City holds fall prevention event for seniors. Here's what you should know.

Sep. 20—When Irene Hobbs saw a flyer hanging at the Highland Senior Center promoting an upcoming fall risk assessment screening event, it came at the right time.

Two weeks earlier, the 78-year-old fell in her backyard. She wasn't hurt, but the ordeal left her concerned about what could happen the next time. So, she decided to stop by the event on Friday morning at the North Domingo Baca Multicultural Center.

"I wanted to test everything out," she said.

Hobbs was put through her paces at stations spread across the center's gym.

Run by medical students from Central New Mexico Community College, the University of New Mexico and Pima Medical Institute, her balance and leg strength were tested in drills that had her sitting up and down in a chair, walking to and around a cone several feet away and back and balancing on one foot.

At the next station, she met with Janet Simon, a podiatrist with the New Mexico Foot and Ankle Institute, who performed an examination and sensitivity test to check the feeling in her feet. Afterward, Simon provided her with a full report on the condition of her feet, and Hobbs spoke with medical students about the layout of her house and ways to identify fall risks.

"I have a spiral staircase in my house I have to be careful on and I need to make sure the children pick up their stuff if they're visiting me," she said.

Hobbs also now has to keep an eye out for her dachshund, Cera, to make sure she isn't following too closely.

She left with all the necessary testing and information to better understand her risk of falling and how best to deal with it, which was the goal of the event, according to New Mexico Adult Falls Prevention Coalition Chair Janet Popp.

"We want to empower older adults and their families to understand that many falls are preventable and that people can improve their strength and balance," she said, "but first they have to understand what parts need to be improved."

The coalition partnered with the city's Department of Senior Affairs Sports and Fitness Program on the event, seeing it as a way to combine fall risk prevention screenings and testing with helping medical students interact with patients and connect attendees with the necessary resources to help prevent falls.

In addition, Albuquerque Fire Rescue paramedics were teaching fall recovery drills to seniors while the Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center was leading a tai chi class outside to help people work on their balance.

Each senior who attended left with a personalized fall risk assessment that detailed their condition, how much they are at risk for a fall and what questions to ask their care provider. The sheet also provided information on exercises they can work on to increase their balance and strength.

The Department of Senior Affairs Sports and Fitness Program is stepping in to help seniors with their exercises as well.

"We have group exercise classes located around the city, from low impact to high impact," said Joel Mahoney, program assistant for the sports and fitness program. "We want to keep people healthy, active and work on their strength training, muscle building and balance."

Popp encouraged anyone who wasn't able to attend Friday's event to visit bit.ly/abq-checkup to complete a free fall risk assessment.

"This is a way to take charge of your health," Popp said. "Instead of having a fall and getting injured, you can learn what you could work on and stay injury free."