By Barb Nadeau-
The leading cause of death and injury in the elderly is tragic falls. Most would be surprised to learn, however, that falling is not an inevitable part of aging. It is true, that although the fear of falling is profound for many, that fear can be more dangerous to a senior citizen’s health as time goes on.
For many senior citizens, fear of falling causes acute anxiety and loss of confidence. It is estimated that about half of all senior citizens experience this fear whether they have fallen in the past or not. Unfortunately, over time it often brings on an avoidance of activities, increased social isolation, reduced muscle tone, and reduced physical ability, leading up to an increased risk of future tragic falls.
When a person is afraid of falling, it tends to limit physical activity. For a while that strategy may be favorable, but as time goes on restricting day to day activities will lead to a loss of muscle strength, decreased endurance and decreased mobility, ultimately make the individual more likely to suffer a fall.
Now there’s a program offered in our communities to address the fear of falling and to increase mobility in older adults. The evidence-based A Matter of Balance class is an eight-session class to help make the fear of falling manageable. Maine Health Partnership for Healthy Aging, in collaboration with Boston University, has developed this program and is helping it spread to communities nationwide.
A Matter of Balance includes eight two-hour sessions. A small group of eight to 12 participants are led in discussions and exercises by a trained facilitator. The program is designed to assist older adults who are concerned about falls, have fallen in the past, have restricted themselves from activities because of their concerns over falling, and for those interested in improving flexibility, balance, and strength.
Participants will gain confidence through identifying obstacles, setting personal goals, reducing fall risks in their own homes, and learning simple exercises to increase their balance and strength.
Class sessions cover concern verses fear, recognizing our beliefs about falling, exercise, and fall prevention, and becoming assertive with family members and care-givers regarding personal needs, and making individual action plans. Participants learn to shift their mindset from being self-defeating to self-motivating, and they discuss prioritizing risky behaviors. They complete a home safety checklist, and learn to recognize fall hazards in their homes and environment, identifying ways to reduce those hazards. They learn how to get up safely after a fall, and how to use resources available to them for fall prevention as well as how to seek help after a fall.
In an effort to offer this valuable nationally-recognized program, Senior Services Associates has committed to training coaches and to offering the class in their senior centers as well as in the communities. Independent and assisted living facilities, libraries, community centers, and other groups can call to arrange for the class to be offered at their facilities. Volunteers interested in training to become A Matter of Balance coach may call to enroll in coach-training classes, and senior citizens interested in participating in the class can call to find a class nearby. Senior Services Associates is committed to building a volunteer corps of coaches for this class and to offer the class on an ongoing basis. For more information, contact me, volunteer coordinator, at Senior Services Associates, at 630-897-4035.
Barb Nadeau works for Senior Services Associates of Kane, Kendall, and McHenry Counties as a Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) & Transportation Coordinator. She is a freelance writer and television host. She can be reached at bnadeau@seniorservicesassoc.org.