43
The Area Agency on Aging 11 offers programs to help seniors prevent falls
NILES
Hand rails, shoes with slip-resistant soles, showers with a seat and plenty of handles to grasp, and a one-floor ranch-style home with the laundry room, furnace and bedrooms on the ground floor are among senior citizens’ best friends.
It also would be nice to have grandchildren or a friendly neighbor kid old enough to safely crawl up a stepladder to clean out those pesky eaves.
And, oh, a home with doors and hallways wide enough to accommodate walkers and wheelchairs, just in case.
The elephant in the room: falls.
“Falls are the leading cause of injury-related hospitalizations and death for people over 65,” said Lisa Solley, director of communications for the Area Agency on Aging 11.
“We want people to know that falls are not a normal part of aging and that they can be prevented,” said Solley.
“Prevention can start with people not being afraid of falling and empowering themselves through education, exercise health care and business participation and taking part in fall prevention programs through the Area Agency on Aging,” she said.
For example, during the holidays, shopping malls and stores can get crowded.
“It is best for the elderly to take their time and avoid crowds, if possible, by shopping at off-peak hours, and bringing someone with them to wait in line if they need to sit down and rest. Older adults also are encouraged to ask store staff for help carrying heavy or bulky packages to their vehicle,” Solley said.
Also, as weather worsens and days are shorter, there are steps that older citizens can take to prevent falls. They are:
Invest in extra lighting, night lights and outdoor lighting to properly see surroundings.
Eliminate throw rugs and do not run extension cords across the floor in walking areas.
Carry a cellphone and designate someone to call for help if needed.
Let loved ones know when you are leaving the house and when you expect to return, and call them after you return home.
Carry a small bag of gravel or cat litter in your pocket to throw in front of you to help with footing on icy walkways.
For more information, see the Steady U website on the Ohio Department of Aging’s web page: www.aging.ohio.gov/services/evidencebasedhealthyagingprograms/, which lists programs to help older Ohioans prevent falls.
One of ODA’s programs that can help reduce the risk of falling is “A Matter of Balance,” which is available from community-based providers in all 88 of Ohio’s counties.
According to ODA’s website, “A Matter of Balance” is an award-winning, evidence-based falls intervention program designed to manage falls and increase activity levels.
The program can be of particular help for people 60 and over, people who have fallen in the past, people who don’t do some things they did in the past for fear of falling, or someone who would like to be more flexible, stronger and have better balance, according to ODA.
“A Matter of Balance” is a program of small-group workshops offered in communities to help participants view falls as controllable. They will learn to recognize and address factors in their lives and lifestyles that may be increasing the risk of falling.
Through group discussion, problem-solving activities, assertiveness training, exercise and skill-building, participants are empowered to take simple steps to become more active without fear of falling.
Each of the eight, two-hour sessions consists of eight to 10 participants. Workshop leaders are not health professionals, but people specially trained to help others maintain healthful, active lifestyles free from falls and fall-related injuries.
Participants learn to view falls as something they can control; set goals and increase their activity levels; make changes around their homes to reduce fall risks; and exercise to increase strength and balance. And, after six months, participants report more control over factors that could cause them to fall, said ODA.