Have you turned down a chance to go out with family or friends because you were concerned about falling?  Have you cut down on a favorite activity because you might fall?  If so, A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls is the program for you.

Fear of falling can be just as dangerous as falling itself.  People who develop this fear often limit their activities, which can result in severe physical weakness, making the risk of falling even greater.  Many older adults also experience increased isolation and depression when they limit their interactions with family and friends.  A Matter of Balance can help people improve their quality of life and remain independent.

A Matter of Balance is designed to reduce the fear of falling and increase activity levels among older adults. Participants learn to set realistic goals to increase activity, change their environment to reduce fall risk factors, and learn simple exercises to increase strength and balance.

The DC Department of Aging and Community Living's Safe at Home Program is offering A Matter of Balance on Saturdays this spring and is free to Northwest Neighbors Village members.  The course will be hosted online via Zoom and consists of 9 two-hour sessions.  Each session will be facilitated by graduate students from The George Washington University’s physical therapy program.

The course begins on Saturday, April 29 and runs weekly through Saturday, July 1 (no class Memorial Day weekend 5/27). Times are either 9am-11am or 2pm-4pm. Please note that participants are not allowed to switch between morning and afternoon sessions once the program begins.

• To sign up for the morning class sessions, follow this link.
• To sign up for the afternoon class sessions, follow this link.

If you have further questions, please contact Jason Dring at jdring@gwu.edu.