Fall Prevention

As we age, the risk of a fall increases, but falling down is not a normal part of aging.

Falls are the leading cause of death from injury among older adults and the most common cause of non-fatal injuries, resulting in emergency department visits in the older adult population with an estimated cost of more than $30 billion from direct medical costs alone.

Older adults who fall and are not injured may develop a fear of falling and limit activities, leading to a loss in physical function, resulting in an increased risk of future falls. 

At Premier Health, we offer two fall prevention programs to help avoid serious injury.

Matter of Balance

This structured, group workshop utilizes a variety of activities to address physical, social, and cognitive factors affecting fear of falling and to teach fall prevention strategies. The nationally recognized program was developed at the Roybal Center at Boston University. The goals of the program are to:

  • Reduce fear of falling
  • Stop the fear of falling cycle
  • Increase activity levels and confidence among older adults

Trained coaches lead the eight-week program in weekly two-hour sessions. Activities include:

  • Group discussion
  • Problem-solving
  • Skill building
  • Assertiveness training
  • Sharing practical solutions
  • Exercise training

Early sessions focus on changing attitudes and self-efficacy before attempting actual changes in behavior. The exercise component, which begins in the third session, takes about 30 minutes of each session to complete. The recommended class size for A Matter of Balance is eight to 12 participants. 

A Matter of Balance workshops are for:

  • Anyone concerned about falling
  • Anyone interested in improving balance, flexibility, and strength
  • Anyone who has fallen in the past
  • Anyone who has restricted activities because of falling concerns

You will learn to:

  • View falls and fear of falling as controllable (involves changing behavior with a focus on building falls self-efficacy, i.e. – the belief that one can engage in an activity without falling).
  • Set realistic goals for increasing activity (by instilling adaptive beliefs such as greater perceived control, greater confidence in one’s abilities, and more realistic assessment of failures).
  • Learn how to stay safe at home by changing the environment to reduce fall risk factors (uses a home safety evaluation and action planner to reduce fall risk hazards in the home and community).
  • Promote exercise to increase strength and balance.

If you want to host a Matter of Balance course in your community, please contact:

Charles “CJ” Briggerman
Program Manager of the Injury Prevention Center
(937) 208-3196(937) 208-3196
cbriggerm@premierhealth.com

SLIP Program

The goal of the SLIP (Senior Lifestyles and Injury Prevention) Program is to prevent falls before they happen. Falls in the elderly make up more than half of the traumatic injuries treated at Atrium Medical Center. Creating awareness, providing education, and teaching preventive measures are the first steps in reducing falls in our aging population.

The SLIP program focuses on home safety, diet and exercise. The workshop also teaches you to recognize the signs of a traumatic brain injury, which can occur after a fall, especially if you or a loved one is taking blood thinners.

To schedule a SLIP presentation at your facility or for more information, please contact:

Ann M Brock RN, BSN, CEN, EMT-P
Trauma Outreach Coordinator/WCSCC Coordinator
Atrium Medical Center
(513) 974-4713(513) 974-4713 
ambrock@premierhealth.com

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