HARRISBURG (PRNewswire) — An innovative resource book designed by the Department of Aging to help older Pennsylvanians reduce their risk of falling has earned national honors, Secretary of Aging Nora Dowd Eisenhower said today.
“Healthy Steps for Older Adults, a Guide to Preventing Falls” earned a first place award from the American Public Health Association (APHA). “Falls are the leading cause of injury-related hospital stays for older
adults and are often precursors to a nursing home,” Eisenhower said. “Preventing falls is part of Governor Rendell’s strategy to provide older Pennsylvanians with the resources they need to live safely at home, rather
than moving into a nursing home or similar facility.
“The ‘Healthy Steps’ guide is a tremendous resource and gives older people the information they need to reduce their risk of falling and lead longer, healthier lives.”
The 64-page guide was produced by Aging and the University of California Berkeley. Topics include measuring a person’s risk of falling, how to prevent falls, specific exercises that help seniors reduce their risk of falls, and suggested home modifications. It also includes an extensive resource section. Eisenhower said the guide is one part of a successful Healthy Steps Program that is used to teach falls-prevention classes at senior centers or other community venues. Since the pilot program launched in early 2005, it has been considered a success, and the department is looking to expand Healthy Steps to more counties early next year.
The guide earned first place honors from the American Public Health Association’s public health education, health promotion section. Entries from across the nation were judged by a panel of health educators and were evaluated based on the quality of the content, appropriateness for the audience, use of health education theory, overall product quality, innovation and creativity, and their plan for evaluating the success of the
product. Although designed to be used as part of a training curriculum, the booklet can downloaded from the Department of Aging’s Web site at http://www.aging.state.pa.us/aging/lib/aging/HealthySteps.pdf .
