September 11, 2023
IMPACT
Enjoying the next step in life looks different for everyone. For some, their journey includes living safely in their
own home as they age. Kendal at Home makes this desire possible by fostering autonomy through various
offerings.
Focused on treating the whole person, Kendal at Home’s holistic approach encourages members to
prioritize their physical health, mental health and safety through educational resources and customized
plans for care management. An area of renewed focus is fall prevention. Falls are a common threat to living
independently, plaguing older adults across the United
States.
Thankfully, falls are often avoidable and greatly reduced with proper education.
A new program offered by Kendal at Home, Stepping On, rolled out in 2022. The educational program, the
brainchild of Dr. Lindy Clemson, was conceived to help older adults avoid falling. Completing the program
is truly liberating for participants and is scientifically proven to decrease falls by 31%. The program takes place
over seven weeks and is conducted by trained facilitators,
and clinical guest speakers.
“When I saw the alarming statistics around falls in older adults, I knew Kendal at Home needed to increase
our efforts in this area,” said Lynne Giacobbe, of Kendal at Home. “With this amplified focus on fall prevention,
we are taking a step towards eradicating the normalcy of falls for members.”
The Stepping On initiative increases confidence in graduates, providing the knowledge they need to
design their houses with care, and navigate the greater community safely. The program further promotes
autonomy in members by encouraging daily balance exercises and strength training techniques that can be
completed independently.
Many risk factors for a fall are obvious; risk factors can include physical health qualms, including difficulties
with balance, vision or feet problems. But, sometimes, common household applications such as throw rugs
and railings can unknowingly pose a threat.
The consequences are alarming. One in five people who experience a fall will suffer serious injury and even if a
fall does not cause an injury, it can significantly increase the risk of another fall.
Knowing the risks, members are enthusiastically signing up to participate in the program. MP, a first cohort member,
shares how this directly impacted her health and safety, “As a result of being in the Stepping On course, I became
more assertive in taking care of my own health and safety. For example, I knew my son had removed a handrail from the stairway to his basement guest room, so, before visiting him recently, I asked him to replace the rail.”
These small, positive life changes are exactly what Stepping On is about. The next two cohorts for the
program are confirmed, and members of Kendal at Home are eager to take charge of their safety and secure their
peace of mind.