Helping Hands has designed a Senior Fall Prevention Program encouraging seniors to take an active role in their personal well being. Our clients work closely with both a Physiotherapist and Kinesiologist to provide a comprehensive fall prevention protocol that provides education, conditioning, proprioception training, balance control and therapeutic exercises so that the client learns to protect themselves against injury using preventative measures.

Experts with British Columbia's Ministry of Health state one out of three seniors aged sixty-five and older typically fall once or more each year and those who fall are two-to-three times more likely to fall again. There are approximately 12,000 fall-related hospitalizations in B.C. each year for seniors aged sixty-five and over. Ninety five per cent of all hip fractures among seniors are due to a fall; and after sustaining an injury from a fall, seniors tend to stay in hospital twice as long as seniors hospitalized for all other reasons [http://www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/2011/06/fall-prevention-resources-for-seniors-and-physicians.html].

Our Fall Prevention Program provides clients with the motivation to get strong and stay healthy through an individualized program in a safe environment. Initially we provide a full body assessment that allows us to focus on areas of weakness. Next we set up a specialized workout regime to strengthen those areas. Clients are monitored closely by a Kinesiologist who takes them through their exercises. The team focuses on making sure the exercises are executed with the proper form to prevent any injuries from occurring. Our programs never remain static, we are all about progression and once the client is ready for more challenging exercises we choose the appropriate advancements. The program comes with take-home sheets that review the exercises performed in the clinic so the client can continue their therapy on their own. The majority of our exercises are made so they can be maintained by the client in the comfort of their own home instead of having to use the facilities found in weight rooms.

The job of the Physiotherapist is to help people of all ages gain and maintain their desired level of active living. Many seniors are afraid of falling; this fear prevents them from doing many exercises which could otherwise be beneficial to their health. With our help they can safely progress in mobility, build strength, improve balance and cardiovascular function without worrying about further injury.

The Physiotherapist and Kinesiologist at our centres will provide comprehensive initial, interim, and final assessments that can easily be used to measure the effectiveness of the treatment your patient is receiving.