Fall prevention activities planned throughout the state

September is Fall Prevention Month and to mark the occasion, programs within the Texas A&M School of Public Health are collaborating to host in-person events and online trainings across the state. The Program on Healthy Aging (PHA), the Center for Community Health Development’s National Community Health Worker Training Center (NCHWTC), and the Texas Falls Prevention Coalition are coordinating a series of activities for a range of audiences.

By facilitating workshops designed to educate and train residents about fall prevention strategies, PHA and NCHWTC are giving at-risk Texans and their caregivers the tools to prevent falls in their own communities.

An in-person workshop will take place on Monday, September 29, from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Arlington Sub-Courthouse. The event is open to all Dallas-Fort Worth area health educators, community health workers, and other individuals with an interest in fall prevention. Participants will receive eight continuing education units certified by the Department of State Health Services’ Community Health Worker Training and Certification Program.

Interested individuals who are unable to attend the Arlington training can access Fall Prevention modules online through the NCHWTC website: http://nchwtc.tamhsc.edu/fall-prevention-curriculum/. The free training modules are also approved as certified continuing education units for Community Health Workers.

In College Station, the Texas Falls Prevention Coalition is hosting a Falls Prevention Awareness Day at the Southwood Community Center on Wednesday, September 24 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. The event includes free health screenings, including fall risk assessments, mind-body evaluations and blood pressure checks. Participants can also view presentations on physical activity, medication management, home safety and moving with confidence. The public is welcome to attend.

Through partnerships with local communities, the Texas A&M School of Public Health is able to deliver a range of educational programs and activities for Fall Prevention Month.

Please contact Doris Howell at dhowell@sph.tamhsc.edu or 979-458-8099 for more information about any of the events planned.