A New Way to Prevent Dangerous Falls Among Seniors

Falls are a major health risk for older adults and there’s a new local resource to help them avoid them. Connecticut’s first and only Smart Balance machine not only identifies balance issues, but offers exercises and games to help alleviate them.

“We recently added this equipment to our fitness program because we found there was a real need to identify and address fall risk and balance issues among our residents and other older members of our community,” says Lucy Eyre, the head of Duncaster’s Aquatic and Fitness Center. “This assessment and training equipment is a resource that we are offering to both Duncaster residents and others in our area because we know what a health risk falling can be for those over age 60.”

Falls are the leading cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of non-fatal trauma-related hospital admissions among older adults, according to the National Council on Aging. Falls account for more than 2.8 million injuries treated in emergency departments annually, including over 800,000 hospitalizations and more than 27,000 deaths.

“The long-term consequences of falls among older adults are significant,” says Eyre. “They cause pain, disability and really impact someone’s feeling of independence. We didn’t want that for our residents or the other older members of our community. That’s why we brought the Smart Balance machine to Duncaster.”

The machine is part of Duncaster’s Aquatic and Fitness Center’s overall fitness system. “The Smart Balance machine measures, trains, stores information and creates an individualized training regime that changes as someone gets stronger,” says Eyre. “There are interactive stabilization games that are customized for users’ profiles. The games help build core strength and muscle memory so people can avoid falls and catch themselves if they find themselves falling. The games are actually a lot of fun. We’re finding people who have resisted classes and assessments, will take to this and follow the recommendations.”

The Smart Balance machine at Duncaster is the only one in Connecticut and one of only three on the East Coast. The research project that helped create the system began in 1989 at the University of Technology in Helsinki. Since then the company that developed the system, Helsinki University Research (HUR), has been collaborating with universities, researchers and practitioners from all over the world to create strength training solutions for the active aging, senior living and rehabilitation communities.

“The need for a way to deal with falls came from our experience with an older population and surveys of our residents. They listed concerns about balance as one of their most significant,” says Eyre. “We’re glad to offer it to our residents, members of our Aquatic and Fitness Center and members of the community who are over age 50.”

Assessments and training on the Smart Balance machine are free to Duncaster residents and members of the Duncaster Aquatic and Fitness Center. There is a fee for other members of the community.

For more information about the Smart Balance machine, balance issues and fitness for those over age 50, contact Lucy Eyre at leyre@duncaster.org or 860-380-5023.

Duncaster’s Aquatic and Fitness Center is the area’s facility for those looking for classes customized for people age 50 or better. The trainers and instructors focus on fitness to keep members independent and moving freely. The 75-foot, adults- only pool allows people to exercise or swim at their own pace and on their own schedules. There are individual and household memberships available which include access to any of the 28+ classes offered.