Don Gunning is 86-years-young. One of his favourite things about living in his Tsawwassen community is how easy it is to get around.
“I love living here, I love my community,” he says. “I can walk everywhere.”
Remaining active is important for Gunning, so when he began to experience dizziness last December, he went to his family doctor for support.
“I have been taking medication for complex, partial seizures after an amnesia event in 2012,” he says. “What used to be wooziness morphed into identifiable dizziness – and that’s when I was referred to the Fraser Health Falls Prevention Program.”
Right away he was impressed with the level of care he received.
“First, I had a session with a pharmacist, Faeka, where we went through all of my symptoms and medications that I take. That was very helpful,” he said.
Next, he met with Ronda, a physiotherapist with the clinic, who – due to COVID-19 restrictions – worked with him virtually. He laughs when he recalls doing the assessment from his home.
“Oh, she put me through my paces over Zoom,” he says. “Walking back and forth, up and down, over and around. She told me to turn my computer around so that she could see me from up to 20 feet. I was very impressed.”
He thinks having the program available virtually is important for accessibility, and stresses how easy it was to join.
“I had absolutely no problem getting the link and getting online. It worked out really well, and it’s better than just being over the phone. If anyone were to ask me, I’d say it was very effective.”
He also appreciated the series of exercises that Ronda gave him to do, as well as her suggestion to seek out a vestibular physiotherapist in his community.
“I do my exercises and I’ve connected with a vestibular physio. I don’t know if this will cure my dizziness, but it will help my balance.”
Falls prevention at Fraser Health
The Falls Prevention Program has been operating since 2007 and works to address the ongoing problem of serious falls among the region’s senior population.
“Approximately one in three seniors fall every year,” says Fraser Health’s Shianne Bains, coordinator, Falls, Injury and Prevention. “This can be devastating to clients and costly for the health care system.”
Bains and her colleagues work hard to meet clients’ needs in their own communities.
“Pre-COVID-19, we set up in libraries, seniors’ centres and other community sites,” says Ronda Field, physiotherapist with the program. “Our work is unique because we use an interdisciplinary approach to reduce fall risk – we review medications, vitamins and bone health, recommend exercise, mobility aids, home safety equipment and provide referrals to other programs."
Going virtual
Like many other programs and services across Fraser Health, the Falls Prevention Program worked hard to shift to virtual clinics at the onset of COVID-19, to ensure continuity of care.
“We recognized that many of our clients have limited access to and familiarity with technology, but we were committed to reaching as many people as we could,” says Bains.
The team adapted assessment procedures – including finding standardized tests to virtually assess fall risk – while also maintaining safety. They also had to develop educational tools and handouts for clients.
“Many of our clients have limited digital literacy and were very nervous about using Zoom,” says Field. “Typically however, by the end of the visit, most clients were more comfortable and felt that it was easier and less scary than they had anticipated.”
One of the greatest successes the team has seen over the past 18 months has been the adaptability of older populations learning how to go virtual.
“Lots of our clients were extremely grateful to have received our service at home, especially at a time when they did not feel comfortable leaving the house,” says Bains.
The virtual program also allowed them to connect with clients in remote communities, including areas with long wait lists. It’s one of the reasons why the program will continue in a virtual capacity, despite in-person programming resuming this fall.
“Because we are a regional program with clients throughout Fraser Health, it is really helpful to have a virtual option. We do not get into distant communities as often, and sometimes we have very long waiting lists. The virtual clinic gives us a way to immediately connect, regardless of distance.”
