Northwest Florida Fall Prevention Coalition's February meeting

I moved from Sacramento, CA to Pensacola, FL shortly before Thanksgiving and there haven't been many fall prevention opportunities in the local community until now.  I am so excited that the Northwest Florida fall prevention coalition meets the first Tuesday of the month at the Sacred Heart Cancer Center.  Meetings are held on the third floor from noon-1pm.  

I am so excited to meet local fall prevention enthusiasts and hopefully plan some future community events.  I would love to offer my dynamic, educational fall prevention workshop to older adults throughout Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.  However my ultimate goal is to offer my 4- or 6-week version of the FallProof™ balance and mobility training classes that I taught in Sacramento county for over seven years.  

The Stepping On fall prevention program, in which I am a master trainer and can train other staff members, is an evidence-based program that would be an excellent collaborative effort with local community experts.  Starting a seven-week pilot program for seniors would be a great opportunity to not only work within my new community but also benefit older residents living in the community.  

So excited for all things fall prevention and balance training in Pensacola.

Blessings~

The Fall Prevention Lady

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The Fall Prevention Lady has moved!

Like most warm-weathered souls, I've moved south for the winter!

As of Thanksgiving 2014, the Fall Prevention Lady will be located in Pensacola, Florida for educational fall prevention workshops, 4 or 6-week FallProof™ balance training classes, customized train-the-trainer seminars, private training sessions and wellness consultations.

I am looking forward to developing new relationships with fall prevention advocates, fitness instructors and senior care providers to promote fall risk reduction lifestyles and improve balance and strength necessary to remain independent.

After much success with my personal battle with Stage 4 Head and Neck cancer (diagnosed June 2013, two surgeries, chemo and radiation completed Feb 2014), I felt it was time for a change.  I am extremely blessed to have family in California who stood beside me and made my treatment as pleasant as possible however a lot of my biological family lives in Florida; including my 92-year old grandmother, several elderly aunts, a dear uncle and cousins.

After much reflection, it became evident that it's time to nurture some extended family relationships so when the opportunity to help a family member arose, I said YES so here I am in Pensacola, Florida!

I hope that my experience and training in evidence-based fall prevention programs can contribute to the vast selection of older adult injury prevention and health promotion programs available in the northwestern region of Florida.

I am 9-months in remission and my health is very well.  Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions or inquiries.  (916) 821-5715.

Blessings.

Fall Prevention 101 in South Carolina

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.

7th Annual Citrus Heights Senior Health Fair

Each year for the past seven years, the folks at the Sunrise Parks and Recreation District have hosted the annual Citrus Heights Senior Health Fair.  Each year the program gets better.  This year, the event is on Thurday May 15 from 9am-1pm.  Vendors will be there and there will be educational workshops and senior fitness assessments.  All of this is free to the public!

I will be presenting my dynamic, educational Fall Prevention 101 workshop from 10a-11a.  No registration is required; just show up ready to learn!  I will discuss aging, balance and how to reduce the risk of an accidental fall.  You will feel empowered to take control of how you're aging after attending this workshop.

I will also be offering Senior Fitness Tests to measure functional fitness components associated with fall risk. I will measure your lower body strength, lower body flexibility and dynamic or moving balance.  You will need to sign up to reserve your spot for an assessment.  I will be doing these senior fitness tests from 11:30a-12:30p. 

For those who may be interested, I may offer a quick balance assessment using the short-form Fullerton Advanced Balance scale.  This is a 4-item test that gives me a quick assessment of the sensory systems involved in balance.   I'll do those from 12:30-1pm.

1 in 3 people over 65 and 1 out of 2 people over 80 falls each year.  That's an estimate.  I think it's an underestimate.  It's also estimated that over half of all falls can be prevented through education, exercise and early detection.  Get involved in your wellness!  Come learn what may be causing you to fall.  Learn evidence-based exercises that have been demonstrated to improve balance! 

Come to the 7th Annual Citrus Heights Senior Health Fair!
6300 Fountain Square Dr, Citrus Heights, CA  95621

Never too late to improve functional fitness

I just finished a FallProof™ balance training class at Pioneer Towers in downtown Sacramento.  The small group of ladies were excited about improving their balance and they did just that!  Every single person improved on the three Senior Fitness Tests associated with fall risk.  And I mean they improved! 

As part of my classes, I offer pre- and post-assessments to evaluate the effectiveness of the balance training classes I teach.   I know the program works but I am continually collecting data in case Dr. Rose wants it for her FallProof™ program.  Anyhow, I assess lower body strength, lower body flexibility and dynamic balance and agility or moving balance skills before and after attending the 8 sessions.

This class of 8 older women improved dramatically.  My most improved student was 94 year-old, Eve.  Yes, I said 94!  She increased her lower body strength score by 4, improved her lower body flexibility 3.5 inches and was 2.3 seconds faster and much steadier in her moving balance.  Remarkable!  I am so proud of her!

She can now touch her toes, her legs are stronger and she is more stable when getting up and moving quickly.  This collective data demonstrates that the program works when you work it.  Eve and another student worked the exercises into their daily routine by meeting everyday at 4pm. 

Another student who deserves huge kudos was 80 year-old Mary.  On the first day of class, she had to use her hands to get up out of the chair.  On the final day, she was able to do 9 perfect form chair stands WITHOUT using her hands!  Yeah Mary!  That makes a huge difference in the quality of her life.  She is no longer embarrassed about getting up out of the chair.  How did she do it?  She practiced her homeplay exercises.  She did the work.

Both Eve and Mary clearly show that it's not too late to improve your fitness.  And men, this is not just for women.  In my other class at Fremont Presbyterian, an 88-year old gentleman who is an active athlete, increased his lower body flexibility by 4 inches!  HE CAN NOW TOUCH HIS TOES!  Think about how great that is when getting dressed in the morning, not to mention how it improves your walking gait!  Awesome job!