MORGAN COUNTY, INDIANA – The Morgan County Health Department awarded A Senior Retreat a HFI Grant for a new Fall Prevention program in 2025 utilizing the A Matter of Balance program. A Matter of Balance (MOB) is specifically designed to reduce the fear of falling and improve activity levels among community-dwelling older adults. The program includes eight two-hour classes presented to a small group led by trained coaches. The program enables participants to reduce the fear of falling by learning to view falls as controllable, setting goals
for increasing activity levels, making small changes to reduce fall risks at home, and exercise to increase strength and balance.
The curriculum includes group discussions, mutual problem-solving, role-play activities, exercise training, assertiveness training, and a few homework assignments. Participants learn about the importance of exercise in preventing falls and practice exercises to improve strength, coordination, and balance. Participants also conduct a home safety evaluation and learn to get up and down safely. Class size will be no more than 20 participants.
Additional topics include home safety, assertiveness, developing positive strategies for change, reducing barriers to exercise, identifying physical risk factors for falls, personal action planners, recognizing misconceptions about falls, and moving from self-defeating to self-motivating thoughts.
Three team members with A Senior Retreat, Owner, Susan Lowe, Community Relations Coordinators, Joni Chastain and Kimberly Freitag, have completed their CPR/First Aid certification and their A Matter of Balance education to launch the first of five Fall Prevention classes in Morgan County for 2025.
The goal is to reach older adults in Morgantown, Paragon, Monrovia, Mooresville, and Martinsville throughout the year. Locations such as churches, community centers or civic buildings, are needed for the four or eight-week classes throughout the year.
The first program will be held at A Senior Retreat in Martinsville located at 609 S Lincoln Street. The eight-week class will be held on Mondays, 10a-12p, beginning Monday, March 3rd and continue through Monday, April 21st.
Contact A Senior Retreat at 317-999-8145 ext #1 or Joni Chastain at mc@aseniorretreat.com to reserve for the upcoming class or any questions regarding upcoming MOB classes in your community.