I was honored when the director of the Area Agency on Agency of Central Midlands Council of Government in South Carolina invited me to do a community outreach fall prevention awareness campaign. This was especially dear to me because I lived in Spartanburg, SC county for over eight years before the sudden death of my father and relocating to California.
A lot has changed in the twelve years since I've been in SC but mostly, the changes are within me. For instance, my profession and life direction. I now have my Masters Degree in Science in Therapeutic Aging. I am now a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS), a FallProof™ balance and mobility specialist, a Stepping On Master Trainer, a Tai Chi Moving for Better Balance (TCMBB) instructor and fall prevention consultant. My life has meaning. My career has focus.
Columbia, South Carolina is the capital of this beautiful state and the starting point for this fall prevention outreach project. The Area Agency on Aging, a federal government funded program, fully supports and recognizes the importance of education, exercise and early detection in order to reduce the incidence of falls among our aging population.
I am here for two weeks to present my two-hour Fall Prevention 101 workshop at eight different senior centers throughout four different counties. We have been presenting n rural areas and the feedback has been wonderful! This opportunity has taught me that falls are a major concern among ALL older adults; regardless of where you live or how much money you make. The bottom line is everyone needs to know as much as they can to reduce the risk of an accidental fall.
I am loving my time here in central midlands South Carolina and will enjoy this last week of fall prevention presentations in Lexington county. I'm not sure what I'm going to do after this remarkable experience but one thing that has become clear to me is hat California has more than enough "fall prevention advocates". In fact, I think it may be time for The Fall Prevention Lady to move onto the next calling.
