. Central Maine Area Agency on Aging offers adult day services, personal support through its Bridges program, meals and caregiver support. Partners In Care Foundation provides care management, in-home assessments, care-transition support and community-based health programs.
Funding Extends Prevention Into Communities
Falls are a substantial source of health care use among older adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that falls lead to about 4.5 million emergency department visits and 1.4 million hospitalizations each year. The figures describe annual visits and hospitalizations; they do not specify how many individual people are affected or how many incidents the new awards could prevent.
The initiative’s emphasis on health care and community partnerships may matter for people receiving services at home. Organizations that conduct in-home assessments or provide personal support can help identify potential risks in a person’s living environment, while clinical and community programs may offer screening, support and activities focused on balance and strength. HHS says the investments are intended to reduce injuries and health care costs and help older adults remain safely in their homes and communities. Those are the department’s stated aims, not reported results from this funding round.
The awards also place funding across a mix of public agencies, nonprofit organizations and an academic institution. That spread gives the initiative multiple local and regional partners, though the available report does not describe each recipient’s service area, planned activities or the number of people each will reach.
Home Care Joins Broader Fall Prevention Effort
Fall prevention is already part of some home-care providers’ training and care models. Home Health Care News reported that Bayada Home Health Care introduced its Enhanced Quality of Care Model in 2025. The model assesses clients’ risk of falls and other incidents so caregivers can intervene sooner, according to the outlet’s report.
In a previous interview with Home Health Care News, Matthew Kroll, Bayada’s practice president of personal care services, said the model could improve outcomes and support negotiations with payers. That is an attributed assessment from a company executive; the current report does not provide independent outcome data for the model.
The outlet also reported that TheKey, a home-care provider operating in the United States, Canada and Australia, has a mandatory training program intended to reduce falls. Mansi Mehta, the company’s vice president of human resource operations, previously told the publication that training covers safe transfers and supporting clients at home, with the aim of reducing injury risk and building caregiver skills. These examples provide industry context but are separate from the HHS awards and are not listed as recipients.
““The training involves how you support a client in their home and perform safe transfers that not only help reduce any form of injury for our caregivers, but also it’s building their confidence, strengthening their skill sets, building new skills. That’s all promoting safety for our clients.””
— Mansi Mehta, TheKey’s vice president of human resource operations, in a previous interview with Home Health Care News
Award Plans and Outcomes Still Undetailed
The report does not provide detailed work plans for the eight recipients, including how much each will spend on STEADI or Stepping On, how activities will be divided among locations, or how many older adults will be served. HHS says each award is subject to fund availability, but the available information does not specify disbursement schedules or whether funding conditions could change individual amounts.
It is also unclear what measures HHS will use to evaluate the initiative, when results will be reported, and what reductions in falls, injuries, hospitalizations or costs the department expects. The CDC figures cited for annual emergency department visits and hospitalizations describe the broader burden of falls; they are not a forecast of the program’s impact. No results from the new awards are available yet.
Recipients Begin Three-Year Expansion
The awards are intended to fund work over three years, with recipients expected to help expand STEADI and Stepping On and strengthen local connections between health care providers and community organizations. The source report does not give start dates, individual project timelines or a schedule for public progress reports.
Further detail from HHS or the recipients would clarify where programs will operate, how older adults can take part, and how award activities will be tracked. Until those plans and evaluation measures are made public, the initiative’s reach and effect on falls and health care use remain unknown.
Key Questions
How much funding did HHS announce?
HHS named recipients for a $27.8 million fund covering three years. Each of the eight recipients is set to receive $1,940,162, subject to fund availability, according to HHS.
Which organizations were named?
The recipients are Health Research, Inc.; the Maryland Department of Health; CHPcommunity, Inc., doing business as Iowa Community HUB; AgeOptions, Inc.; Texas A&M University; Partners In Care Foundation; Central Maine Area Agency on Aging; and The Oasis Institute.
Which programs will the awards expand?
The awards will expand the CDC’s STEADI initiative, which helps health care providers address fall risk, and Stepping On, a community program focused on strength, balance and fall-related risks, according to the report.
How are home-based care organizations involved?
Two recipients support care at home: Central Maine Area Agency on Aging and Partners In Care Foundation. Their services include personal support, care management, in-home assessments and community-based health programs.
Are the awards already shown to reduce falls?
No results from the new funding are reported. HHS has stated its intended benefits, but details about recipient plans, evaluation measures and program outcomes are not yet available.
Source: rss
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