What Is It?
Balance classes (Tai Chi for Moving for Better Balance, Get Some Balance in Your Life, Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program, Walk with Ease) were identified by the Injury & Substance Abuse Prevention Action Team as actions, that when combined with other actions in our community, that has a reasonable chance of making a difference in falls in our community. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Home and Recreational Safety Guide lists many balance programs as a best practice to reduce the unintentional falls mortailty rate. These are ongoing programs in our community.
Balance classes are a comprehensive community approach to falls that address this health issue on a single influence level (individual/interpersonal). This intervention targets older adults with identified fall risks. Implementation of this intervention will take place in a community-based, small workshop setting such as the Senior Center with the Department on Aging.
Participants from Get Some Balance in Your Life pose after playing musical chairs.
Partners
The partners for this initiative include:
- Jackson County Department of Public Health
- Role: Lead classes, recruit participants, promote classes
- Jackson County Department on Aging
- Role: Host and lead classes, recruit participants
- Western Carolina University
- Role: Lead classes, recruit participants, promote classes
- Area Agency on Aging
- Role: Lead classes, recruit participants, promote classes
- Harris Regional Hospital
- Role: Lead classes, recruit participants, promote classes
Updates
2016 Updates
Balance Classes
- Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program: 1483 participants
- Walk with Ease Program: 384 participants
- Tai Chi for Arthritis Program: 515 participants
- Get Some Balance in Your Life Program: 112 participants
Action Team members additional held a health fair and class demonstration for older adults to screen said adults into an appropriate balance class.
Get Some Balance in Your Life participants and instructors