When it comes to falls prevention, Berenice Langson is the person to talk to.
Three years ago, Langson began her role in the community engagement team at Hato Hone St John Western Bay of Plenty, where one of her first priorities was focusing on falls prevention in the Te Puke community.
With support from colleagues across the organisation, she set about organising her first session in a hands-on way – walking the main street of Te Puke and personally inviting people to attend. The response was more than she ever expected.
On the morning of the session, Langson stood inside the Te Puke St John station as people continued to arrive, quickly filling the small space.
“If you saw the station, it’s a little room. We had chairs on top of each other basically as people were cramming to get in,” Langson recalls.
The success of that first session led to falls prevention becoming an ongoing initiative, with several sessions scheduled throughout April.
St John WBOP’s Berenice Langson has two Falls Prevention, free for seniors, left this month. Photo / Kelly O’Hara
The St John programme had since been named April Falls – a month dedicated to raising awareness around fall prevention and helping people stay safe and confident in their own homes.
For this month two sessions remain – in Katikati on April 21, and in Te Puke on April 29.
Langson said each session will include partners such as Sport Bay of Plenty, which offer practical advice on preventing falls and reducing risk at home.
“Participants are also guided through simple chair-based exercises that can be practised daily, including heel lifts to strengthen calf muscles, toe lifts to support the shins, and quad-focused exercises to improve leg strength and balance.”
Guests are also invited to download the Nymbl app – a free app from ACC which helps participants continue with exercises at home.
“Everyone who attends leaves with renewed confidence to take action for their own preventative health – and to encourage others to do the same, Langson said.
Find out more about St John’s falls prevention events by emailing: [email protected]