Public Health Department Launches Fall Prevention Programming for Seniors
Author: Public Health Department
Date:
1/30/2017 3:45:14 PM
To help older adults prevent falls and maintain healthy and independent lifestyles, the County of San Luis Obispo Public Health Department is launching a Fall Prevention Program in 2017.
Falls are the leading cause of injury and injury-related death in adults over the age of 65 in the United States. One in four seniors will experience a fall in the coming year. To help older adults prevent falls and maintain healthy and independent lifestyles, the County of San Luis Obispo Public Health Department is launching a Fall Prevention Program in 2017. The program consists of community education on fall risk factors and home safety assessments for high-risk seniors.
Fall prevention classes will be hosted at sites county-wide and are free to all residents of San Luis Obispo County. Over the four weeks of the class series, participants will learn a balance and strength home exercise routine, how to identify and fix home hazards, how to manage medications, and how vision changes affect the risk of falling. The classes will also offer fall risk screenings to all participants and provide instruction in how to get up safely after a fall. The first class series in 2017 will be held Fridays, February 10 to March 3, from 3:00-4:30 p.m. in the Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center Auditorium. Space is limited. To register, call 805-781-5575.
The Fall Prevention Program also offers free home safety assessments for high-risk seniors by referral. At the home safety assessment a staff member will go through a home safety checklist, recommend simple modifications in the home to improve safety, and refer seniors to community agencies for further support.
To register for the February fall prevention class series or learn more about the home safety assessment referral process, call 805-781-5575.