Stepping On is a 7-week program proven to reduce falls and build confidence in older adults. Strength and balance exercises are taught along with other strategies to prevent falls inside and outside the home. Click here to access the National Council on Aging video regarding falls prevention program for older adults.
Below you will find more details about the program. Click on the button to find a workshop near you.
What topics are covered ?
- Importance Of Strength and Balance Exercises
- Demonstration Of Strength And Balance Exercises
- Navigating Steps And Chairs
- How To Get Up From A Fall
- Identify Tripping Hazards In And About The Home
- Influence Of Vision And The Risk Of Falling
- Safe Footwear
- Bone Health
- Importance Of Calcium And Vitamin D
- Medications And Falls
- Mobility Techniques Outside
Who can attend ?
This interactive workshop and participatory program is for English-speaking individuals aged 60 or older who have a fear of falling or who have fallen and are ready to engage in falls prevention. Participants must live independently in their home or apartment. This includes individuals who live in retirement communities or senior living facilities. This program has not been tested in nursing homes or assisted living facilities and is deemed not appropriate for those settings.
Participants should be able to walk unassisted most of the time and should not be 100% dependent on a walker, scooter or wheelchair. Participants should be able to do standing balance exercises independently. Participants should be cognitively intact. Individuals with a cognitive impairment should be referred to their health care provider for an individualized approach and are not appropriate for this small group setting.
Does the program replace existing programs and treatments ?
The program does not replace any existing programs or treatment. In fact, this workshop enhances those provided through accredited programs often provided in hospital settings.
Falls are the leading cause of injury and injury related deaths among those aged 65 years and older. One-third of older adults in the United States fall each year. The consequences of falls are substantial. They include fractures, head injuries, soft-tissue injuries, loss of mobility, loss of independent living and death. These consequences impose significant burden on older adults, their caregivers, communities and our health care system. Falls prevention classes are highly encouraged. For medical questions, participants are referred to their physicians. If the content of the course conflicts with instructions they receive elsewhere, they are advised to follow their physicians’ orders and discuss discrepancies with the doctor.
What can I expect from the class ?
Stepping On is a community-based, small-group program designed to reduce falls and build confidence in older adults. Developed in Australia and tested in a randomized controlled trial, the Stepping On program demonstrated a 31% reduction in falls.
The benefits of the Stepping On program include the following:
- Learn to step outside your home with confidence
- Learn with people your own age
- Become more aware of fall hazards and learn how your fall risk can be reduced
Study the most up-to-date information on falls prevention - Help others by sharing what has worked for you
Details of the class
Stepping On is offered in a two-hour session once a week for seven weeks, followed by a follow up phone call after the 7 sessions. Three months after the workshop ends, a booster session is provided to engage participants again and review lessons learned. The workshop is taught by two trained facilitators, one or both may be healthcare professionals.
Guest experts lead different segments each week. Content areas include exercise, vision, medications, and community safety. Stepping On covers a range of topics including falls and risk, strength and balance exercises, home hazards, safe footwear and safe clothing, vision as it relates to falls, coping after a fall, and understanding medication risks.
Classes are held in small-group settings, where older adults learn about building self-confidence, making decisions, and behavioral change. Classes are highly participatory. Mutual success builds participants confidence in reducing their risk for falls and helps them maintain an active and fulfilling life.
Several handouts are given out along with a Strength and Balance exercise manual. Participants are encouraged to attend all 7 sessions and to practice their strength and balance exercises in between sessions. Each session builds upon the previous session. Participants enjoy sharing experiences and provide mutual support to each other.
What our participants say...
