Oklahoma Healthy Aging Initiative to host Falls Prevention Week

The organization is focusing on older adults who are at a high risk of falls and fall-related ailments.

The Oklahoma Healthy Aging Initiative is hosting Falls Prevention Week across Oklahoma beginning Sept. 21.

OHAI is a group dedicated to helping older Oklahomans with falls and other medical issues. They are connected to OU Health.

The first event will be Monday in Durant, followed by Tuesday in Oklahoma City, Wednesday in Muskogee and finally, Thursday in Enid.

Community Outreach Coordinator Nilé Burge joined News 9 to discuss Falls Prevention Week and OHAI.

BURGE : We put this together. It’s a national week, actually, but we do it here in Oklahoma to really bring awareness about falls. And that’s really part of what we do for Oklahoma residents at Healthy Aging Initiative.

BURGE : Absolutely, and that’s what we’re really trying to avoid because we do have a lot of seniors that maybe live alone, who might even be isolated sitting at home in some of our rural areas, and we really want to bring awareness to them to say, hey, here’s what we can do to not fall. So let’s strengthen our bodies by doing things like Tai Chi.

BURGE : Absolutely, so this is a lot of fun. We’re just gonna do it seated. Of course, we can do it standing as well, but we always start with our hold the ball position. So like you’re just holding your imaginary ball close to your body. Tighten your core, you sit up nice and straight, and then you switch it to the other side, holding your ball, nice and easy. And then we’re gonna do the next position, which is called part the wild horse’s mane, and you just expand, nice deep breath in, and then you contract it right back down to your hold the ball position. And then you just relax. And then take another deep breath. And that’s just a small sampling.

BURGE : Makes you slow down. And it really makes you focus in on your breathing, your movement, stretching and balance. And all those things are really important.

BURGE : Absolutely. And that’s where we say aging is what everyone is doing, right? No matter what age you are, you’re moving towards those golden years. And so we really focus on starting now, wherever you are starting now, because when you get to that age, when we get to that retirement age, we don’t want to be, oh, I can’t move and everything’s hurting.