Maximizing Quality of Life
209 - Maximizing Quality of Life: Improving Mobility to Prevent Older Adult Injury
Tuesday, July 17
2:30 PM - 3:45 PM
Location: Diplomat Room-Lobby Level
Speaker(s)
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CM
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DH
Moderator(s)
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Gwen Bergen, Phd, MPH, MS-Translating Science Into Action to Keep Older Adults Mobile: CDC's Mobility Planning Tool
Cheyenne McCravey, M.Ed.-Building the Pathway to Falls Prevention
Cassie Jeng, PhD, MPH and Steven D. Eberth-Promoting a Falls Prevention Culture Through Hospital-Based Behavior Change and Health Literacy
As people age, increased frailty, chronic conditions, and medication use can increase fall injury risk, driving inability, and motor vehicle crash injury risk among older adults. Many older adults limit or stop walking, driving, or using public transportation, which could result in social isolation and poor health. Retirement-age adults, communities, and stakeholders (i.e., 60 years of age and older), can take actions to prevent or reduce the effects of future mobility changes but most are not aware of what to do. Therefore, the purpose of this scientific panel is to share evidence-based interventions and programs designed to prevent fall injuries in older adults. The City of Satellite Beach in Florida has implemented a community-based program to improve older adults’ quality of life through injury prevention and community health in homes and communities using an ecological approach. After its implementation, the City of Satellite Beach experienced a reduced number of hip fractures and repeated calls to 911. The New Mexico Department of Health has also created the Adult Falls Program; an ecological program focused on preventing fall-related deaths and injuries in older adults. The program encompasses home, community and hospital evidence-based prevention strategies to redefine the standard of patient care. The Adult Falls Prevention Program has successfully reached over 600 older adults in rural and minority aging populations across New Mexico and has provided certification to over 160 instructors in at least 21 counties, including more than 14 Nations, Pueblos, and Tribes. The Western Michigan University (WMU) implemented a hospital-based behavior change program, based on health literacy best practices, at a rural hospital in Michigan. Researchers at WMU worked with an interdisciplinary falls prevention committee to develop a program for all hospital employees. The “Know Your Own Environment and Speak Up,” “Let’s Talk”, “I’ve Got Your Back and Mine”, and “Now What?” program used the Five A’s behavior change model and a train-the-trainer method, to improve content knowledge, attitudes, and motivation toward falls prevention in older adults. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Translating Science into Action to Keep Older Adults Mobile and Injury Free: The CDC’s Mobility Planning Tool was developed to encourage older adults to think about mobility and motivate them to protect it. The implementation of a modified version of the mobility-planning tool has shown that a science-based planning tool could increase knowledge, confidence, and behaviors for prolonging future mobility and preventing injury.
Learning Objectives:
- Discuss older adults attitudes toward mobility changes that come with age.
- Describe a variety of evidence-based interventions associated with adult falls prevention.
- Discuss the benefits of using health literacy best practices and train-the-trainer method to educate health professionals
- Construct science-based communication interventions for optimizing older adult mobility.