Preventing falls for older Veterans in primary care
Official title: Development of a Fall Risk Identification and Management Model for Older Veterans
Funded at VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System · NIH-11223317 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will build a personalized program to spot and lower fall risks for older Veterans during VHA primary care visits.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | October 1, 2024 |
| Project end | September 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5IK2RX005024-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11223317 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older Veterans who receive primary care through the VHA, particularly those with prior falls, mobility issues, multiple health conditions, or medications that affect balance, are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Younger people, non-Veterans, or Veterans not seen in VHA primary care (or those already in specialized fall-prevention programs) are unlikely to be helped directly by this project.
What this research studies
You would get a personalized approach called FRIM that helps primary care teams identify things that raise your chance of falling, like medicines, balance problems, or home hazards. The team will design quick tools and training so these checks fit into regular VA primary care visits without taking a lot of extra time. FRIM combines known risk factors across physical, medication, psychological, and environmental areas and creates practical steps your clinic can use to reduce risks. The program will be piloted in VHA clinics to see how well it works in real-world primary care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lower falls and fall-related injuries among older Veterans by making prevention a routine part of primary care.
How similar studies have gone: Other multifactorial fall-prevention programs have helped older adults reduce falls, but adapting a brief, usable version specifically for VHA primary care is less tested.
Where this research is happening
-
VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
Aurora, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Garbin, Alexander Jeffrey — VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
- Study coordinator: Garbin, Alexander Jeffrey
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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SmartGait: a smartphone AI tool to predict fall risk for older adults
A smartphone app uses AI to analyze a simple gait test and predict when a person may fall, helping clinicians tailor prevention for older adults.
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Reducing Fall Risk with Hip Hip Abductor Stimulation During Balance Training
This project tests whether using electrical stimulation on the hip abductors during balance training helps older veterans improve balance and reduce fall risk.
-
Real-life Dual-Task Training for Older Adults at Risk to Fall
A pilot program tests a six-week real-life dual-task training program to help older adults reduce fall risk while doing everyday activities.
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Smartphone coaching to prevent falls after stroke and train researchers
A smartphone-based coaching tool is being developed to help stroke survivors move more safely and reduce fall risk, with training opportunities for students at a major technical university.
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STEADI-based Fall Prevention in Assisted Living Facilities
A plan to test a step-by-step fall-prevention program in eight assisted living facilities to see if it reduces falls, how well it works in real settings, and whether it makes economic sense.
-
Preventing Falls in Older Adults Using Floor Vibrations to Detect Falls and Gait Changes
A new approach aims to detect falls and gait changes in people aged 65 and older by analyzing floor vibrations, with the goal of preventing injuries and reducing fall-related costs.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.