Falling is a year-round "reason" to see your doctor EVENT coming to Camrose!

The Camrose Primary Care Network (PCN) Fall Prevention Team is offering a free event on May 21st for seniors, with a focus on ensuring seniors know about the risk of falling and the impact it can have on their health. The event, being held 1:30 to 4:00pm at the Duggan Mall in Camrose will be filled with important information on how to prevent falling, plus interactive displays, refreshments, a Tai Chi Demonstration and much more!

As people age, the risk of falling and becoming injured in those falls greatly increases. Falls can result in injuries that limit your ability to move and to remain active and independent. Alberta has seen a sharp rise in fall related hospital admissions and emergency department visits and is noted to have the third highest rate of seniors falls admissions in Canada. The good news is you can take steps to prevent this from happening to you!

Fall prevention isn’t just about stopping falls before they happen. It’s about continuing to enjoy life’s simple moments; it’s about playing with your grandchildren and keeping active with friends and family. Most of all, falls prevention is about keeping your independence.

A feature of the May 21st event will be the keynote speaker Dr. Val Smith who is a Care of the Elderly Physician and also the Physician Lead for the Camrose PCN Geriatric Programming. "Falls are not an inevitable result of aging, but the risk of a fall can increase as one ages," states Dr. Smith. "Older adults value their independence and a single fall can result in significant disability and loss of function. If you fall once you are more likely to fall again. There has been a tremendous research and interest in identifying risks for falls and what we can do to lower that risk. A comprehensive falls risk assessment and targeted interventions for those identified at high risk is a step in the right direction." 

Dr. Smith will present at 2:30pm and will also be allowing for a short Question and Answer session following. Before and after her presentation, seniors and their friends and families can also enjoy other interactive demonstrations and information, including from the PCN Exercise Specialist as well as the PCN Pharmacist. The afternoon promises to be an event complete with valuable information, refreshments, fellowship and even some fun giveaways. Be sure to attend anytime between 1:30 to 4:00 pm and see what the Camrose PCN Fall Prevention Team has to offer.

For more information on this event, or the Camrose PCN Falls Prevention Program, please contact 780.672.5034 or email Colleen Lindholm