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SANTA CRUZ COUNTY'S NEWEST FALLS PREVENTION RESOURCE TO HELP KEEP YOU SAFE . . . AND INDEPENDENT Community Service Program of Seniors Council of Santa Cruz & San Benito Counties (831) 688-0400 x122 or fallsprevention@seniorscouncil.org stimulating activities. Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, our senior's physical well-being can be the foundation for a higher quality of life. It involves engagement in activities that despite limitations keep them physically active, increase their sense of strength, and provide a sense of fun. It is said that any movement is good movement, and there are low impact exercises that you and a senior can enjoy together. Chair yoga, chair dancing, safe walks in their neighborhood, or even wall push-ups. How- ever, it is important to consult a physician before beginning any exercise program. So come on Santa Cruz, let's all start bringing some joy back into the lives of our seniors and show them that they matter! Keep in mind that when we help enhance their quality of life and support their overall well-being, we will improve their ability to cope with stressful events, improve their ability to have positive experiences, and enrich our own lives in the process. Lifespan is a Santa Cruz County professional aging care provider offering home care and care man- agement services. In addition, their unique Well-Being Program was created to engage, enhance, and increase seniors' quality of life. Through a comprehensive assessment and thought- fully created activity plan, it is possible to decrease their risk of isolation and help them experience greater joy in their lives. Joy... continued from page 4 New Resources Available Through Seniors Council's Fall Prevention Progam By Britt Bassoni, Seniors Council of Santa Cruz & San Benito Counties For anyone who has fallen, experienced a heart-stopping near fall, or provides care to some- one who is at increased fall risk, the world and even one's own home can be filled with serious challenges and potential hazards to ongoing health, well-being, and indepen- dence. Falls are one of the greatest single causes of older adult injuries and hospitalizations annually. Additionally, once an individual has fallen, they are 50% more likely to experience an additional fall within six months. More than $50 billion a year is spent by Medicare alone in treating the results of catastrophic falls among older adults. By many estimations, falls represent a signifi- cant public health crisis that is best addressed in a comprehensive manner and across multiple dis- ciplines and within every community, to mitigate individually identified be- havioral and environmen- tal risks with simple and common-sense solutions. A broken porch step is more than just a nuisance; it really IS an accident waiting to happen. Seniors Council of Santa Cruz & San Benito Coun- ties has a long history of working to prevent falls among older adults, first under Older Americans Act mandates for Area Agencies on Aging, and then through its Compan- ion for Life personal emer- gency response systems with wearable emergen- cy call buttons. Later, Seniors Council made available falls risk educa- tion and training through A Matter of Balance cognitive restructuring program for older adults or other who experience a fear of falling, and more recently - - in response to on-going needs during the COVID-19 pandem- ic - - A Matter of Balance – Virtual. However, for many years the 'missing piece' has been the means to provide detailed home safety evaluations, since the overwhelming major- ity of falls occur in-home, and then adequate funding and professional expertise to fix what needed fixing. Now, through a grant from the California Department on Aging and with State General Fund support, Seniors Council is pleased to announce an expansion of our falls prevention program services to include just the sort of in-home behavioral and environmental safety assessments so critical to identifying potential health and safety risks to older adults at increased risk of falls. The as- sessments are based on guidelines and a template provided by the Cen- ter for Disease Control (CDC), and through a room-by-room checklist of potential hazards and in-depth conversations with individuals about how they use their space and what maintaining their well-being and independence looks like from their own personal perspective and priori- ties. Being safe is good, but being safe at any cost - - such as by curtailing activities which give one joy, but pose some degree of risks - - isn't some- thing people should have to do, especially if safer strategies can be devised to help someone contin- ue what they love to do longer and with a greater sense of confidence. We and others in the field are more prone these days to talk about falls risk mitigation and prevention in terms of individuals maintaining their indepen- dence and their abilities to live how and where they want to live. This is especially true in the face of overwhelming evidence that serious falls and our fears about and attitudes toward falls are by far the greatest contributor to loss of personal independence and personal agency which people confront as they age. In the months to come, and as we begin to ramp- up services to expand, compliment, and introduce new local falls prevention resources, we will focus our attention in this space on simple common sense approaches and individual actions which are part of a comprehensive plan to address fall risks and the fear of falling. Not every intervention or action needs to be undertaken by every person, but taken in whole and over time, these steps will provide a roadmap to chart progress and some direction in your own personal efforts and journey to remain fall free . . . and maintain your independence! Bigstock photo

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