Healthy Steps for Older Adults was developed by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging. It is an evidence-based falls prevention program for adults aged 50 and over. The interactive, facilitated program raises participants’ awareness of multiple aspects of fall risk including home safety, medication management, strength, balance, flexibility, effective communication with medical professionals, nutrition, depression, substance use, stress, sensory challenges, foot health, social connection, well-being, and more. Through activities, assessments and discussions, participants discover potential risks in their own lives and develop individual mitigation strategies using local community resources. The program includes both output measures and outcome measures through evaluations and follow-up contacts with participants.
- Target audience: Adults 50 years and older
- Health outcomes:
- Reduction in falls incidence by 18% for program participants
- Reduction in falls related hospitalization costs of $840 for program participants
- Delivered by: 1 Certified Workshop Leader
- Program type: Group
- Format: In-Person in Community, Remote
- Length: Two, 2-hour workshops, which can be done on the same day, but no more than a week apart from each other.
- Training:
- Completion of three HSOA Workshop Leader online training modules (approximately 45 minutes each)
- Completion of a two-day HSOA Workshop Leader classroom training (approximately 6.5 hours each day)
- Remote only for the remote format and in-person only for the in-person format
- Professional required: No
- Accessibility adaptations available: Yes, electronic version of participant book available on request for e-readers.
- Cultural adaptations available: Yes, accommodations available upon request.
- Available in languages other than English: Spanish
- Topic(s):
- Physical Activity
- Chronic Disease
- Falls Prevention
- Medication Management
- Contact: Carol Harris, Dering Consulting Group (charris@deringconsulting.com; (717)234-0567 extension 213)
