Designing for Resilience: The Role of Social Connection in Movement for Fall Prevention

I’m sharing the presentation I did for  day one of the Advancing Resilience of Falls Prevention Summit hosted by the Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging and the Falls Free Wisconsin Coalition. I dive into a topic that often gets overlooked in fall prevention conversations: social disconnection. We explore how social frailty and isolation contributes to cognitive and physical decline, reduced confidence, fear of falling, and ultimately increased fall risk. I share research connecting social exclusion and loneliness to falls and discuss why movement professionals and community leaders need to think beyond physical assessments alone.Throughout the conversation, we explore how movement programs can become powerful social interventions by intentionally creating spaces of belonging, connection, encouragement, and shared experience. We discuss practical ways to build confidence, foster peer relationships, and help participants feel seen, supported, and valued within class environments.Links:⁠Falls Free Wisconsin⁠⁠Wisconsin Institute of Healthy Aging⁠AGEnts of Movement blog post ⁠Designing For Resilience: The Role of Social Connection in Movement Programs for Fall Prevention ⁠