Story County coalition tackles fall prevention

Events planned for National Falls Prevention Awareness Week, Sept. 22 – 26

AMES, Iowa – In the state of Iowa, falls lead to approximately 90,000 emergency visits and over 9,000 hospitalizations each year, and are the leading cause of injury-related deaths and hospitalizations among older adults.

The Story County Falls Prevention Coalition is leading the way in fall prevention to help Iowans stay safe, independent, and active as they age.

The coalition involves Iowa State researchers, Mary Greeley Medical Center, McFarland Clinic, Story County Public Health, and Story County Extension and Outreach, as well as other professionals from the community.

Dr. Mike Kitchell, a retired physician and member of the coalition, says many falls are preventable through simple steps like exercise to improve balance and strength, medication reviews, and home safety changes.

“The coalition structure is important for helping bring people together who share a commitment to fall prevention,” said Dr. Kitchell. “The Story County Falls Prevention Coalition is the only county-based coalition endorsed by the Iowa Falls Prevention Coalition and is viewed as a model for broader efforts to promote this structure throughout Iowa.”

It started with walking

Walk With Ease is an Arthritis Foundation program designed to ease the symptoms of arthritis. Iowa State University Barbara E. Forker Professor in Kinesiology and Health, Greg Welk, established the program in Story County and created a sustainable model for implementation. Taking the program further, Welk saw a connection between the program and fall prevention.

He led a grant proposal to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support a clinical trial that is now formally evaluating Walk With Ease’s potential to address fall prevention.

“Establishing the coalition was a critical step in our project as we wanted to help facilitate clinical referrals to reach individuals who have the greatest need,” said Welk. “The coalition’s work includes refining methods for screening and clinical referrals as well as bringing evidence-based programing, exercises and plans to the community.”

Walk With Ease participants enter the program through a variety of channels, including recommendations by their health care provider. The program has yielded positive impacts for many seniors. The ISU study is actively seeking participants. Interested individuals can explore the program or email walkwithease@iastate.edu to join.

Educating clinicians and leaders in Iowa

Iowa State researchers also created an online course, Fall Risk and Adult Intervention Linkages (FRAIL), that trains clinicians and leaders across the state. The course is available for 2.0 CME credits through Des Moines University.

“The creation of the FRAIL course is an example of how our research has been put into practice, as we are now able to train others across the state in addressing fall prevention,” shared Abbie Coniglio, project manager for Walk with Ease and FRAIL coordinator.

National Falls Prevention Awareness Week

The Story County Falls Prevention Coalition is actively involved in National Falls Awareness Prevention Week, held Sept. 22-26.

“The coalition is a model of different organizations working together to solve a problem from start to finish,” said Dr. Colleen Schwartz, physician and clinical outreach coordinator with the ISU team. “Being part of National Falls Prevention Week is a way to bring events and awareness around falls health and injury prevention to Story County residents.”

ISU’s Department of Kinesiology and Health is bringing Fuzhong Li to campus as this year’s Pease Family Scholar. Li is a renowned scientist at the Oregon Research Institute where his research is focused on the health-related issues facing the fast-growing aging population. The community is invited to Li’s public lecture on Sept. 25. The event begins at 7 p.m. in Iowa State University’s Memorial Union.

Li also developed the program, Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance. The program has been shown to be effective in reducing fall risk, improving balance, and supporting overall health. Mary Greeley Medical Center will be hosting workshops led by Li on Friday, Sept. 26. Registration is required and workshops will be held at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. (Register for the 10:30 a.m. session; Register for the 1:30 p.m. session)

“This is a research-based balance training program designed for older adults, and we are happy to host this on behalf of the Story County Fall Prevention Coalition,” said Vickie Newell, leader of the Prime Time Alive program at Mary Greeley.

Assessing risk, reducing falls

“One of the best ways to reduce risks of falling is to build strength and function through balance-related exercise and regular physical activity,” says Matt Petersen, director of Mary Greeley Medical Center’s Physical Therapy Department.

In addition to physical activity, understanding individual fall risk is an important step in preventing falls. Iowa State’s research team offers free fall risk screenings to help people learn about their current level of balance and physical function. The CDC-endorsed assessment includes a brief survey and three functional tests. For more information, contact Coniglio at 515-290-9934 or email abbiec@iastate.edu.

Resource recap

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