St. John Lutheran Church and Elkhorn Logan Valley Public Health Department have again teamed up to host a fall prevention class called “Stepping On”. Classes will be held in the Parish Hall on Thursday mornings, from 9am-11am, starting April 19th, 2018. Instruction will be by Krista Snodgrass. “Stepping On” is a fun, interactive class that is held once a week for 7 weeks. Those attending the class will learn about how to prevent falls in and around the home by taking simple steps to improve safety. There is no cost for the class but a free will donation will be accepted. To register please call the church at 402-675-3155 or email to judywarneke@hotmail.com
Stepping On is an evidence-based program and studies have shown that the fall rate among Stepping On participants was reduced about 30 percent compared with those who did not participate. Preventing falls in people 65 and older is important to helping seniors live independently.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nationally one in three adults aged 65 and older falls each year and 2 million are treated for fall-related injuries in the emergency room. Within the local health district, about 1 in 4 (22.7%) people aged 45 and over had fallen in the past year according to the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data compared to 26.1% for the State of Nebraska overall. Many falls can be prevented and programs such as Stepping On gives seniors the tools they need to reduce their chance of falling. Topics will include: vision, outdoor safety, footwear, medication management, home safety, mobility aids, balance and exercise.