Older adults and persons with disabilities: fall prevention.

Existing law, the Mello-Granlund Older Californians Act, finds and declares that one in 3 Americans over 65 years of age suffers a fall each year, often in the home, which can cause serious injury and depression. The act establishes the California Department of Aging, and sets forth its duties and powers, including, among other things, entering into a contract for the development of information and materials to educate Californians on the concept of "aging in place" and the benefits of home modification. Existing law also establishes the Senior Housing Information and Support Center within the department for the purpose of providing information and training relating to available innovative resources and senior services, and housing options and home modification alternatives designed to support independent living or living with family. This bill would repeal those provisions relating to the department's provision of information on housing and home modifications for seniors. Existing law establishes the Program for Injury Prevention in the Home Environment, under which the department, through the Senior Housing and Information Support Center, is required to award grants to eligible local level entities for injury prevention information and educational programs and services. This bill would repeal those provisions and would instead establish the Dignity at Home and Fall Prevention Program, which would require the department to provide grants to area agencies on aging for injury prevention information, education, and services for the purpose of enabling older adults and persons with disabilities to live independently in the home environment for as long as possible, as specified. The bill would require the department, in consultation with specified experts knowledgeable in injury prevention for older adults and persons with disabilities, to develop a grant application process, specific performance measures for which grant recipients would be required to report, and training materials for the implementation of these provisions. The bill would require the application process to include the submission of a plan that includes, among other things, the projected number of clients to be served and the array of services to be provided. The bill would provide that funding of these grants is subject to the appropriation of funds by the Legislature in the Budget Act or another statute.