I was surprised when I got a phone call from the daughter of one of my former balance and mobility class participants last week. I assumed she was calling about her father but it turned out she was applying for grant funding for the "Grandparents Raising Grandkids" program and wanted to include my fall prevention 101 workshops and balance training classes as part of the curricula.
Falls are an honest to goodness threat to the independence and vitality of many older adults. I have worked with hundreds of older adults and many come to class with the goal of improving balance and strength so they can keep up with their grandchildren. Thus, it was no surprise when Julie told me she wanted to offer fall prevention services as part of the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren program she is affiliated with.
After a lot of discussion and explanation, she and I put together a fabulous program to be offered to local seniors, a mutually beneficial price structure, and ongoing sustainability components that will help the program meet the needs of this growing demographic. Falls are a quickly becoming a public health epidemic and it will take collaborative community efforts to help prevent these unnecessary accidents.
Luckily, I wrote a 'mock' grant in my graduate grant writing class so I am familiar with the entire process; including the background work, key wording and performance outcomes that funders require in the application. After a long night, Julie got the application for the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren program in by the deadline.
Now we wait with baited breath. And fingers crossed. Praying for God's will......
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