TMH Fall Prevention Fair Held in the Senior Center

FAMU student, Alana Thornton, assisted a participant during a vision test.
Photo by Christopher Lampley

By Christopher Lampley
Outlook Writer

September was Fall Prevention Month and Tallahassee Memorial Hospital commemorated the month with a fair held at the Senior Citizens center in downtown Tallahassee.

 
Tallahassee Memorial Hospital (TMH) hosted the Fall Prevention Fair – a two-day event that highlighted need-to-know topics for senior citizens and their care providers about preventing falls in and around the home. Senior citizens who took advantage of the fair got a handful of advice about personal awareness, the easiest ways to prevent any complications that could lead to falls.

 
Physicians and nurses from TMH, along with Pharmacy and Allied Health students from FAMU, were on hand to pass out pamphlets and talk to people about the importance of preventing falls.

 
“We presented a broad spectrum of things to look out for in terms of falls. Falls among senior citizens are on the rise. So it’s very important that we make them aware,” Shana Blakeney said. Blakeney works with senior citizens at TMH and said that fall prevention is probably the most important fair that they hold.

 
“This is our second annual fair and last year we held it at TMH. This year, the location change served better because there is a heavy flow of senior citizens that do come here,” Blakeney added.

 
Along with being asked about certain medications that they take, senior citizens received eye test and physical examinations from nurses. Questions during the pre-screenings also included any dizziness after sitting down for a long period of time and are the walk ways clear in their home.

 
The senior citizens center is not a home for senior citizens but it is commonly known as a “hang out” spot for older people.

 
“We offer a lot here at the center. A lot of people who come just want to have some fun and most of them are on their own. The fair held over the past two days was perfect for them,” Rev. Henry Steele said.