For Release: July 19, 2016 – Jamie Dukes, Office of Communications (405) 271-5601
The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) will be hosting Tai Chi instructor training workshops across Oklahoma.
Trainings will be held in Altus, Elk City, Alva and Durant with a limited number of spots available. To enroll in a workshop, contact Avy Redus by phone at 405-271-3430 or by email at AvyD@health.ok.gov.
The classes will be held on the following dates:
Individuals who successfully complete this two-day workshop will be qualified to lead Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance classes. Participants will be expected to expand this program by teaching classes in their communities to help prevent injuries from preventable falls, which are a growing public health problem nationally and in Oklahoma.
Nationally, falls are the leading cause of nonfatal injuries treated in hospital emergency departments in every age group except ages 15-24 years, and are the leading cause of injury death among adults 65 years and older. Every year in Oklahoma, about 7,000 older adults are hospitalized, and more than 450 die from a fall. Acute care hospital charges alone total more than $250 million a year.
Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance is an evidence-based fall prevention program for community-based organizations. This exercise program focuses on improving functional abilities, such as balance and physical function, to help reduce fall-related risks and the frequency of falls.
The OSDH offers the following tips on simple things you can do to help prevent falls:
To receive more information on classes and how to prevent falls, contact the OSDH Injury Prevention Service at (405) 271-3430 or visit http://falls.health.ok.gov.
This falls prevention project is supported by federal dollars from the Preventive Health Services division within Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Grant # 2B01DP009043).
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Last Modified on
Jun 03, 2022