Last month Juniper, a program of Trellis, launched a campaign to help older adults get strong, improve balance and feel good.
The NO|FALLS Minnesota campaign is a collaboration of the Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Board on Aging, Minnesota Association of Area Agencies on Aging, the Minnesota State Fire Marshal, the Minneapolis Fire Department, 16 regional healthcare providers and 70 community-based program providers. These organizations are working together to implement an awareness campaign to keep older adults active, strong and on their feet.
Strength and balance are key factors in reducing falls. Every 11 seconds an older adult is treated in an emergency room for a fall, according to the National Council on Aging. It’s a familiar story for Mary Gray, director of physical medicine at Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater. Last year, their emergency room treated more than 40 patients a month with fall-related injuries.
According to the CDC, one in four adults over 65 falls each year. Minnesotans are at particular risk: the state ranks fourth in the country for deaths related to injury from falls. But falls are not inevitable, and they are not a normal part of aging.
Gray has seen patients with hip, wrist and rib fractures from falls, as well as concussions and head trauma, and muscle and joint pain. “Many people don’t seek medical care after a fall because they’re afraid of losing their independence.” According to Gray, most falls can be prevented. “Vision, muscles, balance, strength and medications can all contribute to risk and all of those things can be managed.”
Juniper offers free or low-cost evidence-based classes that help older adults prevent falls. Stepping On and A Matter of Balance are 7 or 8-session classes that help participants understand and minimize their risks, including changes in their physical environment. Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance and Staying Active and Independent for Life (SAIL) are exercise classes that help participants strengthen muscles and improve balance. All are small-group classes that provide opportunities for social connection and peer-to-peer support. Juniper offers classes in-person and online and they are available to all Minnesotans.
People want to get on the floor and play with their grandchildren, continue to travel and stay independent. Juniper classes help people take charge of their health and lives.
The collaboration plans to engage about 6,000 older adults in Juniper classes over the next three years, improving the participants’ lives and preventing the often-catastrophic effects of falls.
