What? The Chicken Dance?

The Strategic Direction: Patients, says that we will partner with patients and their families in the delivery of safe, quality care. With a focus of falls prevention and management, we asked the Active Lifestyle Centre if we could lead a community forum about this topic. So this fall, Chatham-Kent Health Alliance staff, a patient advisor, and a public health nurse prepared poster boards, gathered information, and headed over to the Centre. Our audience was the exercise class, who listened to us talk about safety strategies related to falls. Public Health previewed a video called “Exercises at the Kitchen Sink”. Then we were invited to join the exercise class. Little did we know that the forum would include working up a sweat, let alone testing our skills doing the chicken dance? What fun we had together.

We could see by the level of activity that they already had a strategy to prevent falls. But what could we do differently? What could be done in the community to prevent falls? And how could we make a hospital stay, if needed, be as ideal as it could be? Over refreshments in the cafeteria, we listened to what they believed could make a difference. From better street lighting, to making sure we had wheelchairs at the entrances and handrails in high traffic areas, ideas were brought forward for us to consider.

In addition to sharing ideas and ways to prevent and manage falls, we connected with community partners for a common cause - to make our environment as safe as it could be and to educate each other about what we can do to prevent falls. Learning took place and relationships developed. Perhaps our next encounter we will do the Macarena – and this time we will be ready.