October 2026 Newsletter: Texas Takes On Falls, One Step at a Time

ROOTED Summit recap, Falls Prevention Awareness Week across Texas, and conference highlights.

MONTHLY NEWS & UPDATES  |  OCTOBER 2026 In This Issue In the October newsletter we celebrate last month’s Falls Prevention Awareness Week activities held by Texas Takes on Falls Coalition members. We also look back at ROOTED, the Texas Summit on Falls Prevention, Caregiving, and Living Well at Home, as well as other conferences that advanced aging well. ● ROOTED Summit Tells a Fall’s Journey with Heart, Wisdom ● Falls Prevention Awareness Week ● Aging in Texas Conference ● USAging Conference and Tradeshow ROOTED 2026 Summit ROOTED Summit Tells a Fall’s Journey with Heart, Wisdom Care recipients, caregivers, and professionals shared the full story of a fall, from prevention to coming home. With humor, wisdom, and brave transparency, some older adult care recipients, caregivers, and healthcare and aging-services professionals shared the stage September 17 at ROOTED: A Texas Summit on Falls Prevention, Caregiving, and Living Well at Home. The day-long event at the Hurst Conference Center explored the full journey surrounding a fall, from prevention and emergency response to recovery, care transitions, and living well at home. More than a conference, it was an opportunity for people across sectors and communities to listen, learn, connect, and begin imagining what stronger support can look like before, during, and after a fall. The sessions were anchored by personal video vignettes featuring Texas Healthy at Home CEO Christina Bartha and her mother, Mary. They told the story of Mary’s own fall, hospitalization, recovery, and homecoming. “I have spent years working in falls prevention and healthy aging, but after my mother’s fall, I suddenly found myself experiencing this work from an entirely different perspective, not as a professional, but as a daughter and family caregiver.” CHRISTINA BARTHA, THAH CEO ◆ Persistence and Love Along with powerful statistics, the Summit was filled with smart, practical tips plus inspirational stories of dogged persistence and selfless love. Who could forget the Baby Boomer, former competitive bodybuilder, and law-enforcement professional who, along with his wife, faced major life adjustments after a fall and subsequent accident that put him in a wheelchair for a while. Or the retired CPA in his mid-70s with his own health concerns who headed to the ground to shield his mother-in-law from injury as she fell. IN THEIR WORDS “When you’re in a wheelchair, the end of the house seems 3 miles away.” Heart LIVING THE JOURNEY “It created a ‘stir’ in our relationship.” “I have to plan every step.” “I’m his partner in this.” “You don’t know anything about home modification until you need to know everything about home modification.” Wisdom WHAT ATTENDEES WANT US TO KNOW Think of assets instead of deficits. Have a key lock box outside your home to prevent EMS from breaking your door or window to reach you. Put programs and flyers where people are. Let’s have more programs for caregiver and care recipient dyads together. The Summit was presented by Texas Takes on Falls (TTOF) and Texas Healthy at Home (THAH). THAH administers TTOF and co-leads the Coalition with WellMed Charitable Foundation. ◆ Scale and Implementation The keynote speaker was Carol Zernial, Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility and Executive Director of the WellMed Charitable Foundation. She is a nationally recognized Gerontologist with more than 30 years of experience advancing the health and well-being of older adults and family caregivers. 1 in 4 older adults falls each year. Prevention works, Carol said. The challenge is scale and implementation. Carol pointed out that one in four older adults falls each year. We know prevention works, she said, but we have a scale and implementation problem. And prevention is scaled by matching the intensity and cost of the intervention to the person’s level of risk: “the right intervention for the right people at the right time.” “We are a medicalized society,” she said, but noted that the emphasis should be on “assets instead of deficits.” ◆ The Journey, in Three Panels 1 The Fall The ramifications of a fall and the immediate aftermath   MODERATOR  Dr. Marcia Ory, Regents and Distinguished Professor, Texas A&M University School of Public Health Paula Green, Trauma Injury Prevention and Outreach Coordinator, Texas Health Resources Fort Worth Keith Jones, Advent Health Terri Scherer, Mindful Arts Lab, and her husband Hugh Scherer, retired American Airlines Crew Chief 2 Recovery What healing and adjustment really take   MODERATOR  Suzie Ryer, Service Line Director of Senior Services and Integrative Medicine, and Primary Care Service Line Administrator, Advocate Health’s Wisconsin and Illinois Division Jennifer Scott, Director, Area Agency on Aging of the Capital Area, Capital Area Council of Governments, Austin Trace Schwerman, Accessibility Specialist and CEO and Co-Founder, Enduring Home Solutions Dr. Dona Murphey, Founder and CEO, PrognosUs, with her father S.J. Kim, retired CPA, and her mother Sunnie Kim, retired Accountant 3 Coming Home Life back at home, and the future   MODERATOR  Shawn Craig, Program Specialist IV, Community Services, Texas Health and Human Services Connie Assiff, Community Health Worker Instructor and Certified Tai Chi Senior Trainer, and her husband Charles Assiff, former competitive bodybuilder and law enforcement professional Gabriela Hamadneh, Care Coordination Manager, Area Agency on Aging of Tarrant County Eva Trevino, Vice President of Community Relations, WellMed Medical Management ◆ Having Their Say Jessica Martone, Training and Education Coordinator for Travis County Health and Human Services, engAGE Travis County, led an interactive polling activity related to falls prevention. Attendees used their phones to give their opinions on multiple choice questions such as, “Where do you see the greatest opportunity to grow falls prevention awareness in your community?” and “If you could help advance public awareness, how would you want to contribute?” Attendees added their hopes to the ROOTED tree. ◆ Coalition Awards Christina Bartha and Gerrod Allen, Regional Manager of WellMed Medical Management, Inc., presented three Texas Takes on Falls Coalition awards. Dr. Marcia Ory accepts the Outstanding Partner Award. From left: Jamye Taylor, Christina Bartha, Dr. Marcia Ory, Hilton Gilbert, and Jennifer Gardiner. Outstanding Coalition Member Award recipient Connie Assiff with her husband, Charles Assiff.   OUTSTANDING COALITION MEMBER AWARD Connie Assiff This award recognizes an individual member whose engagement, leadership, and generosity have strengthened the Coalition and helped advance its work. As a certified Community Health Worker Instructor and Certified Tai Chi Senior Trainer, Connie has spent her career training and mentoring the Community Health Workers who carry falls-prevention education into neighborhoods across Texas, multiplying the Coalition’s reach. In memory of Don Smith. The Donald R. Smith Community Impact Award is named in memory of Don Smith, the late founder and CEO of Texas Healthy at Home and co-lead of the Texas Takes on Falls Coalition. Don was a visionary and mentor to many people in the aging field. He spent his career advocating for older adults, people with disabilities, and their caregivers. DONALD R. SMITH COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD Heather Walston, RN This award recognizes an individual or organization whose work has made a measurable difference for older Texans in their own community. As a Registered Nurse, Heather has brought clinical expertise and genuine compassion to the work of keeping older adults safe at home, exactly the kind of community impact this award was created to honor. OUTSTANDING PARTNER AWARD Center for Community Health and Aging, Texas A&M University School of Public Health This honor goes to an organization that has gone above and beyond in its partnership with TTOF, through funding, resources, expertise, and simply showing up for the Coalition’s work repeatedly. Accepting the award was Dr. Marcia G. Ory, a Regents and Distinguished Professor whose decades of research have helped translate falls-prevention science into real programs for real communities, including much of the evidence base Coalition members rely on every day. NEXGEN IN AGING AWARD Austin John Jones Shakita Johnson and Austin John Jones After the Coalition awards, Shakita Johnson, Esq., LBSW, EVP, Chief Aging Services Officer, Area Agency on Aging of Tarrant County, United Way of Tarrant County, presented the Area Agency on Aging of Tarrant County’s NexGen In Aging Award to Austin John Jones. Austin is a student at The Oakridge School whose passion for service, medicine, and innovation drives his commitment to improving the lives of others. He founded The Walk It Forward Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has coordinated the donation and distribution of more than 1,000 mobility devices valued at over $110,000. An aspiring physician, Austin has published two research papers spanning neuroscience, adolescent medical trust, memory, and mental-health diagnosis. A Congressional Award Gold Medal recipient, Austin is also an accomplished tennis player, vocalist, student leader, and creator of the Athlete Ally wellness app. Join the Conversation “We are incredibly grateful to everyone who attended, presented, served on a panel, volunteered, exhibited, sponsored, or otherwise helped make the ROOTED Summit possible. The conversations started at ROOTED will continue through Texas Healthy at Home and the Texas Takes on Falls Coalition.” CHRISTINA BARTHA, THAH CEO Interested in future educational programs, Coalition participation, partnership opportunities, or connecting in some other way? Please let us know. Email Hilton Gilbert Hilton Gilbert, Coalition Coordinator: h.gilbert@texashealthyathome.org WITH GRATITUDE A Texas-Sized Thank You Texas Healthy at Home and the Texas Takes on Falls Coalition extend a Texas-sized thank you to our partners for helping to make the Summit possible: ● Aviator Home Health ● Baylor Scott & White Health ● Bikram Yoga North Texas ● Enduring Home Solutions ● James L. West Center for Dementia Care ● MedScope America LLC ● National Council on Aging (NCOA) ● SuperPatch ● Texas A&M Center for Community Health and Aging / National Community Health Worker Training Center ● United Way of Tarrant County / Area Agency on Aging of Tarrant County ● WellMed ● WellMed Charitable Foundation       RESOURCES ROOTED Presentations and Event Materials Here are helpful materials from ROOTED: A Texas Summit on Falls Prevention, Caregiving, and Living Well at Home. View the ROOTED 2026 Event Program View the ROOTED 2026 Slides View Carol Zernial’s Opening Keynote Slides Please remember that presentation materials remain the intellectual property of their respective presenters and should not be reproduced, modified, or distributed for commercial purposes without permission.   Falls Prevention Awareness Week Zeroing In on Falls Because Knowledge is Power By Felicia Naoum, Texas Healthy at Home Graphic courtesy of the National Council on Aging (NCOA) Falls Free® Initiative. DID YOU KNOW? Falls are the primary cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries for adults aged 65 and older. Allow education to change the game, Texas style. FALLS PREVENTION AWARENESS WEEK 2026 · SEPT. 21-25 Falls are preventable. That is the core message of the 19th annual Falls Prevention Awareness Week, led nationally by the National Council on Aging (NCOA). Proven, affordable steps like strength and balance exercises, home modifications, and yearly vision and hearing checks can lower fall risk, and prevention is a year-round effort. ● About 1 in 4 Americans age 65 and older falls each year, and falls are the leading cause of injury-related death in this age group (CDC). ● Non-fatal falls among older adults cost about $80 billion a year in health care. ● Last year, Falls Prevention Awareness Week reached 17 million people across 41 states.   Know your risk. The free Falls Free® CheckUp is 13 quick questions, available in English and Spanish, and gives you a personalized risk score with tips. Take the Falls Free CheckUp   Texas Healthy at Home and its partners in the Texas Takes on Falls Coalition, with a mission of Preventing Falls, Enhancing Lives, along with community members, poured their knowledge and hearts into ROOTED, the Texas Summit on Falls Prevention, Caregiving, and Living Well at Home. The Sept. 17 event was cultivated to ring in Falls Prevention Awareness Week, which was Sept. 21 to 25 this year. ROOTED keynote speaker Carol Zernial, Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility and Executive Director of the WellMed Charitable Foundation, followed up with Texas Healthy at Home’s Felicia Naoum via email to recap the mission. Carol confirmed that there’s hope for change, despite alarming data. “Falls are still the leading cause of injury and death in older adults, yet many are preventable. Just because falls are common doesn’t mean that we just wait for them to happen,” she said. When asked what everyone can do right now to prevent falls from being their reality, Carol said she encourages everyone to “check out the 6 Steps to Prevent Falls from the National Council on Aging and put them into action.” After all, action is the only way to evoke change and prevent tragedy. WATCH How Falls Prevention Programs Helped Jerry Dance Again Jerry’s story, from the National Council on Aging, shows what evidence-based falls prevention programs can make possible. ▶  Watch the video “Texas has been a leader in falls prevention for a long time, and we welcome anyone who wants to bring greater awareness to older Texans and their families.” CAROL ZERNIAL The Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility and Foundation Executive Director confirmed that Texas has been working long and hard to bring awareness to falls prevention. Texans indeed came together in September 2026 and made their mission known. Along with the ROOTED Summit, here are some of the activities Texas Takes on Falls Coalition members brought to Falls Prevention Awareness Week in the Lone Star State: ● Acres Homes Multi-Service Center in Houston brought screenings, education, and resource tables to the community on Sept. 22. ● Southwest Cares of Dallas focused on falls and diabetes prevention, both critical realities for many, with their Falls Prevention and Diabetes Awareness Fair on Sept. 24. ● Dallas Park & Recreation / Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas hosted “Step Up for Safety,” where individuals learned about fall prevention mobility aids, home safety, fitness and health programs, and more. ● WellMed Charitable Foundation hosted multiple events within its various locations, including: › San Antonio: Fall Prevention Bingo, Safe at Home Presentation, Berg’s Balance Evaluation, SAFD Fall Prevention Presentation, Balance Bingo, Home Safety Demo, practice getting up and down from the floor, and more › McAllen: Cardio Boxing FUNctional Training, Fall Awareness Volleyball, and more › Corpus Christi: presentations such as Strong Today, Steady Tomorrow; and Eat Well, Sleep Well, Move Well › Dallas: Strength for Safer Movement; Strong Legs and Stronger Independence › Harlingen: footcare and inner ear balance with Dr. F. Miller › Brownsville: Tai Chi and The Fall Dance!   LOCAL SPOTLIGHT Meet the Night Walkers Falls prevention can be as simple as a walk with your neighbors. This neighborhood walking group heads out together in every season, staying active, building balance, and keeping each other company along the way. ▶  Watch the video   If you would like to be an agent of change for falls prevention in Texas, please reach out to Texas Healthy at Home’s Jennifer Gardiner to learn more. Jennifer may be reached at j.gardiner@texashealthyathome.org. Were you inspired by the ROOTED Summit or one of the Texas Takes on Falls Coalition events? Do you have a falls prevention story to share and inspire others? Feel free to drop us a line to feature your story in an upcoming newsletter. Stories may be sent to Daryl Wagoner at d.wagoner@texashealthyathome.org. Until then, stay safe, stay aware, and learn all you can do to prevent falls. Felicia Naoum Texas Healthy at Home   FOR PARTNERS Help Older Adults Find a Falls Prevention Program Social media is one of the easiest ways to connect older adults with evidence-based falls prevention programs in your community. NCOA offers a free social media toolkit with videos, sample posts, and statistics, and suggests a few simple practices: ● Use the platforms you already use, and match the tone to each one: conversational on Facebook and Instagram, more professional on LinkedIn. ● Share real participant stories, like Jerry’s, to show how programs help people regain strength and confidence. ● Pair a key fact with a clear next step, such as a class sign-up link or the Falls Free CheckUp, and cite your sources. ● Remind people that falls can happen to anyone, and that programs offer options for every ability, including seated exercise.   Sample post: Falls are not a normal part of aging, and most can be prevented. Our community offers evidence-based classes that build strength, balance, and confidence. Find a class near you or take the free Falls Free CheckUp to learn your risk. Get NCOA’s social media tips CONFERENCE RECAP Aging in Texas Conference   North Texas was well represented at the 2026 Aging in Texas Conference (AiTC) held July 29-31 at Angelo State University in San Angelo. The annual event was hosted by the Texas Association of Regional Councils (TARC), Texas Association of Area Agencies on Aging (T4A), Texas Health & Human Services Commission (HHSC), and Concho Valley Council of Governments (CVCOG). AiTC supports professionals in the field of aging with current research, educational programming, and innovative tools and resources. TEXAS ELDER JUSTICE COALITION From Silos to Systems Lyn Scott, EMBA, NCG, CEO of Guardianship Services, Inc. (GSI), represented the coalition at AiTC with her presentation, “From Silos to Systems: Creating Effective Multidisciplinary Teams to Prevent Elder Exploitation.” Texas Healthy at Home co-leads the Texas Elder Justice Coalition with GSI. Learn about the coalition CONFERENCE RECAP USAging Conference and Tradeshow   Texas Area Agency on Aging Directors and other Texas leaders in the aging arena paused for a group photo at the USAging Conference and Tradeshow held July 18-21 in San Diego. The conference website says the annual event is the nation’s largest gathering of local leaders in aging well at home. More than 1,400 Area Agencies on Aging, tribal aging programs, federal, state, and local leaders in aging, home and community-based services, and caregiving attend. Left: Building the Texas Hub Collaborative team. Right: Dr. Janice Sparks and Dr. Will Bleser. Texas leaders also took the stage in San Diego: ● “Building the Texas Hub Collaborative to Advance Social-Health Integration” (Session W50). Christina Bartha, CEO of Texas Healthy at Home, and Paula Johnson of the Harris County Area Agency on Aging shared how Texas Healthy at Home and CATCH joined forces to create the Texas Hub Collaborative, including the Area Agency on Aging perspective. ● “Scaling Community-Clinical Integration Through Community Care Hubs” (Session W57). Dr. Janice Sparks, Executive Director of CATCH Greater Houston Community Care Hub, co-presented with Dr. William K. Bleser. Texas Healthy at Home works to address social needs, improve care outcomes, and empower Texans to live at home with dignity and independence. Our network members share this mission across communities statewide. MONTHLY NEWS & UPDATES  |  OCTOBER 2026 Texas Healthy at Home  |  8376 Davis Blvd., Suite #215, North Richland Hills, TX 76182