(L-R) Central Alberta Mayors Ken Johnston of Red Deer city, Megan Hanson of Sylvan Lake, Jean Barclay of Innisfail, Robb Stuart of Bowden, Judy Dahl of Olds and Richard Warnock of Sundre. Penhold Mayor Mike Yargeau is in front at the "Walk with the Mayors" event at the Penhold Multiplex on Tuesday for Falls Prevention Awareness Month. (rdnewsNOW/Alessia Proietti)

By Alessia Proietti

November: Falls Prevention Month

Central Alberta mayors walk to spread awareness on falls prevention

Oct 26, 2022 | 5:11 PM

Central Alberta mayors walked in unison on Tuesday to bring awareness to Falls Prevention Month this November.

After missing two years due to the pandemic, the Central Alberta Falls Prevention Coalition held their sixth annual “Walk with the Mayors” event at the Penhold Multiplex (Waskasoo Ave) from 9:30 – 11 a.m. Alongside Kings Kingdom pre-school students, the mayors of Penhold, Red Deer, Bowden, Innisfail, Sundre, Sylvan Lake, and Olds were all present.

The mayors read aloud a proclamation designating the month as Seniors’ Falls Prevention Month, aiming to provide older adults and practitioners with the latest information and resources to help reduce the risk of falling and encourage seniors to live an active and independent lifestyle.

“A fall can have a significant impact on the lifestyle and independence of older adults. Falls are the leading cause of injury among seniors in Alberta,” said Shelley Dallas-Smith, Health Promotion Facilitator for Alberta Health Services’ Provincial Injury Prevention Program.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, 20-30 per cent of Alberta seniors will fall at least once a year.

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The walks have taken place in different cities across the region with its first Penhold visit in 2017 when current Mayor Mike Yargeau became elected.

He said seniors should utilize the city of Red Deer’s trail system as a means to stay active as well as the Penhold Multiplex indoor track, which he announced is free for all members of the seniors drop-in centre.

“Staying active helps our hospitals, it helps our emergency services and it improves your quality of life. It’s important for us as community leaders to remove as many barriers as possible, for our senior residents especially, so we can support them,” he said.

(L-R) Dianne Macaulay, Executive Coordinator for Safe Communities Central Alberta, and Penhold Mayor Mike Yargeau walk in the indoor track at the Penhold Multiplex. (rdnewsNOW/Alessia Proietti)

There are 101 emergency department visits and 27 hospital admissions each day due to a fall in the province, according to Alberta Health, with a three-week average length of stay in hospital.

The University of Alberta’s Injury Prevention Centre (IPC) says that in Red Deer alone, about 1,002 middle-aged and older adults went to the emergency department each year due to a fall from 2010 to 2019. The percentage of visits for those aged over 75 even exceeded the entire senior population percentage.

Red Deer Mayor Ken Johnston, who is now 68-years-old, said the word “fall” elevates in resonance as he ages. He compared the positive connotation of “falling” romantically for someone as a teenager, to the fearful meaning of falling as a senior.

“If I fall, god forbid, not only will I have a risk of physical injury but I will also react in a trauma-like way and decide to be more isolated, maybe not take as many risks, maybe not go out as much with my friends, because I’m concerned about falling,” he said.

Dianne Macaulay, Executive Coordinator for Safe Communities Central Alberta echoed this statement, stating the problem particularly worsened for seniors during the pandemic.

“Once you have a fall, it’s very hard to get back on your feet, not only physically but mentally and with COVID being part of our history, people were locked in and they felt like they weren’t getting listened to and they weren’t getting the help they wanted,” she said.

“We all fall at any age. It’s just, after you’re 55, your ability to bounce back without being too punished is a little harder.”

She lists risk factors to falling include medications causing drowsiness, icy outdoor conditions, walking on staircases, unsupportive footwear, tripping hazards like folded carpets, poor lighting conditions, and health conditions like diabetes which can cause foot numbness. She also says a person’s gender, weight, height and vision can also play a role.

Supported by the Coalition, the Finding Balance programs were created in 2007 by the IPC, providing free educational resources on fall prevention and senior empowerment.

Also at the event were various senior-related informational booths and a group stretch, teaching ways to strengthen the body for fall prevention and recovery.

Next year’s event is scheduled to be held in Red Deer at the Collicutt Centre in early October 2023, in combination with the annual Seniors Information Fair.

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