A balancing act

A healthy ageing expo held in Mount Isa last week found older people could reduce the number of falls by balancing their safety and independence.

Attracting more than 60 elderly people, the expo was organised by Mount Isa Senior Safety (MISS) and funded by Mount Isa City Council.

Focusing on information about fall prevention, the expo also featured stalls which included free blood pressure-testing, podiatry advice and Wii-fit sessions which is a computer game to gauge how good a person’s balance is. Pictured is a expo participant using Wii-fit on the day.

Expo organiser, Sophia Parker, told DPS News early this year MISS partners identified a lack of awareness of referral pathways among front-line service providers for people who had recently suffered a fall or were at risk of falling in the community.

“We used the ‘Stay On Your Feet model’ for falls prevention in older people across the health continuum as a guide in the development of our community-based falls prevention project,” Ms Parker said.

The expo encouraged older people to “think of movement as an opportunity, not an inconvenience”; and reminded them that it was never too late to exercise in order to improve balance and prevent falls and injury.

Mount Isa suicide concerns

Mount Isa was also greeted with a visit from the Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler, where he and Member for Kennedy, Bob Katter, discussed suicide prevention measures at a community forum last week.

“Any person taking their own life is a tragedy that deeply affects their family and community, and the high rate of suicide in Mount Isa is something we are determined to tackle,” Mr Butler said.

“The Prime Minister shares my concerns about the high rate of suicide in Mount Isa and I will also report back to her the outcomes of the community forum,” he added.

Fast fall facts:

• About 75% to 80% of people with dementia are likely to have a fall, and those who do suffer falls are more likely to be admitted to nursing homes.

• The majority of falls occur in the home, bedroom, garden or living area.

• Physical activity could help manage, and possibly prevent, chronic conditions.

• Each year, there are more than 17,000 older Queenslanders who suffer from fall-related injuries.

• A third of the population over the age of 85 years has dementia.

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