The Area Agency on Aging of the Capital Area will conduct its first two online A Matter of Balance, Managing Concerns about Falls programs in February after it trained volunteer lay leaders in mid-January about implementing the program. The evidence-based intervention program for older adults was AAACAP’s most popular health and wellness program before the pandemic; its coordinators hadn’t made an online version available until this month.
“We are excited to bring this program back in a new way that is pandemic safe and lets AAACAP reach more individuals with valuable techniques and skills that help older adults age in place,” said Jessica Martone, AAACAP health, wellness and prevention coordinator. “Because this program will be online, we can put anyone in the ten counties in any class — geography is irrelevant.”
AAACAP, a CAPCOG division, has been successful in offering other online health and wellness programs throughout the pandemic. Its online version of the Healthy Living series, which teaches older adults how to better self-manage chronic diseases, chronic pain and diabetes, doubled the number courses and participants since moving online. AAACAP anticipates similar success with the Matter of Balance program. CAPCOG was one of the state’s first adopters for offering online older-adult health and wellness programs during the pandemic and has since led state-wide presentations to assist other communities in delivering programs virtually.
Key changes to the Matter of Balance program include extending the program by one week, limiting balance exercises to those that can be done while sitting, and a prerecorded presentation from a medical professional. Volunteer lay leaders registered for the January training include residents of Caldwell, Fayette, Hays, Williamson and Travis counties. AAACAP is scheduling an additional Matter of Balance lay leader training course for April.
Would-be volunteers and older adults can find future program dates.
