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Falls Prevention
Chaco can assist you in creating a Falls Prevention Program. The program is one-on-one training. I recommend 5 sessions for $275 which includes the following:
Assessment
Screening assessments to determine client's individual risk factors for falls.
Education
Information related to the risk of falling distributed through handouts, discussions, presentations and demonstrations.
Program
Targeted strength and balance exercises that improve coordination, agility and posture relevant to falls prevention.
Below is an outline of Chaco's background in Falls Prevention:
Membership:
Certifications & Training for Falls Prevention:
Classes & Programs:
Articles:
- "What Happens If You Do Fall"; (article in Mar/07, BCAK Newsletter, Vol 16, Issue 1)
- "Fall Prevention" (article in Sept/06, BCAK Newsletter, Vol 15, Issue2)
- "Avoiding Falls" in Vancouver Sun by Karen Gram (Feb 5/07)
Presentations:
- Falls Prevention Workshop; at South Granville Seniors Centre (May 4/07)
- Falls Prevention Workshop at "Burnaby Seniors Outreach Services Society" (Mar 28/07)
- Falls Prevention at South Granville Seniors Centre Health Fair (Jan 26/07)
- Risk for Falls Screens & Kitchen Sink Exercises demonstration; Seniors Falls and Injury Prevention Leadership Workshop; (April 20/07)
Workshops, Lectures, Classes Available to You:
Statistics on Falls in Canada and British Columbia:
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Active Aging
(June 8,9/07; 17th Annual John K. Friesen Conference at SFU)
- The theme of this 1.5 day symposium recognizes the importance of taking an active approach in meeting the challenges of population aging. It also recognizes the important role that the built environment can play in enhancing the health and well being of today's and tomorrow's older population. Our plan is to explore ways of removing barriers and increasing the age-friendliness of the various settings in which older people spend their time, examine the links between the location and design of housing, shopping, restaurants and service areas, parks and recreational settings and the obesity epidemic that is sweeping the country; and the implications for various sub-groups of the population of increasing the walkability of our communities. One size may not fit all - the World Health Organization's Active Ageing policy framework highlights the need to take culture and gender into account in examining all policies and programs. Current and planned health, housing and lifestyle initiatives targeted to the aging population need to be examined from the perspective of these two cross-cutting variables. We also need to the sensitive to four key planning principles, identified in the BC Ministry of Health's recent symposium on Active Aging, that are important considerations that will guide the development of provincial, regional, and local active aging plans and actions. These are: inclusiveness, evidence, communication, sustainability and leadership. Some "how to's" and "best practices" will be presented as a guide for achieving these goals.
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Falls and Injury Risk- How to Keep the Balance
- Presented by Marcia Carr RN, BN, MS, GNC, NCA, Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) at Burnaby Hospital (2.5hrs; May 9/06)
The Inter-Regional Orthopedic Working Group:
- Best Practices for Fall Prevention; at GF Strong; Nov 22/06 (3.5 hours)
- Fall Forum; at GF Strong; April 26/06 (3.5 hours)
- Assessment and Programming for Fall Prevention by Debra Rose PhD. (Certificate of Achievement; web seminar; 2 hours; May 7/07)
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Vitality Forum 2007: Vancouver Initiative To Add Life To Years
(May 25, 2007; Vancouver General Hospital)
- Communities of Practice and Inter-professional-Collaborative Practice
- Transitions for Seniors – Focus on the ED
- Successful transitions from the ED for older adults
- VITALITY - The Double Lens of Geriatric (Re)habilitation
- "Facing up to Frailty" Dr. Kenneth Rockwood, Professor of Geriatric Medicine at Dalhousie University, a Canadian Institute of Health Research Investigator, active staff physician in the Department of Medicine, Capital Health, (Halifax), and Kathryn Allen Weldon Professor of Alzheimer Research. Ken has a longstanding interest in dementia, delirium and frailty, and is the author of the Frailty scale.
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Seniors Fall and Injury Prevention Initiative (SFIPI): Vision, Home Environments & Floor Surfaces; Vancover Falls Prevention Clinic: Reducing Falls By 50%
(June 21, 2007; Vancouver General Hospital)
- Moving Research Into Practice: Vision, Home Environments & Floor Surfaces
- Dr Clare Robertson, University of Otago, New Zealand: Clare Robertson is one of the world's pre-eminent falls authorities; She has been a consultant to New Zealand, European and US falls prevention initiatives. Her most recent British Medical Journal (BMJ) publication showed that home hazards could be reduced to prevent falls in those with visual impairment. She will also be discussing new research on the role of floor surfaces in preventing injuries from falls.
- Vancouver's Falls Prevention Clinic: Reducing Falls By 50%
- Dr Wendy Cook , UBC and Providence Health:Wendy Cook is a well-known geriatric medicine specialist who co-leads the VCHA Falls Prevention Clinic service (www.fallsclinic.com). This service has reduced falls among clients by 50%. Dr. Cook will explain how clinicians can access the service and how clients can benefit from multidisciplinary care.
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Seniors Fall and Injury Prevention Community Task Group
Purpose:
To reduce the frequency and severity of fall & fall related injuries through the co-ordinated efforts of interested individuals and groups representing the community organizations, health professionals, municipality, advocacy groups, and seniors.
Objective:
To develop, adapt, or adopt evidence based fall and injury prevention tools, strategies and interventions that are comprehensive, collaborative and coordinated across the region in order to reduce fall related risk factors, falls and injuries among seniors in Vancouver Coastal Health by:
- Providing community capacity building expertise from a regional perspective
- Facilitating and supporting community-based planning processes & initiatives
- Identifying partnership and collaboration opportunities in order to develop and implement sustainable community based falls and injury prevention initiatives
- Communicating and collaborating with existing work teams and colleagues in order to inform the mandate of the task group and ensure a transparent process
- Ensuring that tools, strategies and interventions recommended can be effectively and efficiently implemented, measured and sustained
- Promoting collective action, which includes involvement with community networks.
- Coordinating the work of the Community Task Group with other task groups by providing a designated appointee to the Regional Working Group
- Promoting, advocating, maintaining and increasing safety, mobility independence and access for seniors in internal and external environments
- Develop and propose community education programs, which are culturally and linguistically appropriate.
- Develop partnerships and collaborations to raise awareness of fall risk factors and evidence - based interventions to prevent falls and injuries
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Falls Prevention Community Network - Westside
The Falls Prevention Community Network - Westside has been developed to provide education about fall risk factors to seniors and community organization in the Westside.
Purpose:
To reduce falls and fall-related injuries among seniors living on the Westside.
- To promote exercise for balance and strengthening
- To promote awareness of fall hazards
- To work towards community initiatives
Functions:
- To be a resource
- To promote awareness of fall risk factors and work together to prevent falls in the home and community
- To provide peer support for using mobility equipment (to promote compliance)
The Committee will:
- Attend community meetings
- Plan events to educate the Westside community about falls prevention
- Will Share and distribute information and resources relating to falls prevention.
Target Audience: seniors, community organizations, and city planners
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Workshops, Lectures, Classes Available to You:
Community: At Community & Seniors Center's, Fitness Facilities, and Retirement Communities. For healthy and active individuals who live independently in the community, and their families and caregivers, or for those who are at risk of falling or have fallen while living in residential care facilities.
At-Home: For people who have fallen or are at risk of falling in their home or community, e.g. in-house, in-apartments, assisted living or supportive housing complexes, or for those recovering from an acute fall and need to regain functional abilities.
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1.5-Hour Falls Prevention Workshop
- Why do people fall, including: risk factors for falls, what people can do to reduce their risks for falls.
- Group screening: e.g. 30-second Chair Stand; Romberg; 8-foot up and go; one-leg stance.
- Exercise demonstrations and participation: Strength exercises for the lower body; balance exercises that target the visual, somatosensory, and vestibular systems.
- Review of key points; Handouts; Question and answer.
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2.5-Hour Falls Prevention Workshop
- Why do people fall, including: risk factors for falls, internal and external risk factors for falls; preventing falls in the home; what people can do to reduce their risks for falls.
- Group screening: e.g. 30-second Chair Stand; Romberg; 8-foot up and go; one-leg stance; score sheet with information about screen.
- Exercise demonstrations and participation: Kitchen Sink Exercises; Tai chi exercises; strength exercises for the lower body; balance exercise that target the visual, somatosensory, and vestibular systems; reducing Home risk factors.
- Review of key points; Handouts; Question and answer.
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4-Hour Falls Prevention Workshop
- Why do people fall, including: risk factors for falls, internal and external risk factors for falls; preventing falls in the home; what people can do to reduce their risks for falls; the importance of physical activity - strength exercises for the lower body and exercises that target each of the sensory systems involved in balance control.
- Group screening: e.g. 30-second Chair Stand; Romberg; 8-foot up and go; one-leg stance; functional reach test; score sheet with information about screen.
- Exercise demonstrations and participation: Kitchen Sink Exercises; Tai chi exercises; strength exercises for the lower body; balance exercise that target the visual, somatosensory, and vestibular systems; flexibility and ROM exercises; reducing Home risk factors.
- Review of key points; Handouts; Question and answer.
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8-Week (or more) Strength, Balance and Mobility Class
- Includes baseline testing in order to assess each participant's current functional level. Tests include:
- Balance Efficacy Scale - a written survey that assesses each participant's confidence in his or her ability to perform balance-related activities;
- M-CTSIB - a four-part test battery that assesses the three sensory systems involved in balance control;
- Berg Balance Test - a 14-part test battery that assesses a participant's balance-related physical ability;
- Fullerton Advanced Balance Test - a 10-part test battery that also assesses a participant's balance-related physical ability.
- After the baseline testing has been completed, participants will meet weekly or bi-weekly for 1- hour sessions.
- Sessions include: warm-up, lower body strength exercises; Tai Chi exercises, balance and mobility exercises, agility games, and a cool-down. All the activities can be modified to fit the functional ability of each participant.
- The last session repeats the baseline testing measures in order to measure each participant's level of change.
- Educational materials outline the risks for falls will also be included.
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Statistics:
Below are national statistics on seniors' falls:
- Falls are the leading accidental cause of death among seniors accounting for one third of all injury deaths among seniors aged 65 and over.
- Falls are the second leading cause, after motor vehicle collisions, of injury-related hospitalizations for all ages, accounting for 29% of injury admissions.
- Seniors age 65 and over accounted for 40% of all injury hospitalizations, the largest proportion of all injury hospitalizations. Falls accounted for 85% of injury hospitalizations in this age group
- A 20% reduction in falls would translate to an estimated 7,500 fewer hospitalizations and 1,800 fewer permanently disabled seniors. The overall national savings could amount to $138 million annually
Below are some of the key epidemiological findings relevant to seniors in BC:
- In BC: 771 deaths; 3100 hip fractures; 10,000 hospitalizations; estimated that over 200,000 British Columbian will have a fall this year
- In Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH): 52 deaths; 992 hip fractures; 2200 hospitalizations; 20, 989 falls and 1631 injuries in Acute & Residential Care facilities
- Indirect death rates due to falls exceed direct fall-related death rates for all seniors, but are highest among those aged 85 years and over.
- 42.5 % of fall-related hospitalizations have a hip fracture; 20 % of those with a hip fracture die within a year
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