The Administration on Community Living, headquartered in Washington, awarded Elder Services a three year, $437,000, grant to scale and sustain evidence-based falls prevention programs across Massachusetts.
Elder Services was one among 12 organizations, across the nation, selected to receive funds to prevent falls through evidence-based interventions and partnerships.
To implement the grant Elder Services’ Healthy Living Center of Excellence will partner with area agencies on aging, councils on aging, the Massachusetts Alliance of YMCAs, the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, the Massachusetts Falls Coalition, Center for Developmental Disabilities Evaluation and Research at the UMass Medical School, Health-Centric Advisors and others to improve access to resources for older adults and adults with disabilities that are at risk for falls.
This grant will build capacity and expand upon existing programs such as A Matter of Balance and Enhance Fitness, as will introduce CAPABLE – Community Aging in Place – Advancing Better Living for Elders, which teams up a nurse, occupational therapist and a handyman to improve safety and independence.
The populations focused on will include, but are not limited to, adults over age 60, non-English speaking populations, adults with intellectual development disabilities, and individuals with early stage Alzheimer’s Disease and their family caregivers.
For more information, check out the Healthy Living Center of Excellence website at www.healthyliving4me.org.
