Preventing falls and frailty in later life: the updated consensus from the Spanish Ministry of Health
Summary written by the Centroterapia team based on a real external source — this is not original clinical content from the centre and does not replace an individual assessment.
Frailty and falls are among the main factors behind loss of independence in later life. On 9 April 2026, the Interterritorial Council of Spain's National Health System approved an update to the consensus document on preventing them, incorporating the latest scientific evidence and reinforcing the role of primary care and community resources.
The figures in the document give a sense of the scale of the problem: frailty affects around 18% of older people overall, a share that rises to between 18% and 38% from age 85 onwards, and is more common in women. In addition, 30% of people over 65 have at least one fall a year.
One of the new features is a four-level risk stratification model — low, medium, high and very high — which allows intervention and follow-up to be adapted to each person's situation. Early detection is also reinforced, with active outreach from primary care and the community setting (social healthcare centres, pharmacies, social services) from age 70 onwards.
The document places physical activity and balance and mobility work at the centre of prevention, alongside coordination between the health and social care sectors. That is exactly the approach — mobility and balance work, with close support — that we use at Centroterapia with our older patients.
You can read the full press release from the Spanish Ministry of Health via the source link at the bottom of this article.
If this sounds familiar
You can read in more detail how we work with Osteopathy for older adults at Centroterapia, or book a first visit so we can assess your case.