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Falls Prevention Presentation How-To GuideIntroduction and AcknowledgementsThis toolkit will help you prepare and deliver a presentation on falls prevention. It is intended to be used by occupational therapy practitioners to educate the public on strategies and resources to reduce fall risk, and on the role of occupational therapy in falls prevention. The presentation can be given to a variety of groups and populations in health care and community settings in conjunction with Falls Prevention Awareness Day and throughout the year. Content includes two different versions of a PowerPoint presentation, with scripts, handouts, a resource list, and a flyer to help promote your presentation. The toolkit also provides helpful suggestions about arranging, preparing, and delivering a presentation. This presentation should be used for general educational purposes only. For all other purposes, including reprints, please contact epeterso@uic.edu.This Falls Prevention Toolkit was developed by Elizabeth Peterson, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Clinical Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago; and Bonita Lynn Beattie, PT, MPT, MHA, Vice President, Injury Prevention & Lead, Falls Free? Initiative, Center for Healthy Aging, National Council on Aging. A special thanks to AOTA staff Karen Smith, Laura Collins, and Chris Metzler and AOTA student Melissa Stutzbach for their contributions.Falls Prevention Awareness DaySeptember 22nd, the first day of fall, is also National Falls Prevention Awareness Day, sponsored annually by the National Council on Aging (NCOA). This national initiative seeks to unite professionals, older adults, caregivers, and family members to play a part in raising awareness and preventing falls in the older adult population. More than 40 states have participated in Falls Prevention Awareness Day, joining more than 70 national organizations, including the American Occupational Therapy Association as well as other professional associations and federal agencies that comprise the Falls Free? Initiative. If your organization participates in a falls prevention activity, please contact your State Falls Prevention Coalition to make sure you are counted in your state’s inventory of events. For more information on Falls Prevention Awareness Day, visit the NCOA Web site and the AOTA Web site. Scheduling a PresentationYou may already have a venue in mind for your presentation. If not, there are likely many options available to you. Many communities have local senior and community centers, nonprofit organizations, senior housing facilities, retirement communities, faith-based organizations, local area Agencies on Aging, recreation programs, public health departments, health care facilities and organizations, and other community organizations such as the YMCA of the USA, the Lions Club, Elks, or Veterans’ groups that are interested in educational opportunities for older adults. If you have difficulty finding a site that is well suited for the purpose of the presentation, utilize the Eldercare Locator, a public service provided by the U.S. Administration on Aging that can help you connect with services for older adults in your community, or contact your local Agency on Aging to see if someone might be able to help you with your search. Once you have determined a site or multiple sites that you feel would benefit from a presentation, follow these helpful suggestions to schedule your event:E-mail, call, or visit the site to inquire about scheduling a presentation at least a month prior to when you anticipate presenting. Visiting the site in person is often the most effective method of getting the attention of those who might be interested in helping you schedule a presentation. Many sites schedule programming months ahead of time.Keep in mind that persistence is key. Follow up on your inquiries if you have not received a response from a site after a few days. Have multiple sites in mind in case your first choice is not available. Provide information about the purpose of the presentation, time required, and equipment and facilities needed (e.g., laptop, projector, projector screen, comfortable seating for the audience).Schedule a date that works for you and the site.Inquire about how the presentation will be advertised at the facility (e.g., newsletters, listserv, social media, announcements, calendar posting, flyers, etc.). Assist with the promotion of the presentation as needed, such as by filling out the AOTA Falls Falls Prevention Presentation Flyer and posting it at the site. Ensure that there are accessibility options (e.g., wheelchair ramps, restrooms, etc.) at the site to accommodate all populations.Contact the site a week prior to remind them of your presentation and confirm any last minute details.Preparing MaterialsMaterials provided include:A 15-minute PowerPoint presentation A script for the 15-minute PowerPoint presentation A 30-minute PowerPoint presentation A script for the 30-minute PowerPoint presentation As a presenter, you can decide which version of the presentation you prefer to use. Both presentations have similar content but vary in the time required, length and detail of descriptions, examples given, and topics covered. Feel free to make minor modifications in the presentation as needed. Note: if your presentation varies too far from the themes and suggestions outlined in the Falls Prevention Toolkit, please create your own presentation and do not use the UIC, AOTA, and NCOA logos and credits.The two handouts listed below should be provided to everyone in the audience. Make sure you print enough copies for your anticipated audience and a few extras in case more people attend. You can download resources through the following links on the AOTA Web site: Falls Prevention Resources Learn about falls prevention-related services offered by the site and in the local community that you might add to this resource list.Tips for Living Life to its Fullest: Fall Prevention for Older AdultsOther handouts that you might consider providing include:A copy of the PowerPoint presentationTips for Living Life to its Fullest: Remaining in Your Home as You AgeCDC Fall Prevention Materials, including Check for Safety: A Home Fall Prevention Checklist for Older Adults and the brochure What You Can Do to Prevent Falls Delivering the PresentationFollow these helpful suggestions to ensure that you have an effective presentation:Practice the presentation by yourself and in front of others.Dress professionally.Visit the site prior to the presentation to troubleshoot the PowerPoint and room set up.Bring more than one copy of the presentation in an additional format (e.g., flash drive, CD, computer desktop, etc.) in case one of the versions does not work. Keep in mind that not all sites have Internet access. Do not read directly off of the script or the slides. Become familiar with the content and talk based on your own experience and knowledge. Be aware of literacy levels. Keep it simple and avoid jargon and technical terms that the audience might not be familiar with.Project your voice and talk slowly and clearly.Face the audience and maintain eye contact.Keep an eye on the time to avoid going too far over or under the allotted time.Keep the audience engaged through interactive discussions and questions about their own experiences. Suggestions for audience involvement are provided throughout the script.Recommend site and community programs and services to your participants. Thank the audience for their participation and interest in preventing falls.Presentation Follow upBe sure to thank the site for hosting the presentation. Maintaining a relationship with the site may be valuable when scheduling future presentations or utilizing resources and opportunities the site may offer for older adults. Let AOTA know how your presentation went by contacting Karen Smith at ksmith@ or share your experience on the Gerontology Special Interest Forum on OT Connections . We welcome any questions or feedback you may have about the Falls Prevention Toolkit. Thank you for reaching out to your community and helping to fulfill the need for falls prevention education! ................
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