Gladwin, C.

Finding Balance: Focusing on the Evidence to Prevent Seniors' Falls
Gladwin, C., Shybunka, N., Morgan-Redshaw, M., Belton, K.L.

Finding Balance is a falls prevention program aimed at the community-dwelling older adult population in Alberta. As our population ages, preventing falls and their life-changing consequences is increasing in importance. This poster will focus on the design and delivery of messages and tools for the Finding Balance program to promote the development and maintenance of strength and balance which are proven methods of preventing falls in older adults.

Finding Balance is in its second decade and the IPC is refocusing it on the most effective fall prevention interventions for community-dwelling older adults. Based on the evidence in Gillespie's Cochrane Review titled Interventions for preventing falls in older people living in the community, Finding Balance will emphasize specific exercises and activities that improve balance and increase leg strength. Whether at home, the seniors' centre, or outdoors, people are being asked to challenge their balance, build their strength and be active to prevent falls. Older adults, from 55 to 85+, will be encouraged to assess their current abilities and motivated to exercise and do activities that will improve their strength and balance.

Falls prevention science has evolved since it was first introduced at the individual level in the 1970s. Today, injury prevention and health practitioners need evidence-based messages that will work to reduce falls in older adults at a population level. The IPC is working to develop a suite of health communication materials and programming to reach the Alberta audience both directly and through the use of professionals as intermediaries.

The Injury Prevention Centre wants Finding Balance to be promoting the most effective means of reducing falls among older adults. Working with practitioners and our primary target audience, IPC will conduct additional message and channel evaluations to determine the understanding and reach of the messages.