It's out there; the funding is available for community-based fall risk reduction exercise and education programs! Governments, corporations, and non-profit agencies are realizing the need for prevention and putting the money out there...you just have to find it.
The directors at the City of Sacramento 50+ Wellness program put their grant writing skills to use, applied for and were awarded over $87,000 in fall prevention programs over the next three years. And guess what? Yours truly is the presenter! Yes, people enjoyed my 3-hour educational workshops so much that I will be presenting them again as part of the second Kaiser funded grant and as part of the Area 4 Agency on Aging's three year grant.
A new feature of my presentation that will be offered by both grant programs is the Fullerton Advanced Balance (FAB) scale screening. I will implement this 10-item fall risk screening in order to increase the awareness of the body systems involved in balance. As a CERTIFIED FallProof™ instructor, I am able to implement this standardized test according to protocol and then provide the participants with some feedback according to my observations.
Although one test is not totally indicative of one's fall risk, it is an eye opener! There are many causes for falls but the FAB provides CUTTING EDGE research-based information based on individual performance. Heck, we all age at different levels, we all move differently, we all experience different limitations.....we ALL need individualized assessments. I love listening to each and every person I assess because each person brings something unique to the table...that's what makes this so important; you want to do exercises that will reduce your risk of falling according to your needs.
If you live in the Sacramento region, I strongly encourage you to attend one of my FAB clinics. I will post the summer and fall schedule as soon as I get it but there will be something offered each month for the rest of 2010 and well into 2011. In the meantime, Take 5 to Exercise everyday to remain flexible and strong. Get up and out of your chair 5 times at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Practice good posture. Maintain those shoulders. Order my 5-day DVD series and you will do some type of movement each day to reduce your risk of a fall.
Consistency is key.
The Fall Prevention Lady
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