Falls are the leading cause of non-fatal and fatal injuries in older adults. The number of fall-related older adult deaths in 2005 reached 15,802. Overall, thirty percent of adults over the age of 65 fall every year, and the risk for falls increases dramatically with age. Direct medical costs related to falls reached $19 billion in 2000. In 2006 a national study found that 5.8 million older adults (16%) reported a fall in the prior 3 month period and 1.8 million had been injured. Falls and fall-related injuries have an important impact on mobility, functioning, and the quality of life of older adults, and for many, result in catastrophic mobility decline, loss of independence and institutionalization. The trends in falls and aging in the population make this a critical problem for our time.