by Carol Leish, MA
For the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging (VC AAA), Julianna Eusanio, MSW, is the Fall Prevention Program Coordinator. Shaunese Southward is the Program Coordinator.
All classes are for those who are over the age of 60, and are free. They are offered in Ventura at the Area Agency on Aging. Southward said, “All classes are evidenced based and ‘tried and true.’” Classes are: 1) A Matter of Balance; 2) Stepping On; 3) Tai Chi Moving for Better Balance; and 4) Walk with Ease. For more information, please look at the website: www.vcaaa.org.
“Case management is important,” according to Southward. “We have been fortunate enough to have received a grant through the end of next year that will allow us to reach more of our community than what we have been historically able to be doing. This grant has allowed us to provide services to adults that are 60+ and adults with disabilities. Prior to this grant, case management services were provided solely to seniors 65+ referred by the City of Ventura EMS, City of Ventura Fire, and the Emergency Department of our partner hospitals (Ventura County Medical Center, Community Memorial Health System in both Ventura and the Ojai Valley).
“Through the ‘consent to contact,’ which is given to the EMS & Fire officials, short term/long term resources, such as classes offered (mentioned above), can be given to individuals in need of services. Thus, individuals are asked, ‘Are you open to someone reaching out to you after your fall?’ Through this and other questions on a questionnaire, we are reaching out to a population who wouldn’t necessarily be getting connected to resources.”
Pearls (A Program to encourage active and rewarding lives.) “It is a program to help individuals who have fallen,” according to Southward. “Part of this entails giving a whole person assessment that looks at various needs/impairments. This includes: 1) Transportation needs; 2) Long term care management needs; and, 3) the possibility of cognitive impairment challenges. One of the benefits of this assessment is to get connected faster to available services.
“Not all (after someone falls), is an easy fix, since there is a change in physical limitations which may include the person who has fallen going to a rehabilitation facility. The person could be experiencing depression and isolation, along with the fear of falling again.
“Fall prevention is unique since our program (at the VC Area Agency on Aging), may also speak to family members who might be caregivers. It’s important for these caregivers to get connected to resources in order not to feel frustrated or experience burnout.”
For more information regarding getting assistance for someone who has fallen, call Julianna Eusanio, MSW or Shaunese Southward at: (805) 477-7342. Or email: [email protected]; or, [email protected].
