The Superior Express -

The South Heartland District Health Department will be hosting a Stepping On class in Superior from 1 to 2:30 p.m., March 14, as part of an ongoing district-wide effort to reduce falls in older adults.

Liz Chamberlain, South Heartland’s falls prevention project specialist, said “Stepping On is a seven-week class that meets once a week for one-and-a-half hours, and includes visits from guest experts. The experts provide education and actions to take to reduce falls.”

In the first two weeks of the program, a physical therapist (PT) will teach participants four exercises they need to do daily to improve balance and four exercises they need to do three times a week to improve strength.

Additionally, the PT will discuss navigating slopes and uneven sidewalks, how to properly use canes and walkers, and how a person can get up from a fall using a cane or walker.

In other sessions, a safety expert will talk about obstacles around the house and community that could be fall hazards; an optometrist will discuss vision and falls; a pharmacist will talk about medications and how they can contribute to falls; and a PT will provide a refresher on the balance and strength exercises.

All participants will complete pre- and post-falls risk assessments to learn their own risk of falls before taking the program and their improvement after completing the program. The assessment, called the Timed Up and Go exercise, measures how long it takes a seated person to stand up, walk 10 feet, turn around, walk back and sit down again. A score of 14 seconds or more means a person has a higher risk of falling.

The Stepping On program is an evidence-based program, meaning it has been proven to be successful in reducing falls in older adults. For more information about Stepping On or to sign up for the class, call South Heartland District Health Department at 402-462-6211 and visit with Liz Chamberlain.