Matter of Balance
Description
Falls are the leading cause of emergency ambulance dispatches for Coast Life Support District, one of Mendonoma Health Alliance’s Founding Partners. According to the Centers for Disease Control, falls are the leading cause of non-fatal hospitalizations in the United States. As individuals begin to age into their 60s, many older adults begin experiencing a fear of falling. People who develop this fear often limit their activities, which can result in physical weakness, making the risk of falling even greater. A Matter of Balance is a program designed to reduce the fear of falling and increase activity levels among older adults. This is an 8-week class for residents over the age of 60. Each class is two hours and is designed to accommodate 8-12 participants. The class is taught by Mendonoma Health Alliance staff and volunteers who have all been trained to facilitate the program. A Matter of Balance is provided by Mendonoma Health at least twice per year and rotates between locations within the Mendonoma Service Area. A Matter of Balance is an award-winning evidence-based program developed by the Roybal Center at Boston University.
This free program will benefit adults who are concerned about falls, have sustained a fall in the past and/or restricted activities because of concerns about falling. Participants should be ambulatory, able to problem solve and actively participant in classroom discussion, and interested in increasing their activity level. At the conclusion of the class, each participant will have learned how to set realistic goals for increasing physical activity and have the necessary knowledge to make changes to their environment to reduce fall risk factors.
To send an inquiry or to register for an upcoming class, please click on the class Registration & Inquiries link below.
Upcoming Classes
Due to popular demand, we will be holding more classes! In order to reserve a spot in one of our upcoming classes, please use the link below.
Thursday, February 8 – March 28, 2024: 2:00PM – 4:00PM in Gualala
Monday, June 24 – August 12, 2024: TBD
Ocean Cove Class
Pre-register for an upcoming class, being held in the Timber Cove area, by using the link below.
This website and Mendonoma Health Alliance’s programs are partially supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award through the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program totaling $1 million, over a 3-year period that began in September 2020, with 50% funded by HRSA/HHS and 50% percentage funded by non-government source(s), such as the Arlene & Michael Rosen Foundation, Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, the Community Foundation of Mendocino County and tax-deductible contributions from community members. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, HRSA/HHS or the U.S. Government.
