Caregivers' Guide to Fall Prevention

Are you caring for an older adult in your life – a parent, a spouse, a friend, a neighbour? Do you know that falls are the No. 1 cause in Canada for injury-related hospitalizations for older adults? You want to help prevent the person you care for from being injured in a fall: but how? Often, fall prevention efforts for older adults focus on the person at risk of a fall, or healthcare professionals. Caregivers are not always given the attention they deserve as an essential part of helping the people they care for prevent falls. This limited-series seven-episode podcast from Parachute, Canada’s national charity dedicated to injury prevention, provides what you need as a caregiver – whether it’s understanding how a fall can change a person’s life, how to know someone’s risk of falling, practical actions that can be taken to prevent a fall, and what to do should a fall happen. As a caregiver, you play an important role, promoting independence and improving the quality of life of the person you care for. We hope this podcast provides you with information and tools you find helpful and useful, supports you in your caregiving journey, and gives you a sense that you’re not alone.

Episodes

Introduction to the Caregivers Guide to Fall Prevention

March 31, 2026 • 6 mins

The Caregivers' Guide to Fall Prevention comes from Parachute, Canada's national charity dedicated to injury prevention. In this introduction, you'll hear what's included in the guide, how we developed the information working with people providing volunteer care for older adults, and you'll also hear a message from Cathy Ford, who cared for her husband in the last years of his life as he lived with Parkinson's.

Your narrator is Mae...

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About the Caregivers' Guide to Fall Prevention

March 31, 2026 • 3 mins

This guide provides simple and practical information for caregivers about fall prevention. In Canada, millions of people like you provide care to someone 65 years of age or older.

Caregivers are commonly family members, friends and community members who provide physical and/or emotional support to someone needing care. Many caregivers are also facing their own challenges related to their caregiver role, their own aging and can also ...

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Understanding the risk of falls: Taking the first steps

March 31, 2026 • 2 mins

Most falls happen at home. Falls can also happen outside – such as on front doorsteps or an icy driveway – or while out and about in the community.

The reasons that make someone more likely to fall are known as “risk factors”. Risk factors for falls can include things such as:
• Older age
• Mobility, balance and strength issues
• Certain health conditions (e.g., arthritis, cognitive impairment, Parkinson’s)
• Taking multiple medications
...

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Preventing falls: Taking the next steps together

March 31, 2026 • 22 mins

In this episode, you’ll find practical tips and strategies for preventing falls. You'll find out why certain things can increase the risk of falls and what you can do to address them:
• Blood pressure management
• Eye health and vision
• Footwear
• Hearing health
• Home modifications, equipment and devices
• Medications
• Mental and emotional health
• Movement and physical activity
• Moving safely
• Staying hydrated and drinking water.

At the...

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What to do if a fall happens: How to help safely

March 31, 2026 • 11 mins

Knowing how to safely help the person you care for if they fall is important for their safety and yours. Learn about how and when to help someone get up and when the fallen person needs medical attention.

Rehearse how to recover from a fall with the person you care for using the Fall Action Plan, which outlines what to do if an older person falls when they are alone.

Finally, it's a good idea to document the circumstances of a fall, ...

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A conversation guide for caregivers: Starting a conversation about falls

March 31, 2026 • 5 mins

Starting a conversation with the person you care for about preventing falls isn’t easy. Caregiving can be complex and for some, having these types of conversations about how to prevent falls are extremely difficult. And that’s OK. Listen to this episode for tips on how have those tough conversations.

This episode is one part of The Caregivers' Guide to Fall Prevention. You can access the full guide, including all the checklists and ...

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Building your care team

March 31, 2026 • 6 mins

Caregiving can be a lot to handle, especially if only one or two people are doing most of the work. Building a care team can help.

Having others - such as family members, friends, neighbours, and professionals - to talk to and problem-solve with can make caregiving more manageable and less overwhelming.

When it comes to preventing and managing falls, there are professionals and community services that can help. Learn about the profes...

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