By Kate Hill
Staff Writer
September is National Falls Prevention Month.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries among older Americans.
And one in four seniors (adults 65 and older) in the United States experiences a fall each year.
Madison County is home to 11,723 senior residents.
The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Madison County and the Madison County Office for the Aging, Inc. (OFA) are encouraging seniors to take action this month and join one of the free fall-prevention programs offered throughout the county.
Most falls are associated with a combination of risk factors, including lower body weakness; vitamin D deficiency; walking and balance difficulties; use of some medicines; vision problems; foot pain or poor footwear; and hazards/dangers such as broken steps, clutter and throw rugs.
Research suggests that engaging in certain prevention exercises and activities can help seniors to reduce their risk of falling.
Local RSVP volunteers and OFA staff members lead fall prevention programs in Cazenovia, Canastota, Hamilton, Morrisville, Oneida, Perryville and Peterboro.
Cazenovia currently hosts three programs: “Strong Women Bone Builders,” “Osteo Bone Builders” and “A Matter of Balance.”
Bone Builders is a research-based educational exercise program developed by the John Hancock Center for Physical Activity and Nutrition at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston.
The program is designed to help participants prevent and alleviate osteoporosis and improve their general fitness.
The sessions feature balance, strengthening and stretching exercises with and without hand or leg weights.
Strong Women Bone Builders sessions are held at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 12 Mill St., at 10 a.m. on Mondays and 9:30 a.m. on Thursdays.
RSVP volunteers Beverly Thorp, Anthony Shalna and Claudia Jensen lead the program with assistance from Patricia Fisher, Bettina Frisse and Phyllis Peterson.
The leaders have been trained and certified in the program through Cornell University.
Osteo Bone Builders classes are held at 10 a.m. on the second, third, fourth and fifth Wednesdays of each month and at 10 a.m. each Friday at the Cazenovia Public Library.
Cheryl Lagrow and Deb Halliday — RSVP-certified instructors — lead the program.
According to OFA staff member and RSVP Director Annette Clark, Bone Builders classes have been offered at St. Peter’s since 2014 and at the library since 2018.
“There has been a real growth in the program throughout the county,” Clark said. “We now have nine Bone Builders sites operating with about 150 participants.”
A Matter of Balance is based on a program developed at Boston University.
The workshop is designed to help reduce the fear of falling and increase the activity levels of older adults who have concerns about falling.
Courses can be scheduled as needed and are led by certified OFA staff members. Interested individuals should contact the OFA at 315-697-5700.
RSVP is part of the Senior Corps program of the Corporation for National and Community Service.
The program is designed to provide volunteer opportunities for individuals 55 and older who want to remain actively involved in their communities. Its aim is to both develop volunteer opportunities that utilize the skills and interests of each individual volunteer and to meet community needs.
The local RSVP is sponsored by OFA — a not-for-profit corporation with a mission “to advocate, assist and provide services that enrich the quality of life and promote the independence and dignity of older individuals and their families.”
Although OFA receives support from Madison County, the organization is distinct from the county government.
“One of the directives of the Madison County OFA is to help our aging population remain healthy longer and have fuller, safer lives,” Clark said.
For more information on the programs, call RSVP at 697-5700, email [email protected], or visit ofamadco.org.
