EXPERTS WANT ALL TO KNOW FALLING IS
 NO LAUGHING MATTER
 The Morning Call—Monday, March 6, 2000

Specialists are offering free screenings to senior citizens this week on avoiding injury

A few years ago, a television commercial featuring an older woman who had fallen provided a line that became something of a punch line among jokesters: "I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!"

But among older people, falling is no joke.

For people over 65, falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths in the United States. An estimated 10 million to 17 million people over age 65, or one out of every three in the United States, will fall this year, experts say.

That’s why the California-based Keiser Institute on Aging and therapists around the country are promoting Fall Prevention Week this week. The motto for the week: "Don’t let a fall by your last trip."

At Workout Plus in Richland Township, senior citizens will be able to get risk assessments, including free balance screening, this week. Screening will be 1-3pm today through Wednesday.

Donna Duckworth, a certified medical exercise specialist, and Caryl Putchat, a certified gerontologist, say the screenings are simple, take only a few minutes and "include talking about home prevention, including lighting and clutter."

Experts will be available to talk about fall prevention, balance and how to make the home fall-proof.

Fall-proofing a home is important, since 85 percent of falls occur in the home – usually on stairs, in the bedroom or in the bathroom.

Keiser officials say more than 1,000 health clubs, retirement communities and senior centers across the United States and Canada will host free prevention events as part of the campaign.

"The good news is that research studies show fall prevention methods work," says Dennis Keiser, chief executive officer of the institute. "The challenge is to reach individuals with prevention methods before they fall."

Duckworth and Putchat, of Fit Pro-DUCK-tions, agree.

"Just a little bit of time dedicated to assessing your risk factors can make all the difference," said Duckworth. "We want to help raise local awareness about the increasing rate of falls older adults are experiencing."

Duckworth and Putchat promote wellness for area seniors with arthritis classes, strength training, body awareness, treadmill classes and a variety of educational classes.

The two travel to senior centers, nursing homes, hospitals and other organizations to teach seniors that gentle physical activity can have a positive impact on balance and just make them feel better.

Participants say their experience is testimony that exercise can improve older person’s balance and well-being.

Joan Daniels, 55, of Coopersburg, says it takes time and commitment to see improvements. Although Arthritis limits her range of motion, she says she does what she can do and aims to do more.

Daniels, who had a hip replacement, couldn’t bend over to pick up a piece of paper when she started. Now, she can easily bend down to pick things up – and is delighted.

Edna deAngeli, an 83-year old grandmother from Upper Saucon Township, said exercise has given her a new lease of life. When she was 79, she had a quadruple bypass and hr cardiologist told her to exercise.

"So I have been doing balance and strength classes for years," she said.

DeAngelli, who loved ballet and modern dance as a youngster, now says she feels alive again and has greatly increased flexibility, balance and strength, especially in her upper body.

"Balance risk assessment hasn’t caught on yet," says Kay Van Norman, director of the Keiser Institute. "But it’s very important."

Van Norman said a fall can start a vicious cycle for an older person, because "once you fall you tend to be afraid of falling again, so you do less, lose more flexibility and strength, and that makes you venerable for another fall."

—By Laura Faitt-Weller

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