Stepping On is a workshop offered in New London by the Aging & Disability Resource Center of Waupaca County. The workshop helps older adults prevent falls.
The workshop is for two hours, once a week, for seven weeks, at Washington Center, 600 W. Washington St., in the Activity Room. The workshop runs from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Oct. 17 – Nov. 28. Contact Kristine Wiegman at 715-258-6277 or [email protected] to register for the workshop.
Stepping On will help participants identify why they fall and different ways to prevent falls, including strength and balance exercises, home safety check suggestions and a medication review. Participants will view a display of falls prevention products.
The workshop is both for people who have fallen and for people who fear falling. Participants will leave with more strength, achieve better balance, and experience a feeling of confidence and independence as a result of performing various exercises and sharing personal falls experiences as a group.
The program was developed by Dr. Lindy Clemson of Sydney, Australia, to help older adults learn ways to prevent falls. It was brought to the United States by Dr. Jane Mahoney, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging, with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and other partners. The research has found that people who complete the workshop have a 31 percent reduced rate of falls.