UNE Geriatric Education Center reminds Maine seniors to guard against falls
In conjunction with The Maine Falls Prevention Coalition, Governor John Baldacci has proclaimed September 21-27, 2008 Falls Prevention Awareness Week. With the winter season coming around again, the University of New England's Maine Geriatric Education Center wants to remind Maine seniors to take action to reduce their risk of falling.
Many seniors are fearful of falling and often change their schedules or curtail activities they enjoy because of this fear. Southern Maine Agency on Aging presents a class that can help York and Cumberland County area seniors proactively face their fear of falling. The class, A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls, emphasizes practical strategies to reduce this fear and increase activity levels. It encourages participants to view falls and fear of falling as controllable. Interested seniors may call Anne Murray at 1-800-427-7411 to get more information on upcoming classes.
The Proclamation issued by Governor John Baldacci offers interesting information about falls and how they impact the senior population.
- it is estimated that one-third of adults over the age of 60 and 50 percent of adults over the age of 80 will fall each year
- the medical cost associated with each fall-related hospitalization is estimated at $37,000
- falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury deaths among people over the age of 65, and the leading cause of doctor visits, hospital admissions, and emergency room visits
(Statistics from the 2006 Maine Falls Prevention Coalition Report to the Legislature)
"With these sobering statistics in mind, the Coalition is eager to get the word out to Maine seniors that this class can help them take back control of their lives. All too often, seniors simply reduce their activity levels because of a fear of falling, and thats the last thing we want for them," stated Diana Scully, Director, Office of Elder Services, Maine Department of Health and Human Services.
A Matter of Balance is an award-winning program designed to manage falls and increase activity levels. The program consists of eight class sessions. Participants learn to set realistic goals to increase activity, change their environment to reduce fall risk factors, and learn simple exercises to increase strength and balance.
University of New England's Maine Geriatric Education Center, www.une.edu/mainegec, encourages all older adults, families, friends, health professionals, health professions students, community organizations and communities to spread the word to increase Fall Prevention Awareness among older adults throughout Maine. You can print the following booklet: Check for Safety: A Home Fall Prevention Checklist for Older Adults.
The University of New England Maine Geriatric Education Center works with the Maine Falls Prevention Coalition. Coalition members include: Southern Maine Agency on Aging, MaineHealth's Partnership for Healthy Aging (PFHA), Maine Medical Center Division of Geriatrics, University of Southern Maine, School of Social Work, A Matter of Balance participant and coach, AARP Maine, City of Portland, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Maine Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, Maine Nutrition Network, Maine Office of Elder Services, Maine State Housing Authority, New England Rehabilitation Hospital, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, University of New England, Geriatric Education Center, Maine Medical Association, Maine Hospital Association, Northern New England Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, Maine Health Care Association.
The University of New England Maine Geriatric Education Center (UNE-MGEC) is a HRSA federal grant funded program that addresses priority health education needs of Maine's health workforce, health professions faculty and students, community organizations and older adults and their families.