Fall Prevention Certificate Series

The CDC, government programs, and major medical systems believe that fall risk is a growing epidemic with more than one third of adults over 65 years old falling annually and 30% of those people suffering moderate to severe injuries. As healthcare professionals, we play an integral role in identifyingrisk factors for falls, as well as providing treatment interventions that lead to a reduction in the incidence of falls and hospital readmissions for fall-related injuries.

In this evidence-based, treatment-centered course, therapists will learn important skills that will allow for better recognition of fall risk factors as well as research-driven and clinically proven interventions to improve patient quality of life and functional independence. In addition to innovative treatment strategies, participants will also learn how to appropriately document skilled interventions to ensure proper reimbursement for services.

• Strategies to instantly strengthen core stability, function, balance, posture and mobility in the aging senior population
• Evidence-based clinical assessments to recognize and quantify balance-related deficits
• Techniques and interventions that quickly improve gaitmechanics and stability to increase safety and independence in the geriatric population
• Master the art of providing skilled, efficient, point of service documentation to ensure proper reimbursement for services
• Prepare your patients for real world balance challenges by utilizing techniques that translate to function outside of theclinical setting

The CDC, government programs, and major medical systems believe that fall risk is a growing epidemic with more than one third of adults over 65 years old falling annually and 30% of those people suffering moderate to severe injuries. In 2012, the total cost for fall related injuries in older adults alone was 30 billion dollars. Integrative fall prevention strategies are multidimensional, simultaneously addressing multiple fall risk factors and leading to more effective, cost-reducing, and sustainable patient outcomes. Over 127 million Americans seek complementary and integrative health care services annually and the most successful clinicians know that meeting this growing need offers a huge advantage in providing superior quality care.

Integrative rehabilitation professionals realize that thebody and mind function inseparably in all human activity. This insightful and innovative program will transform traditional fallprevention thinking into a more holistic concept of care by outlining a simple set of integrative rehabilitation principles. Throughout the day, participants will practice researchsupported integrative movement and manual strategies that can be immediately applied in diverse clinical settingsresulting in lower cost and highly effective balance enhancement outcomes.

• Immediately apply integrative thought, movement, and manual strategies that prevent falls in diverse clinical settings
• Master the four pillars of integrative neuromuscular balance
• Experience hands-on movement labs throughout the day to stimulate natural balance mechanisms
• Quickly employ simple and effective rehabilitative Tai Chi movements into practice
• The secrets to successful, sustainable, and cost saving home exercise programs that prevent falls and re- hospitalization
• Become a more mindful and perceptive rehabilitation professional

Falls among older adults remain one the most pressing issues for rehabilitation professionals. More than 95% of hip fractures are caused by falling and falls cost the healthcare system about $31 billion dollars annually. The good news is that falls are not a normal part of aging and that they are preventable. Additionally, many of the risk factors associated with falling can be modified with the help of healthcare professionals. But clinicians have to understand the complexnature of falls and implement the most up to date interventions to effectively manage these patients.

This course will provide attendees a deeper understanding of the interplay between risk factors associated with falls. Additionally, attendees will review and practice the most evidence-based examination and evaluative tools available to be able to develop the best individualized plan of care of their patient and document skilled justification for treatment. Finally, the course content will outline the current best practices and interventions available to healthcare professionals in managing falls and aid in the prevention of future falls.

• Immediately improve your ability to identify older adults at higher risk for falls using practical assessment techniques
• Practical assessment and re-assessment strategies for functional deficits, underlying conditions, and co-morbidities you can use the next day

Effective fall prevention programs for older adults should include an analysis of multiple components when conducting a root cause analysis. Polypharmacy is significant factor to consider, as older adults often experience greater adverse effects of medications thanyounger people, due to their reduced kidney and liver function. This course will initially share the facts related to common reasons for resident falls and will then focus on one of those components; the effects of medications on older people and the specific classes known to influence a person's fall risk. Details will be shared regarding three types of medications, to include those which affect the brain and cognition ("psychoactives"), those which affect blood pressure and those which lower blood sugar. The interprofessional team member's communicationstrategies will then be shared for optimal person-centered fall risk reduction.

• Immediately decrease your client's fall risk with an analysis of their specific medications, given the information for each drug class
• Discuss the risk vs. benefit analyseswith the resident's physician with information learned from this course