Peanut exercise – balance A serious fall can be a life changing event, especially for the elderly. Statistics show that one out of three senior citizens will take such a fall this year and, as a result, the risk is high for them to be robbed of their independence, their ability to function, and in some cases, their lives.
The people at The GreenField Outpatient Rehabilitation Clinic & Wellness Center in Lancaster are doing their part to help, and the outpatient clinic was recently named a Western New York center for falls prevention. Staff members are working closely with the experts at Learning Partners to develop a train-the-trainer toolkit and program for physicians, home care agencies and others to identify people at risk for falls. Guidelines for screening and assessing people at risk, as well as intervention and referral resources are being developed. Balance exercises, medication management, and home safety recommendations are examples of some of the topics that will be covered. Funding for the program comes from a grant received through the WNY Falls Collaborative and “Step-Up-To-Stop-Falls” initiative.
Jurgen Arndt, President and CEO of the Niagara Lutheran Health System, which operates the GreenField Outpatient Rehabilitation Clinic & Wellness Center, says, “If we can help just one person avoid a devastating fall and continue living a happy, productive life, this program will have been worth all the effort that has gone into it.”
