Stepping On For Falls Prevention In Young

Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) will continue its partnership with the Mercy Care Centre to deliver the Stepping On falls prevention program in Young from Thursday, October 24.

Running for two hours each week for seven weeks, followed by a refresher session two months later, this free healthy ageing program is designed for people who live at home and may have fallen or have a fear of falling.

Young’s Stepping On program is facilitated by allied health assistant Deena McGregor and physiotherapist Clare Mullins.

“The program helps older people keep their independence and gives them confidence in their mobility, so they are able to go about their daily activities safely and without the fear of falling,” Ms McGregor said.

“During the program we will show you some simple exercises to improve strength and balance. We’ll also have some education sessions from other local health professionals on a range of topics such as vision, home hazards and medicines.”

Currently, around one in three people aged over 65 fall each year, with many falls causing injuries and sometimes even requiring a stay in hospital. Stepping On has been rolled out to more than 30 communities across the MLHD.

The weekly sessions will be held at Mercy Care Centre Young, 69 Demondrille Street, on Thursdays from 1 pm. Call the Mercy Care Centre on 6382 8444 for more information and to register.

• Topics:

• Health & Wellness
• Seniors