Afraid of falling? It’s a matter of balance
Believe it or not, for older adults, the fear of falling is quite common – even in people who have NOT experienced a fall. We have all fallen at one point in our lives or another. When we are young, it’s easy to hop right up, brush ourselves off and go right back to playing. Over time, it gets harder to “bounce back” from falls as quickly as we used to and we may even start to avoid certain places or situations because of a fear of falling.
OSU Extension, in partnership with Majora Lane, is proud to offer A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Developed at the Roybal Center Consortium at Boston University and adapted by MaineHealth Partnership for Healthy Aging, A Matter of Balance is designed to teach adults how to manage falls and promote increased activity levels.
The following information has been taken directly from the MaineHealth and the Roybal Center. I certainly cannot describe the program better than those who developed it.
The program consists of eight two-hour sessions. Participants learn to set realistic goals to increase activity, change their environment to reduce fall risk factors, and learn simple exercises to increase strength and balance.
A Matter of Balance is a structured group intervention, which utilizes a variety of activities to address physical, social, and cognitive factors affecting fear of falling and to learn fall prevention strategies. The activities include group discussion, problem-solving, skill building, assertiveness training, videotapes, sharing practical solutions and exercise training.
During the class, participants learn to:
- view falls and fear of falling as controllable
- set realistic goals for increasing activity
- change their environment to reduce fall risk factors
- promote exercise to increase strength and balance
The program is designed to benefit community-dwelling older adults who:
- are concerned about falls
- have sustained a fall in the past
- restrict activities because of concerns about falling
- are interested in improving flexibility, balance and strength
- are age 60 or older, ambulatory and able to problem-solve
In Holmes County, A Matter of Balance will be offered starting Tuesday, April 26, from 1-3 p.m., at Majora Lane in Millersburg. The program will continue each Tuesday for eight weeks, with the final class meeting on Tuesday, June 14. Cost for the program is $15 per person. Space is limited to the first 15 people who register. Contact Kate Shumaker, OSU Extension, to register. If more than 15 people register, additional programs will be scheduled in the future.
Have a question you would like answered? Call 330-674-3015, email shumaker.68@osu.edu, or write to OSU Extension, Holmes County, 10 South Clay St., Suite 102, Millersburg 44654.
Kate Shumaker, MS, RD, LD, is an Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, for Ohio State University Extension, Holmes County.
OSU Extension, in partnership with Majora Lane, is proud to offer A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Developed at the Roybal Center Consortium at Boston University and adapted by MaineHealth Partnership for Healthy Aging, A Matter of Balance is designed to teach adults how to manage falls and promote increased activity levels.
The following information has been taken directly from the MaineHealth and the Roybal Center. I certainly cannot describe the program better than those who developed it.
The program consists of eight two-hour sessions. Participants learn to set realistic goals to increase activity, change their environment to reduce fall risk factors, and learn simple exercises to increase strength and balance.
A Matter of Balance is a structured group intervention, which utilizes a variety of activities to address physical, social, and cognitive factors affecting fear of falling and to learn fall prevention strategies. The activities include group discussion, problem-solving, skill building, assertiveness training, videotapes, sharing practical solutions and exercise training.
During the class, participants learn to:
- view falls and fear of falling as controllable
- set realistic goals for increasing activity
- change their environment to reduce fall risk factors
- promote exercise to increase strength and balance
The program is designed to benefit community-dwelling older adults who:
- are concerned about falls
- have sustained a fall in the past
- restrict activities because of concerns about falling
- are interested in improving flexibility, balance and strength
- are age 60 or older, ambulatory and able to problem-solve
In Holmes County, A Matter of Balance will be offered starting Tuesday, April 26, from 1-3 p.m., at Majora Lane in Millersburg. The program will continue each Tuesday for eight weeks, with the final class meeting on Tuesday, June 14. Cost for the program is $15 per person. Space is limited to the first 15 people who register. Contact Kate Shumaker, OSU Extension, to register. If more than 15 people register, additional programs will be scheduled in the future.
Have a question you would like answered? Call 330-674-3015, email shumaker.68@osu.edu, or write to OSU Extension, Holmes County, 10 South Clay St., Suite 102, Millersburg 44654.
Kate Shumaker, MS, RD, LD, is an Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, for Ohio State University Extension, Holmes County.
Published: April 14, 2011
