A Matter of Balance: Class focused on fall prevention at Kingsway
Every second an older adult falls, making falls the number one cause of injuries and deaths from injury among older Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Sharon Blume and Mary Albrecht have been working to prevent falls by leading 15 Kingsway Retirement Living residents through a course called “A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls.” The class is conducted over eight sessions and meets weekly.
“A lot of them have either experienced severe injuries themselves or witness peoples living changing because of a fall, so they are very serious about wanting to learn. We want them to stay upright and independent,” Sharon said.
The program’s goals are to reduce fear of falling, stop the fear of falling cycle, and increase activity levels and confidence among older adults. During the first two sessions of the class, the group discussed fears about falling and how falls can limit people. Participants shared real life experiences.
“Some of them are taking precautions and others are learning. It was interesting to hear their side about how they perceive even going out in a crowd and how scary that can be because one wrong move can result in a fall,” Sharon said.
The class is starting to learn a series of exercises which are suited for fall prevention. As the sessions continue, several different topics are address including assertiveness related to fall prevention, managing concerns about fallings, recognizing fall risk-taking behaviors and fall hazards. They continue to practice the exercises each week.
“Each person will develop their own action plan for doing the exercises,” Sharon explained, “This is supposed to be a lifestyle change.”
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