A new program called Stand Up, aimed at preventing falls among seniors, has made its way to Centretown.
Chantale LeClerc, CEO of Stand Up funder Champlain Local Health Integration Network, says this type of program is very important.
“We know that one of the leading causes of injuries in seniors is falls,” says LeClerc. “We also know that one of the top reasons why seniors visit an emergency department is because of a fall.”
The program, which was launched in Ottawa in the fall and is offered free of charge, is a weeks-long commitment that includes both an education and an exercise aspect. Community health centres and Ottawa Public Health partnered to provide the necessary services.
Janet Edwards, health promoter at the Centretown Community Health Centre on Cooper Street, says the once-a-week, 20- to 30-minute educational component of the program is designed to help seniors take control of their own lives.
“The education sessions are built in so that they can build confidence in people to know that falls can be prevented, and that you have a role in it, and these are some of the simple things you can do,” says Edwards.
These group sessions cover things such as how to arrange certain rooms in a home, how posture can influence falling, the need for proper footwear and tips on getting up and down stairs safely.
According to a report by the Public Health Agency of Canada that was released in 2005 and revised in 2011, falls account for more than half of all injuries among seniors. Moreover, they account for 85 per cent of all injury-related hospitalizations among seniors.
“Falls are a huge burden to the healthcare system, and also a major impact on a person’s quality of life, particularly for seniors,” says LeClerc.
The other component to the program is a twice-a-week exercise routine aimed at helping seniors strengthen their leg muscles and increase their range of motion and balance.
The exercise program includes both strength building exercises and “exercises that help to increase your bone density around the areas where you’re more likely to break them,” says Edwards. This includes areas like the wrists and the hips, both problem areas for seniors.
The other type of exercise aimed at building confidence is how to get up off the floor. The process of getting up is broken down into small steps, and over the course of the program the seniors go from just bending down to pick something up off the floor to actually lying down and getting up, says Edwards.
“So the program is really creative, and it’s really fun, and it’s built on a progression,” she says.
Edwards says that she has seen drastic improvements in seniors who use the program.
“They feel stronger, they make small changes like they install hand railings in the bathroom for example, so it’s certainly changed a lot of people’s lives when they’re able to come and participate fully in the program,” she says.
LeClerc says that some similar programs were offered before Stand Up, but the new program simply adds to and complements them, and allows a greater number of seniors access to falls-prevention resources.
The program can also come directly to seniors, as opposed to the seniors having to travel to a local health centre, if they meet certain requirements, she says.
Seniors interested in the Stand Up program can call the Champlain Community Care Access Centre at 310-2222 for information on how to register.