Fall Prevention ‘Summit’ held October 10, 2009
Raising Public Awareness through the ‘Summit’ Conference
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Photos from this conference)
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"Staying on Our Feet - Some Strategies to reduce the risk of falling" PowerPoint slideshow presentation given by Lynn Beattie, National Council on Aging)
Leesburg, VA - - - October 14, 2009 - - - The Northern VA Fall Prevention Coalition (NVFPC) held a
public seminar, titled the ‘Summit’ at Ida Lee Park on Saturday, October 10, 2009. In line with their mission to conduct community seminars raising the awareness of fall risks, the coalition held a half day seminar at one of the state’s historic park conference centers. The center was ideally suited for this type of interactive participation in that it provided separate speakers’ platforms, as well as exhibition space for vendors with life improving technologies.
The keynote speakers were Leonard Recupero, from the Community Injury Group for the Division of Injury and Violence Prevention; and, Lynn Beattie, from the National Council on Aging. Their presentations (see two videos below) included a snapshot of fall related injuries among older adults and strategies on how to reduce falls in the state. Combining these two keynotes with presentations from Battalion Chief Tim Menzenwerth of the Loudoun Fire & Rescue, the Leesburg Pharmacy, the State of Art Physical Therapy, the Low Vision Specialists, and Schaffer Construction, the attendees gained an understanding of the physical and emotional toll that falls can have on seniors and their care giver families. All of the professional speakers emphasized that often ordinary living conditions, lack of physical strength, and vision impairment can collectively cause anyone to trip and suffer a major lasting condition. Sections of the seminar indicated that women experience 2.6 times more critical broken bones than men.
The CDC identified the tremendous need for community based fall prevention education. The Senate also acknowledged this need by passing the Safety for Seniors Act of 2007. This act supports fall prevention education at the community level. NVFPC is proud to implement this program into the communities of Northern VA.
"Our programs supplement this original program developed by the CDC, providing interactive sessions presented by leading service providers in the healthcare and aging industry”, said Becky Schaffer, owner of Schaffer Construction - Designs for Life.
