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Agency on Aging says get walking to prevent falls; event set Friday

SALEM — Get moving, get walking, get stronger — all to prevent falling.

That’s the message the Area Agency on Aging 11 hopes to deliver during its Strike a Balance Walk-a-Thon and Health Fair set from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at the Salem Community Center’s CenterPlex facility at 1098 N. Ellsworth Ave. Check-in starts at 10 a.m., with the event beginning at 10:30 a.m.

During the free event which coincides with National Falls Prevention Day, attendees will be asked to walk at least 1 mile around the track while also enjoying free health screenings from Salem Regional Medical Center, free lunch from Mom’s Meals NourishCare, Tai Chi demonstrations, cooking demonstrations and fall prevention education, along with visiting vendor tables stocked with helpful information. Walgreens will make flu shots available, with participants asked to bring their health insurance or Medicare cards.

The event for people of all ages is also in conjunction with the Steady U initiative from the Ohio Department of Aging’s 10 Million Steps To Prevent Falls Challenge. Even if people can’t do the walk, they’re encouraged to come to the event to learn more about falling prevention and take advantage of everything being made available.

“Anything they can do to be more active — that’s the goal,” Area Agency on Aging 11 Communications Director Lisa Solley said.

In the agency’s four-county service area which includes Columbiana, Mahoning, Trumbull and Ashtabula counties, the Ohio Department of Health said falls were the second-leading cause of death among seniors and the fifth-leading cause of hospitalizations. ODH statistics also said an older Ohioan falls every minute on average, resulting in an injury every 5 minutes, a trip to the emergency room every 6 minutes, two hospitalizations each hour and three deaths each day,

According to ODH statistics, the total estimated medical cost of falls measures out to $1.1 billion annually in Ohio and when counting costs for work loss, the total goes to $1.9 billion or $5.2 million each day.

“We want to educate people about programs that can help them reduce their risk of falling through this fun and interactive event that brings our community together through sponsorships and partnerships, so everyone is taking part in helping to keep seniors aging healthy,” agency Wellness Coordinator Ingrid Moore said in a press release.

One of the simplest forms of exercise is walking and Solley said “if you do it, you’re actually going to help yourself feel better.”

That’s where the 10 million steps challenge can come into play, with the Ohio Department of Aging challenging individual Ohio residents, community groups and organizations to simply walk and keep track of their steps as part of an effort to reduce falls. The goal is to reach at least 10 million steps per year, which is a number participants smashed last year with more than 30 million steps logged.

Solley said just last week, 20 staff members of the Area Agency on Aging 11 took up the challenge for one week and walked 1.21 million steps or 574 miles. As part of a wellness program for staff, she said many are walking either at lunch or after work. The effort is part of the 10 million steps challenge, but also a challenge between the dozen Area Agency on Aging districts across the state.

The education on how to prevent falls will touch on one of the agency’s free wellness programs called A Matter of Balance. The workshop addresses the fear of falling and includes exercises. Devices to assist seniors in walking and keeping their balance will be talked about as well as tips on how to be more cautious, for example if walking on ice. The classes are peer-led, which she said is what makes them so successful.

A Matter of Balance class, separate from the event, is starting at 1 p.m. today at the Salem Community Center.

Other workshops offered by the Area Agency on Aging 11 include chronic disease self-management, diabetes self-management and education program, pain self-management and a program for caregivers. To find a class or to schedule one for a group, contact the agency at 330-505-2300.

mgreier@salemnews.net

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