President Rick called the meeting to order, more or less on time, and our pianist extraordinaire, Terry Hicks led the 16 Rotary Club of Cataraqui-Kingston members present in a rousing rendition of O Canada. Following the Rotary invocation, Elizabeth, our Fun Mistress, quickly organized our breakfast parade and all enjoyed the bounty of the catered breakfast with much fellowship and interesting conversation.
John Farrow introduced Lynn Brown, Falls Prevention Ambassador with KFL&A Health Unit. Lynn is a former nurse and now volunteers with KFL&A to educate seniors (65+) and others who support seniors about fall prevention. It turns out falls aren’t directly related to age, despite the highest rate of falls being seen in adults 65+, but the circumstances and environment in which a person finds themselves. A handy fall risk checklist was presented and a discussion of the consequences of falls – a main one being fear of falling again! Good news: most falls are predictable and preventable!
- Plan ahead
- Be active
- Look first
- Choose smart
Overall healthy choices: nutritious food choices and adequate hydration, bone health consciousness including weight bearing exercise weekly with 150 minutes of moderate-vigorous physical activity, regular physician check-ups including vision and hearing and always tell someone if you have fallen and hit your head, emotional health with social activities and some daily laughter will also help.
A brief poll: of the 16 present, 8 had experienced falls!!
Slippery conditions require a different approach to walking: walk flat-footed and slowly (like a penguin), keep centre of gravity over feet, wear books with proper winter treads and non-skid soles. There is a new website for rating boot treads: www.ratemytreads.com and you can also consider crampons or cleats for outdoor activity.
Regular home safety checks are important…engage your grandchildren in tidying up possible hazards. Secure cords around living areas, lighting to hallways and stairs and exterior, consider high risk areas carefully such as bathrooms, housing entrances/exits.
Tips for safety: keep a list of your medications with you (something others can read), be very careful about mixing alcohol and medications and consider Canada’s guidelines for low-risk alcohol consumption is limited to 2/day for women (max 10/week) and 3/day for men (max 15/week).
Do you know? Standard sizing for alcoholic beverages is 12oz beer/cider/cooler OR 5oz wine (red or white) OR 1.5oz spirits
Lynn provided a complimentary tote bag filled with helpful guides. Yay Lynn! 😊
Questions from the floor: Robert noted a mobility-focus at his gym, Elizabeth asked about new Canada Food Guide, John F. noted the ortho-clinic in hospital stressed the importance of not smoking for bone health, and Terry Hicks shared his positive experience with regular and strong exercise at the Y’s Heart Club over the last 6-7 years. Martin and Anita provided some questions and comments on the new Food Guide.
John Richards thanked Lynn with our traditional gift of a loaf of bread.
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