WASHINGTON, D.C. –With Maine losing hundreds of residents each year from household falls, Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today is announcing legislation which would help older Maine people “Stand Strong” and avoid injuries from falls. The Stand Strong legislative package would encourage proactive home modifications and increase access to preventative screenings for older Americans to keep them thriving while avoiding costly injuries. The package includes the reintroduction of the Preventative Home Visits Act and the WELL Seniors Act. These bills would expand Medicare benefits to cover home modifications, ensure the accessibility of telehealth services and include comprehensive screenings during Medicare Annual Wellness Visits.

On a percentage basis, Maine leads the nation with the largest 65 and older population. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), falls are the leading cause of injury for adults ages 65 years and older. In 2021, there were 325 deaths in Maine attributed to older adult falls and Maine ranked 8th highest in the nation per capita on the rate of deaths due to falls.

“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, Medicare beneficiaries and taxpayers,” said Senator King. “The ‘Stand Strong’ legislative package will ensure older Maine people have access to preventative care like home modifications and telehealth accessibility — hopefully leading to less falls and injuries which are costly for the patient and taxpayers alike. I’m thankful to my colleague and co-founder of the Congressional Task Force on Falls Prevention, Representative Lois Frankel for her help in making sure older Americans across all communities can continue to thrive.”

“We applaud Senator King’s leadership in advancing proven strategies to reduce falls among older adults. Strengthening Medicare annual wellness visits to address falls risk screenings, expanding access to home safety improvements, and conducting an outreach campaign and program evaluation are important steps forward. We look forward to working with partners in Maine and across the country to help make the case for these long-overdue policy improvements," said Ramsey Alwin, the President of the National Council on Aging.

Across the nation over 3 million older people are treated in emergency rooms for fall injuries each year, and over 800,000 patients are hospitalized because of a fall injury. Additionally, the financial impact of treating falls related injuries costs the nation $50 billion annually for the effects of these falls.

This ‘Stand Strong’ legislative package is accompanied by the creation of the Congressional Task Force on Falls Prevention, co-founded by Senator King and Congresswoman Frankel.

Later this week, Senator King will interview Representative Frankel and Peggy Haynes, a consultant for MaineHealth and previously the organization’s Senior Director of Healthy Aging, during his “Inside Maine” podcast which drops on Saturday, September 30.

###