Overview

Falls are a major health and economic problem for all Canadians and the second leading cause, after motor vehicle collisions, of injury-related hospitalizations for all ages. Falls account for 29% of injury admissions and almost 62% of injury-related hospitalizations for seniors.

Because the fall-related injury rate is nine times greater among seniors than among those less than 65 years of age, this program’s mandate is to reduce falls and falls risks among older adults by supporting them and working with them to overcome the barriers to participation and change.

The North Okanagan Falls Prevention Program was first established as a three-year community initiative in 2001. It was funded by Veterans Affairs Canada and sponsored by Health Canada.

The goal of the program was "to reduce falls and falls risks amongst seniors through peer-led home safety checks and education workshops.” The program took place in the communities of Greater Vernon and Enderby.

In October 2004, the Social Planning Council was awarded the contract to manage the Senior Falls Prevention Strategy for Population Health. As the Manager, Seniors Falls Prevention for the Interior Health region, Michael Vanderbeck worked with many communities across the region to support the development and implementation of preventative programs for seniors.

Today, the Vernon program continues as a scaled down version with financial support provided from Interior Health’s Home and Community Care Branch.

What We Do

The North Okanagan Falls Prevention Project has three components:

1. Falls Prevention Presentations: Presentations to organizations about the risks of falling and the promotion of prevention strategies are made in various locations in the community when requested.
   
   
2. Falls Prevention Workshops: Workshops take place when requested by seniors’ groups or organizations and use an interactive model to reinforce learning abilities in recognizing risks and introducing prevention strategies.
   
   
3. Home Safety Checks: Trained senior volunteers will visit seniors’ homes when requested to do a home safety check and make recommendations to reduce risks. Information, support, and follow-up to help make changes are provided. To make an appointment call Falls Prevention at (250) 545-8572.
   If home repairs are needed and seniors qualify, financial assistance is available through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's HASI grant (Home Adaptations for Seniors Independence) and the RRAP-D (Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program for Persons with Disabilities).