Northern California Fall Prevention Coalition planning meeting

It's that time again!  Time to begin preparing for the third week in September.  What is the third week in September?  It's officially Fall Prevention Week! As a member of the Northern California Fall Prevention Coalition, I am excited about our third annual community event to raise awareness of falls and what people can do to prevent falls.


The Area 4 Agency on Aging is the organizing body and partners with Kaiser of South Sacramento, Eskaton,  City of Sacramento, County of Sacramento, Adult and Aging Commission, Senior RSVP program, Resources for Independent Living, and yours truly, The Fall Prevention Lady™!  This year, a representative from Phillips lifeline has joined the local forces of fall prevention.

At our first meeting, we talked about possible themes and came up with some great ideas.  Without divulging our deepest secrets, I can tell you that a person has to take responsibility for his/her well-being in order to prevent falls.  Take action.  The active way to prevent falls begins with education.

In my book, The Complete Guide to Fall Prevention™, I educate you about fall risk factors you can control and those you can't.  Once you are aware of the difference, it's up to you to change what you can to prevent falls.  Order my book to take action now!

I will be offering balance and mobility screenings again this year but my team of volunteers will be better equipped to talk to senior participants about the relevance of the testing results and fall risk.  A Kaiser Physical Therapist will be available for more in-depth consultations.   

This is going to be a great event.  I am looking forward to working with professional to educate the public about falls and how to reduce the risk of a slip, trip of fall.

Educate.  Demonstrate.  Facilitate.
The Fall Prevention Lady

Multi-dimensional approach to fall prevention

Because there different factors that cause a person to fall, fall prevention researchers (yes, they exist and yes, I am one of them) recommend a multi-dimensional approach to fall prevention. Home environment, medication management and activity patterns have been identified as the fall risk factors that a person has a moderate ability to control. Although falls are accidents, a person can significantly reduce the risk of a fall through modification of these areas.

The 2nd Annual Community Fall Prevention event in Sacramento county will feature experts in all areas of fall risk reduction. Participants can attend educational lectures and/or be assessed in various areas of fall risk. Screenings will be offered in the following areas:

1. Vision
2. Blood Glucose
3. Foot clinic
4. Bone Density
5. Blood pressure
6. Hearing
7. Brown Bag (medications with pharmacist)
8. Senior Fitness/Balance Testing

Last year, the most popular attraction was the balance testing and we at the planning commission have predicted that the majority of people will want to be physically assessed for fall risk again this year. This year, I have a team of health and fitness professionals to assist me. I have recruited local physical therapists, fitness instructors and physical therapy students from my alma mater, CSUS, and Sac City College to assist with the Senior Fitness Tests and short-form Fullerton Advanced Balance (FAB) scale.

With the aging of the population, falls are quickly becoming a public health epidemic. As such, it takes a community to increase people about fall risk and how to reduce the risk of accidental falls. I am so excited that senior service providers in Sacramento are coming together to offer this free event to older adults in the area. It's all about collaboration and I am proud to have a multi-talented team to assist me. Thank you so much to my volunteer team!

Educate. Demonstrate. Facilitate.
The Fall Prevention Lady

Fall prevention exercise assessments

To Fall or Not to Fall, that was the question!
On Saturday, Sept 25, Kaiser Permanente and Area 4 Agency on Aging sponsored this fall prevention community event for the purpose of increasing awareness of the severity of falls among the aging population and more importantly, how to reduce the risk of these tragic accidents.

Over 130 older adults in the Sacramento region came to this free event. There were local fall prevention experts on hand to present workshops and conduct different types of assessments. Participants were offered free balance and fitness assessments, medications review, bone density testing, and an emotional health review.

I assessed 55 older adults using the short-form of the Fullerton Advanced Balance scale. It was interesting that 25 out of the 55 participants were identified "at risk" of falls according to their score because that percentage is greater than the 1 in 3 older adults who fall estimates of the CDC. However as the number of baby boomers grows, the number of older adults who will fall grows proportionately. It's time to get PRO-ACTIVE in the prevention of falls.

As a certified FallProof™ instructor, I love the opportunity to educate individuals about exercise and fall risk reduction. A lot of people do not associate EXERCISE and INDEPENDENCE but as a person ages, it is crucial that he/she engage in a consistent exercise program that is designed to reduce the risk of fall.

I will be offering a fall prevention exercise class in the South Sacramento community very very soon. Stay posted as to when and where.
The Fall Prevention Lady

Fall Prevention Week

The third week of September is officially "Fall Prevention Week" and as the Fall Prevention Lady, I am excited to see communities become pro-active in the prevention of falls among an aging population, at least for one week!
In Northern California, the Area 4 Agency on Aging and Kaiser Permanente are hosting a free fall prevention community event, "To Fall or Not to Fall". Saturday, September 25th, from 9am-2pm, there will be workshops, assessments and vendors that specialize in reducing the risk of a fall. Because there are multiple causes for falls, there are multiple ways to reduce one's risk of such a tragedy.

I am excited! If you live in the Sacramento region, come out for this FREE community event. Register now....(916) 486-1876.

Get out, get assessed, get informed, be proactive in the management of your well-being.
The Fall Prevention Lady

Northern California Falls Prevention Coalition

I am a member of the Northern California Falls Prevention Coalition and we are planning a huge community event during Fall Prevention Week. Fall Prevention week is officially the third week of September and this year that is Sept. 19-25. Some of the biggest senior service agencies and fall prevention experts are part of this coalition so I am honored to be part of this group.

Kaiser Permanente and the Area 4 Agency on Aging are sponsoring this free event on Saturday, September 25 at the Dan B. Moore building on the South Sacramento Kaiser campus. The event is from 9am-2pm and a free lunch will be served to the first 150 participants who register. Vendors will be on site to talk about services and products that help reduce the risk of falls and there will be assessments throughout the day.

The following are the workshops that will be held in the morning:
1. Me, Kelly Ward, aka The Fall Prevention Lady, will lead the morning group stretch and fall prevention exercise component.
2. David Grantham of Rebuilding Together will talk about home modifications to allow older adults to remain safe in their homes
3. Registered dietician Lila Shelton will talk about the importance of healthy foods to keep the body strong and thereby reduce the risk of falling
4. Either Jane Stanely of A4AA or a pharmacist will talk about the connection between medication management and fall prevention.

It's going to be a great FALL PREVENTION event that will benefit anyone who is concerned about falling. Make sure to register early by calling the Area 4 Agency on Aging, (916) 486-1876.

Blessings,
Kelly Ward
The Fall Prevention Lady

Exercise, Fall Prevention, and Successful Aging

Yesterday I saw one of the best Geriatricians in the country, Dr. Michael McCloud. Together, the Department of Public Health's Center for Gerontology, the UC Davis Center for Healthy Aging, Kaiser Permanente, and Mercy Healthcare of Sacramento are offering a series of 1-hour educational seminars that encourage "Successful Aging".

So what is successful aging? Dr. McCloud pointed out that "successful", just like aging, is highly individualized. What is important to me and defines my success in aging may be entirely different from yours. To Dr. McCloud, quality of life is more important that quantity of years and he does not want to become dependent on anyone for his existence.

He touched on some topics that concern most of us as we age as well as some that are requirements of healthy aging. Here are 3 topics he didn't spend extraneous amounts of time discussing but explained why they are important components of successful aging:

1. Nutrition: Everyone has heard it a thousand times: Burn more calories than you consume, eat your Omega 3s, indulge in antioxidants, avoid trans and saturated fats, minimize sugar consumption, and watch your cholesterol. There's no sense in re-inventing the wheel: eat right, eat healthy, eat when you're hungry and stop when you're full.

2. Improved Sleep Habits. Dr. McCloud also encourages better sleep habits, like getting more of it! We are mammals and we mammals require sleep. Quit trying to deprive yourself, get to bed 15 minutes earlier than usual and you will be more alert, less likely to have an accident and less likely to fall.

3. Exercise. Dr. McCloud recognized exercise as one of the key components of successful aging. There isn't any avoiding it, you need to stay active to stay alive and to stay vibrant. It doesn't have to be strenuous and it doesn't have to involve spandex, but it does have to be consistent! How can you get your gentle, consistent activity?

Take 5 to Exercise! My 5-day series will guide you through effective seated exercises that address the 4 components of an effective Fall Prevention exercise routine. Staying active is a lifestyle choice, a choice that cannot be avoided if you want to live a quality life the remaining quantity of your years.

NO gadgets, no pills, no gimmicks...get moving! We'll get back to the basics as I coach you how to move properly and reduce your risk of a fall. Visit take5toexercise, to order your copy today. Perfect gift for your loved ones.

Your Fall Prevention Lady