ACC encouraging seniors to attend fall prevention classes
A Wānaka local is helping advocate for the importance of strength and balance exercises as ACC launches a new campaign on the importance of classes for those aged 65 years and over.
The Community Strength and Balance Campaign is looking to highlight the importance of improving strength and balance to prevent falls.
Caroline Upward, aged 69, fell twice while walking the Mt Iron track which prompted her to attend local ACC classes that promised to improve her balance and strength.
Despite having done the walk countless times, Ms Upward found herself with a fractured shoulder after the first fall and a ruptured wrist after the second.
Having experienced two serious injuries while walking, which had been her main source of exercise, Ms Upward felt a change was needed.
"I always thought I was strong, but as I got older, I realised I needed to do more than just walking," she said.
"The body doesn't keep going unless you give it attention."
That is when she found a senior strength and mobility class in Wānaka through the Live Stronger for Longer campaign.
The classes were welcoming, filled with locals who had similar experiences and needed exercises that would help them rebuild their strength.
They became a priority for Ms Upward especially as her own 86-year-old mother injured her wrists and hip after numerous falls.
She now attends classes twice a week where a qualified occupational therapist takes participants through a range of targeted exercises, working with resistance bands and weights, as well as going through breathwork and stretching.
ACC injury prevention leader James Whitaker said falls are the most common cause of injury in New Zealand, accounting for nearly 40% of all ACC claims.
"Falls can have a significant impact on a person's quality of life, especially if it results in a fracture, so we want to do what we can to prevent them from happening in the first place," he said.
He added that exercises which focus on strength and balance can reduce falls by 20% to 30%.
ACC will be campaigning next week to raise awareness of the classes available nationwide which include tai chi, yoga, pool classes, dance classes and more.
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