What Is It?
Many older adults experience 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.
Who should attend A Matter of Balance Program?
The program was designed to benefit older adults who:
- Are concerned about falls
- Have sustained falls in the past
- Restrict activities because of concerns about falling
- Are interested in improving flexibility, balance and strength
- Are age 60 or older, community-dwelling and able to problem solve
What are the components of A Matter of Balance?
A Matter of Balance uses a variety of activities to address the fear of falling and teach fall prevention strategies. Activities include group discussion, problem-solving, skill-building, assertiveness training, videos and exercise training. Participants receive a workbook to use during the sessions, and to keep as a reference when the class is over.
How does it work?
- A Matter of Balance community classes can be offered both in-person and virtually.
- The in-person A Matter of Balance includes 8 two-hour sessions.
- The virtual A Matter of Balance includes 9 two-hour sessions.
- Both the in-person and virtual sessions are led by two trained facilitators for a small group of 8-12 participants.
Participants learn to…
The program enables participants to achieve significant goals. They gain confidence by learning to:
- View falls as controllable
- Set goals for increasing activity
- Identify common factors that contribute to falls
- Make changes to reduce fall risk at home
- Exercise to increase strength and balance
Register Now
To register or find a workshop near you:
Register for this Workshop
For more detailed information on A Matter of Balance, please click HERE.
NCOA’s Fall Prevention Programs Video
The National Council on Aging created this video as an overview of several evidence based programs offered nation wide. The video team visited Hendersonville and Asheville to take footage of programs in action. Click to see North Carolina community members featured!