No one plans to fall, but being prepared can make all the difference.  

That’s the message behind a Fall Prevention Awareness Info/Expo being held next weekend at Maricopa Library and Cultural Center where seniors and their families can learn how to identify risks and prepare themselves and their homes if a fall happens.  

The free event runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 26 at 18160 N. Maya Angelou Drive. 

Hosted by Maricopa Senior Living and Arizona Falls Prevention Coalition, the expo will showcase information on how seniors can maintain an independent lifestyle to actively prevent falls and injuries. 

“As we become older, we do become more susceptible to falls. This isn’t intended to create fear, but to identify it,” said Province resident Ron Smith, the brains behind Maricopa Senior Living. 

The expo will include vendors, presentations and fire department workshops. This includes Copper Sky Fitness, a yoga instructor from the Ak-Chin Indian Community, as well as fitness and physical therapists. 

Presentations will include nutrition advice, health and wellness, and home health care. Maricopa Fire/Medical Department will also present information on how to know if you’re susceptible to falling and what to do if you fall. 

Falls were among the leading emergency calls MFMD responded to last year, according to the department’s 2025 annual report.  

Smith will also provide a self-penned guide for fall prevention. 

Maricopa Senior Living is a nonprofit organization Smith began after his mother experienced a major fall.  

After experiencing a couple of falls himself, Smith realized the necessity of being prepared in the face of an emergency like that and was inspired to provide preventative resources for the senior community. 

“You know all the things that can potentially happen. It goes through your head. It was really scary,” Smith said. 

Preventing a fall can involve small changes like installing household items like a shower bar, a raised toilet seat and having an alert pendant handy in case of a fall. It also means learning how to use tools like walkers or canes, and making sure the house is decluttered. 

“You need to be willing to take that step, not see it as a matter of weakness, just something you need to do,” Smith said.  “You have a whole lot more control than you think.” 

Registration is required. Email each attendee’s full name, email and phone number to Ron@MaricopaSeniorLiving.org.