health

A Matter of Balance

Matter of Balance

Providing a home is just the beginning while serving seniors and residents with chronic disease. A Matter of Balance is a program focused on preventing and educating at-risk populations about falling — a major risk associated with aging and illness. The program was first implemented with Mercy Housing Southwest residents in Arizona in 2014, and is now being piloted with Colorado residents through funding from Enterprise Community Partners. For seniors, injury may lead to serious long-term health complications and could compound present conditions. The fear of falling plagues many. Isolation, depression, and overall physical decline due to inactivity may result.

Mercy Housing is deeply concerned about this and is using education to combat these issues. The program will include eight-week long fall prevention classes at four properties that encourage increased activity and social engagement. Mercy Housing staff are certified as Master Level Trainers in the Matter of Balance program, and all onsite staff are trained to conduct the classes.

“The Matter of Balance program engages with residents in a way that’s educational and preventative. It gets them talking about the issue and helps them realize they’re not alone and have a big support network here at Mercy Housing.” — Healthcare Navigator Manley Daniel