A seminar focusing on a major health issue in Grey Bruce will be held in Walkerton.
Lindsay Wonnacott is a Health Promoter with the Grey Bruce Health Unit.
She says the Falls Prevention Seminar is geared towards frontline health care providers and what they can do to help their clients stay on their feet and prevent falls.
Wonnacott says 18 per cent of the population in Grey Bruce is over the age of 65 and 1 in 3 seniors typically fall at least once a year.
She adds in Grey Bruce the rate of hospitalization associated with injury due to a fall is 30 per cent higher than the provincial average.
Wonnacott says this seminar will help front line health care providers identify and anticipate their client’s fall risk by focusing on 6 warning signs.
Those signs are previous falls, a fear of falling, the use of medications, issues with balance and mobility, significant medical conditions, and vision issues.
Wonnacott says if someone has more than two of those risk factors they are at increased risk for a fall.
The seminar will not only show health care providers how to recognize those warnings signs but also how to reduce the risk and prevent falls.
Wonnacott says that can include making sure a client stays active, has their vision checked regularly, and discusses their medication with their pharmacist.
Wonnacott says their guest speakers will be local physician Doctor John VanDorp, local occupational therapist Susan Pouget, and Doctor Kim McKenzie from Barrie – he is one of less than 130 geriatricians who are practising across Canada.
The “Spring Ahead…Stay On Your Feet!” Falls Prevention Seminar will be held at the Walkerton Legion today from Noon to 4 PM.