The federal Administration for Community Living has awarded a three-year grant of $1,054,885 to support Juniper’s efforts to prevent falls among older adults in Minnesota. Juniper is partnering in the project with Minnesota’s regional Area Agencies on Aging, the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, the Minnesota Board on Aging, the Minnesota Department of Health, 16 regional healthcare providers and more than 86 community-based program providers.
Falls are a leading cause of injury and death of older adults in Minnesota. Across the country, falls generate tremendous pain and suffering as well as annual medical costs that are estimated to be more than $50 billion. Evidence-based falls prevention classes, including Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance, A Matter of Balance and Stepping On have been proven to reduce the risks of falling.
Since 2016 Juniper, a program of Trellis, has provided evidence-based falls prevention programs through a network of community-based providers and leaders. Classes are available in all 87 Minnesota counties and offered in a mix of virtual, telephone and (coming soon again) in-person formats.
The ACL funding will expand and extend Juniper’s falls prevention work to:
- Scale falls prevention evidence-based program capacity to meet growing demand and increase program participation across Minnesota.
- Integrate community and clinical care using community health workers to link patients to falls prevention programs, conduct social determinants of health screenings and help patients navigate complex systems in order to make connections for whole-person care.
- Determine the value of Juniper programs to help make the case for investment in them to produce both better health outcomes for individuals and lower the cost of falls.
- Deepen partnerships with healthcare organizations and the Minnesota Department of Health to scale healthcare provider referrals and contribute to local population health efforts.
As part of this effort, Juniper will employ one community health worker in a clinic in Worthington, MN, in partnership with Sanford Health and another one to support long-term and transitional care settings in partnership with Presbyterian Homes & Services.
Juniper anticipates serving 7,000 participants in health promotion classes during the three years of the grant and expects to support 3,780 community members through social determinants of health screening and service referral using a community integrated health network model.
For additional information about this project, contact Sarah Blonigan, Juniper network director for Trellis. To find a free or low-cost Juniper health promotion class visit yourjuniper.org or call 855-215-2174 to talk with one of our wellness specialists.
