Lake County General Health District Matter of Balance Program is One of 76 Nationwide to Receive NACCHO’s “Promising Practice Award” in 2019
Lake County General Health District (LCGHD) was honored with the Promising Practice Award at the 2019 Annual Conference of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO). Promising Practices awardees are local health departments that have developed exciting approaches and strategies to address public health issues, and that are on the path to Model Practices, the next level of achievement. LCGHD’s Matter of Balance (MOB) was one of 76 programs to receive NACCHO’s prestigious Promising Practice Award.
“Lake County seniors are particularly vulnerable to a high rate of falls, due to weather conditions causing hazardous environmental conditions. People are living longer, and falls have become a major threat to the health and independence of older adults. Many older adults have a fear of falling, which often leads to limiting activities, and can result in physical weakness, making the risk of falling even greater,” stated Catherine Hewitt, Program Manager for LCGHD. The Lake County Commissioners have generously provided funding through the Lake County Senior Levy to support the expansion of the MOB program.
The MOB program consists of eight two-hour sessions typically conducted twice weekly for four weeks. The MOB program helps seniors by bringing attention to important factors that reduce fall risks, including a review of medications, vision screenings, linkages to community-based services, and engaging in regular physical activity to increase strength and balance to help prevent falls. Coaches are recruited and trained from the Lake County Medical Reserve Corps, Retired Senior Volunteer Program, and interested community members. MOB was first piloted at Fairport Harbor Senior Center in October of 2017, and has since expanded to Kirtland, Madison, Mentor, Perry, Wickliffe, and Willowick Senior Centers. “The MOB Classes at Fairport Harbor Senior Center have been very successful, as so many of our seniors have balance problems,” said Chris Yano, Director of the Fairport Harbor Senior Center.” Many have come to me and thanked us for the wealth of information that was offered through this program. It fills up quickly, and I am happy to say that we have two certified teachers at the center that volunteer their time in conjunction with LCGHD.”
“We are proud to receive NACCHO’s Promising Practice Award. The award is evidence of our commitment to developing responsive and innovative public health programs that improve the health of local residents,” said Ron Graham, Health Commissioner for LCGHD.
NACCHO’s Promising Practice Awards have honored programs, resources, and tools that demonstrate how local health departments and their community partners can effectively collaborate to address local public health challenges. Each innovative project receiving the Promising Practice Award was peer-reviewed and selected from a competitive group of over 150 applicants.
“We are pleased to recognize local health departments striving to develop innovative public health projects to better ensure their communities’ health and safety,” said NACCHO’s Chief Executive Officer Lori Tremmel Freeman.
The MOB program is open to all individuals 55 years of age or older. Please contact the following Senior Centers for more information on classes:
Fairport Harbor Senior Center
1380 East Street
Fairport Harbor, Ohio 44077
Kirtland Senior Center
7900 Euclid Chardon Road
Kirtland, Ohio 44094
Madison Senior Center
2938 Hubbard Road
Madison, Ohio 44057
Mentor Senior Center
8484 Munson Road
Mentor, Ohio 44060
Perry Senior Center
2800 Perry Park Road
Perry, Ohio 44081
Wickliffe Senior Center
900 Worden Road
Wickliffe, Ohio 44092
Willowick Senior Center
321 East 314th Street
Willowick, Ohio 44095
You do not have to be a member of the senior center to take the class. For further information on how to become a trained MOB coach, or to schedule a MOB class, please contact Catherine Hewitt at (440) 350-2442.
