By Vintage | September 2026
When the weather turns colder in the mountains, the risk of falls increases. But fall prevention, when done properly, doesn’t mean you have to stay inside until spring!
National Falls Prevention Awareness Week runs September 21–25, 2026. It’s a week worth revisiting some simple tips to help keep yourself or someone you love safe when snow and ice arrive in our counties.
At Vintage, we offer a variety of services to help you stay active and safe year-round. Here are some of our top tips to prevent falls – and where to find help when you need an extra hand this winter.
What is National Falls Prevention Awareness Week?
National Falls Prevention Awareness Week isn’t new — the National Council on Aging started it in 2008, timed to land during the week fall officially begins.
Since its start, it’s grown into the week senior centers, health systems, and area agencies on aging nationwide use to push the same message: falling isn’t an inevitable part of getting older, and most of what drives the risk is something you can change.
This year, National Falls Prevention Awareness Week runs September 21–25. The week is a great time to revisit some tried-and-true fall prevention methods – and consider where to get help before the winter season fully arrives.
Fall Prevention Safety Tips
Strength and balance exercise is the strongest intervention there is
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends strength and balance exercises for community-dwelling adults 65 and older at increased risk of falling.
When you think about it, it’s interesting: the best-evidenced thing you can do about falling is move more, not move less.
Programs like Otago have been associated with reducing falls by 35 to 40% among older adults, and Stepping On, a seven-week workshop, has been shown to decrease falls by 31%.
A home safety assessment does more than a checklist
A 2023 review found that reducing hazards at home cut the rate of falls by 26% overall and 38% among people at higher risk — and that it worked best when an occupational therapist was involved.
If you’d rather start on your own, the CDC’s free Check for Safety home checklist is a good twenty-minute walk-through. Spanish versions are also available.
Bring your whole medication list to your next appointment
Your next appointment could be a great place to start when preventing a future fall. When you come, bring everything you might be taking each day. Not just prescriptions — over-the-counter items and supplements too. Some affect balance, blood pressure, or alertness in combination.
Get your vision and hearing checked
Vision loss is associated with roughly double the fall risk. Hearing loss is associated with about triple — and using a hearing aid has been associated with cutting that risk in half.
Don’t be afraid to mention if you’ve already fallen
Fewer than half of older adults who fall tell their doctor, and falling once roughly doubles the odds of falling again. Bringing it up is how a fixable cause — a medication interaction, a change in vision — gets caught early.
A few other things that help prevent falls
- Invest in traction devices that pull on over your shoes, and rubber-soled winter boots with real tread. If you use a cane, ice gripper tips with retractable spikes are inexpensive and make a big difference.
- Try trekking poles. Plenty of people here already own them for summer trails. They work just as well on a November sidewalk!
- A pocket of cat litter goes a long way. The National Council on Aging suggests carrying a small bag and tossing a handful ahead of you on slick ground. It’s cheap, it’s a little odd, and it works.
Where to find help in your Colorado county
| County | Who to call | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Summit | Community & Senior Center, Frisco | 970-668-2940 |
| Routt | SOAR (Steamboat, Oak Creek, Hayden) | 970-879-0633 |
| Eagle | Eagle County Healthy Aging | 970-328-8896 |
| Pitkin | Aspen Senior Center | 970-920-5432 |
| Grand | Mountain Family Center / Grand Seniors | 970-887-3222 |
| Jackson | JCCOA / Walden Senior Center | 970-723-3203 |
- Summit 50 Plus runs a Balance & Strength class on Wednesday mornings at the Frisco center, built around agility work to reduce fall risk, plus yoga on Mondays and Fridays.
- Summit County lends durable medical equipment — walkers, crutches, wheelchairs, commodes — at no cost.
- Jackson County runs three vans, one wheelchair-accessible, for medical appointments, shopping, and prescription pickup, plus scheduled monthly trips to Laramie and Steamboat.
Vintage is here to help you stay safe this winter
If you want to find a balance class, get a ride to an eye appointment, borrow a walker, or ask about help with the driveway this winter, call Vintage at 970-455-1067 or visit yourvintage.org.
We serve Eagle, Grand, Jackson, Pitkin, Routt, and Summit counties, and there’s no cost to start the conversation.
FAQ
When is National Falls Prevention Awareness Week in 2026?
September 21–25, 2026. The National Council on Aging holds it each year during the week autumn begins.
What is National Falls Prevention Awareness Week?
It’s an annual observance created by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) in 2008 to raise awareness about how common — and how preventable — falls among older adults are. It’s held every year during the week fall officially begins, and it brings together senior centers, health systems, and area agencies on aging to focus on fall risks and prevention.
What’s the best thing I can do to prevent falls?
Strength and balance exercise has the strongest evidence behind it — the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force gives it a B recommendation for adults 65 and older at increased risk. Several counties here run classes; Summit 50 Plus holds a Balance & Strength class on Wednesday mornings in Frisco.
Is there help with snow, ice, and yard work?
Vintage’s In-Home Services Program offers financial assistance for chore help, including yard work, for eligible residents across all six counties. Call Vintage at 970-531-4087 to ask what’s covered in your area.