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CLASS DESCRIPTIONS

At Whole Home Innovation Center, we are committed to helping people live safer, healthier lives at home. Stepping On does just that—in a positive, fun format.

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Stepping On is a falls prevention workshop that meets two hours a week for seven weeks. Trained leaders coach you to recognize your risk of falling and help you build the balance, strength and practical skills you need to avoid a fall. Gain the confidence to stay active in your community and do the things you want to do.

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Who this is designed for:

  • People 60 or older who live independently

  • People who have fallen, are concerned about falling, or worry about someone in the home

 

Who this is NOT meant for:

  • People who use a wheelchair full time

  • People living with dementia or cognitive impairment

 

What to expect:

  • 2 hours a week of interaction with facilitators and guest experts (and a snack break!)

  • Exercise instructions and practice

  • Physical items on display

  • Easy weekly homework

  • A free home assessment offered by our Whole Home Experts

 

Stepping On is a falls prevention workshop which, according to research, is proven to reduce falls by 30%.

 

Topics include:

  • Balance and strength exercises and how to advance exercises

  • Home hazards and solutions

  • Vision and falls

  • Community safety, getting out and about

  • Shoe and clothing hazards

  • Medication management, bone health, and better sleep

  • Follow-up home visit (free home assessment)

 

Guest experts include:

  • Physical therapist, vision expert, pharmacist, housing professional

  • Community safety expert (ofter a firefighter/EMT)

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Register Now for our FREE Series!


Call our Stepping On hotline at 513-482-5105 or email events@wholehome.org

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TAI CHI

Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention

  • Reach older adults in your community through this tai chi program focused on improving movement, decreasing falls, and connecting peers.

Goals of Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention (also known as Tai Chi for Arthritis): 1) Improve movement, balance, strength, flexibility, immunity and relaxation; 2) Decrease pain and falls; 3) socialization and sustainability.

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  • Target audience: Adults with or without arthritis, rheumatic diseases or related musculoskeletal conditions. The program is appropriate for people with mild, moderate and severe joint involvement and back pain. It is especially appropriate for adults who have a higher risk of falling.

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  • Health outcomes:

    • Improved balance and mobility

    • Improved strength and flexibility

    • Improved relaxation

    • Decreased pain and falls

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  • Delivered by: Tai Chi for Health certified instructors

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  • Program type: Group

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  • Format: In-person at home, in-person in community, online (see resources below)

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  • Length:

    • Attend a minimum of 16 hours of Tai Chi for Arthritis (One hour per week for 16 weeks or 2 hours per week for 8 weeks)

    • Must be led by a certified Tai Chi for Health Institute instructor.

    • Strongly encourage participants to practice the Tai Chi program at home for half an hour daily, at least four days per week. This can be done in one half-hour session or two fifteen-minute sessions

    • Participants must attend at least one in-person or virtual class per week

    • An instructional DVD or online lessons is available to help guide learning and home practice as well as other educational aids such as books, the handbook, and wall charts

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  • Classes: Online, in-person

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  • Professional required: None

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  • Topic(s):

    • Physical Activity

    • Chronic Disease

    • Fall Prevention

    • Pain Management

 

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Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance

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Key Takeaways

  • Engage older adults in your community in a falls prevention program with tai chi movements to improve stability, coordination, and range of motion.

Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance is an evidence-based fall prevention program derived from a contemporary routine known as Simplified 24-Form Tai Ji Quan (pronounced tye gee chuwan). TJQMBB consists of an 8-form core with built-in practice variations and a subroutine of Tai Ji Quan - Mini Therapeutic Movements®, which, collectively, comprise a set of functional Tai Ji Quan exercises. TJQMBB represents a substantive enhancement of traditional Tai Ji Quan training and performance as it transforms martial arts movements into a therapeutic regimen aimed at improving postural stability, awareness and mindful control of body positioning in space, functional walking, movement symmetry and coordination, range of motion around the ankle and hip joints, lower-extremity muscle strength, and global cognitive function. TJQMBB is an Approved Provider for the American College of Sports Medicine.

Additional topic includes caregiver support.

  • Target audience: Older adults at risk of falling, people with movement disorder (e.g., Parkinson’s disease, walking difficulties)

 

  • Health outcomes:

    • Improved balance

    • Improved lower-extremity strength

    • Improved physical performance

    • Preventing falls and injurious falls

 

  • Delivered by: Trained lay leader/facilitator, fitness instructor, physical therapist, occupational therapist, nurse, certified fitness instructor

 

  • Program type: Group

 

  • Format: In-person at home, in-person in community, online (see guidance below)

 

  • Length: 24 weeks, two 1-hour session per week

 

  • Classes: Online, in-person

 

  • Topic(s):

    • Physical Activity

    • Alzheimer's Disease/Dementia

    • Behavioral Health

    • Cancer Survivors

    • Chronic Disease

    • Fall Prevention  

MATTER OF BALANCE

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General description of program

A Matter of Balance (MOB) acknowledges the risk of falling but emphasizes practical coping strategies to reduce this fear. These include:

  • Promoting a view of falls and fear of falling as controllable

  • Setting realistic goals for increasing activity

  • Changing the environment to reduce fall risk factors

  • Promoting exercise to increase strength and balance.

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The workshop is conducted over eight sessions, meeting weekly or twice weekly for two hours per session. Meetings are led by volunteer lay leaders called coaches. A Master Trainer is responsible for teaching the Matter of Balance curriculum to the coaches, providing them with guidance, a coach observation visit, and support as they lead the Matter of Balance classes. A Guest Healthcare Professional visit to the community class may be arranged by the Master Trainer.

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Program goal

  • The program’s goal is to reduce fear of falling, stop the fear of falling cycle, and increase activity levels among community-dwelling older adults.

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Reasoning behind the program design and elements

  • Studies indicate that up to half of community dwelling older adults experience fear of falling (Howland, Peterson, Levin, Fried, Pordon, & Bak, 1993), and that many respond to this concern by curtailing activity (Tinetti & Speechley, 1989).

  • A majority of falls occur during routine activities.

  • Falls usually are not caused by just one issue.

  • A large portion of falls are preventable.

  • Being inactive results in loss of muscle strength and balance. It can also compromise social interaction and increase the risk for isolation, depression, and anxiety. Fear of falling can actually contribute to falling.

  • MOB acknowledges the risk of falling but emphasizes practical coping strategies to reduce this concern. Participants learn to view falls and fear of falling as controllable and set realistic goals for increasing activity.

  • Participants also find ways to change the environment to reduce fall risk factors and learn simple exercises to increase strength and balance.

  • The group format provides an opportunity for people with a common problem to learn from each other and to help each other deal with the shared problem of fear of falling.

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Target population

  • 60 or older, ambulatory, able to problem-solve

  • Concerned about falls

  • Interested in improving flexibility, balance, and strength

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Essential program components and activities

  • Group discussion

  • Problem-solving

  • Skill building

  • Assertiveness training

  • Exercise training

  • Sharing practical solutions

  • Cognitive restructuring—learning to shift from negative to positive thinking patterns or thinking about something in a different way.

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Length/Timeframe of program

  • Eight two-hour sessions

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Recommended class size

  • 8 - 12 participants (minimum of 8, maximum of 14)

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Desired outcomes

  • View falls and fear of falling as controllable

  • Set realistic goals for increasing activity

  • Change participants’ environment to reduce fall risk factors o Increase strength and balance through exercise

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Measures and evaluation activities

  • Initial survey (given during the first class) with questions regarding falls management, exercise levels, and background information.

  • Last class survey; repeat of questions regarding falls management and exercise levels.

  • Last class evaluation with questions concerning comfort in talking about fear of falling, changes made to environment, comfort in increasing activity levels, plans to increase activity levels, and background information.

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Health Outcomes and Evidence Supporting Health Outcomes

 

After completing A Matter of Balance:

  • 97% of participants are more comfortable talking about fear of falling

  • 97% feel comfortable increasing activity

  • 99% plan to continue exercising

  • 98% would recommend MOB

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Preliminary findings of the participant outcome evaluation indicate that there were significant improvements for participants regarding their level of falls management (the degree of confidence participants perceive concerning their ability to manage the risk of falls and of actual falls); falls control (the degree to which participants perceive their ability to prevent falls); level of exercise; and social limitations with regard to concern about falling. These measures indicate that the program has been successful to date in reducing the fear of falling by increasing participants’ confidence that they can manage falls risk better and actual falls if they occur and that they can take action to help reduce the risk of falling. In addition, participants indicated that their concerns about falling are interfering less with their social activity, and they report that they have increased their exercise levels (Healy, McMahon, & Haynes, 2006; Healy, Peng, Haynes, McMahon, Botler, & Gross, 2008).

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BINGOCIZE

Overview

A program that combines exercise and health information with bingo for a fun way to get moving and socializing.

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