HOULTON, Maine — On Nov. 1, a popular education program came to a close as the fall session of Matter of Balance graduated several students.
This evidence based program was held at the Houlton Higher Education Center and was sponsored through Houlton/Hodgdon Adult and Community Education with a partnership with Aroostook Area Agency on Aging. Candy Easton Gough, BSW, the Guidance Based Coordinator from Aroostook Area Agency on Aging, presented 10 people with their certificates of completion.
Receiving certificates were: Dorothy Donahue, Sylvia Forte, Phyllis Snell, Josephine Holmes, Roberta Johnson, Beverly Moody, Judi Britton, Brenda McCready, Terry Spinney and Candy Easton-Gough (Evidence – Coordinator).
“We continue to look for programs and opportunities to engage our local seniors in getting out of the house, meeting with others, and learning more about safety, health, and wellness” said Joe Fagnant, director of Houlton Hodgdon Adult and Community Education (HHACE). “When I became the director, I wanted to grow the programming we offered to cover more options for seniors and members of our aging community. We started ACES, Adult and Community Education for Seniors. We were so fortunate to make a partnership happen with Aroostook Agency on Aging, and also to find a great instructor in Bonnie Pratt. She truly loves working with seniors to help them become stronger and address the big issue of fall prevention. It was a winning program for our area.”
“Older adults are savvy and want to invest their time in programs that have been proven to work,” added Instructor Bonnie Pratt. “Even after the second class someone told me she had already learned something that helped her. I think everyone in this group found it time well spent, feeling a positive impact.”
“I was fortunate to have a guest health care professional I could use right out of my class participants this time. Sylvia Forte, a registered nurse, helped me with an interactive role-play of an actual fall I personally had.,” Pratt added. “I explained and demonstrated a fall I had on stairs. Her skills in that situation came to the front and were very professional. It really struck home the reality of ‘fall-ty’ habits, fall prevention, and paying attention to where you are and what you are doing!”
A Matter of Balance is a nationally recognized program designed to reduce the fear of falling and encourage physical activity. The workshop is conducted over eight sessions, meeting weekly for two hours per session.
Meetings are led by trained volunteer leaders.The Matter of Balance class has had a positive impact on many learners that want to know more about improving their well being to prevent injuries from falls.
By request, a pharmacist, Qiu Peng, Pharm D, from Rite-Aid attended a session to discuss 13 different vitamins and their common units. Even Vitamin and mineral supplements need to be used appropriately, because of side effects and drug interactions. Peng shared information concerning healthy choices including, not treating yourself with over the counter supplements without consulting your doctor or pharmacist, and make sure you keep a list of all prescriptions and over the counter supplements for your health care provider.
The ACES program continues to expand and add more opportunities for seniors. There is a waiting list started at Adult Ed for an early Spring session of Matter of Balance from March 12 to April 2, 2018. The schedule is for two sessions a week for 4 weeks, Mondays & Wednesdays from 9:30am to 11:30am. If interested, call Patti Sloat at 521-3100 ext. 5, or email her at patricia.sloat@rsu29.org, to sign up.
