Clarkson Occupational Therapy Students Team Up with United Helpers for Fall Prevention Program
CANTON, NY –Occupational Therapy students from Clarkson University have teamed up with United Helpers Independent Senior Living to introduce a fall prevention program.
According to the National Safety Council, falls are the leading cause of injuries amongst people 65 and older, with one in four reporting at least one fall each year.
The program began with a fall prevention presentation a few weeks ago and concluded last week when students returned to the building to perform a series of balance assessments with members interested in participating in the program.
Seven first-year students participated, with approximately 10 members from the building taking part.
“For our students, this is almost like a final exam for them,” said Brittany DiSalvo, who is a professor in the Occupational Therapy Department. “We’re finishing up our year with some hands-on learning.”
One of those students was Lauren Engel, of Charlotte, NC.
“This is our first time getting to work with people from the community,” she said. “Earlier in the spring, we did a fall prevention program, and this is kind of piggybacking off of that. I feel like we’re teaching them something, but they’re also teaching us too.”
“We’re hoping to come back in the fall with a new group of students,” she said. “There’s so much we could do, and we’d like to explore other areas of functional performance for this group while focusing on keeping them safe, strong, and independent. We are looking to enhance this partnership and become more of a familiar face in the facility.”
While Mrs. DiSalvo said she’s not sure what next year’s students will do with the members, she did say she’s looking forward to working with the people at United Helpers Independent Senior Living again.
“Projects like this are great,” she said. “Working with individuals in the community provides the students with hands-on experiences, things that a textbook just cannot teach.”
Linda Buchanan, a long-time ISL member, said she very much enjoyed having the students come in. She attended both their verbal presentation as well as the hands-on session, where she completed each of the balance assessments.
“I was very impressed with their presentation. The students all did a great job. As we get a little bit older, this is very important information to have,” she said.
Some of the assessments included reaching forward, both while sitting and standing, standing up from a seated position, standing with their eyes closed, picking an object up off of the floor, and stepping onto and off of a stool.
“The assessments completed in this experience serve as an indicator for assessing fall risk among this population. Our students can use the results and the information gathered today to address the individual’s deficits while overall focusing on keeping everyone safe,” Mrs. DiSalvo said.
