Fall Prevention
Laura Olinger, Founder of Vintage Moves
With the Fall Equinox this week, it is also Fall Prevention Week, sponsored by the Area Agency on Aging. I love the pun.
In normal years it is a full schedule of talks, workshops, demonstrations, classes, receptions — lots of programming to increase awareness, educate, and hopefully improve the safety of all the participants, and in a perfect world it would also increase their family’s awareness of effective methods to support their parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles in preventing falls.
For those who don’t know, falls are the single greatest predictor of an elder’s inability to remain independent, and alive. For many who take a fall it is the “beginning of the end” initiating a downward spiral toward the end of their lives. The good news is that with some effort, most falls are preventable. The key words in that last statement are, “with some effort.” I’ll add to that — EFFECTIVE effort.
Two things I have found in working with hundreds of elders:
Many believe that at a certain age, their balance will begin to deteriorate and will progress along version of a downward trend, and that there is nothing they can do about it.
Many of the programs and classes are minimally effective in actually preventing falls. Even some of the “evidence-based” ones. — Yes. I meant to say that.
Let’s start with #1. That statement is true if there is no effective effort to counteract that trend. Without physical strengthening, brain stimulating activity, neural pathway building and simultaneous brain-body training, the progression of deterioration will continue. However, there are very effective ways to provide all of those key requirements!
And #2. With much appreciation for the good, even great intentions of the programs out there, most miss the mark on engaging the brain in an effective way to garner actual improvement. Many make an incremental, subjective gain, but not a measurable, noticeable nor effective gain. Most participants are not engaging with the material frequently enough to build new neural pathways fast enough to make an appreciable difference.
I’ve had the privilege of working with a few great companies, and being trained by some brilliant experts in the fields of balance (Nymbl Science), neuroplasticity and senior fitness (Ageless Grace), body awareness and fitness (Nia), and brain re-education (Geotran). Vintage Moves works at the intersection of all of these, incorporating the science, research, fitness, and fun. Too much for a blog — this week I get to weave it all together in workshops and classes all focusing on balance, fall prevention, building neural pathways, education and brain re-education. Perhaps my favorite professional week of the year!