Safety superheroes help prevent falls

Did you know that the first week of November is Fall Prevention week?

To celebrate, the VCH Fall & Injury Prevention team is out in the community educating people of all ages about fall prevention. One of our featured regional projects is the Safety Superheroes program – which is an intergenerational approach to fall prevention.  After having received specialized training, the program facilitators are visiting grade 2 classrooms in Richmond, Vancouver and on the North Shore to make sure students know how they can help prevent falls, for themselves and for their grandparents and other older adults they come into contact with.

Every student taking part listens to a reading of the story book Safety Superheroes: Preventing Grandparents from Falling (available in English, French & Chinese), and participates in a discussion about how to keep bones strong, and why it’s important to keep older adults on their feet. After some interactive games to reinforce the concepts they’ve learned, each student receives a home safety checklist which can be exchanged for a Safety Superheroes Certificate when it has been taken home and completed.

For any classes or groups interested in participating who have not already booked a presentation, resource packages are available with instructions on how to facilitate your own Safety Superheroes session. More information and order forms for resource packages can be found at http://www.safetysuperheroes.com.

For more fall prevention information you can use to celebrate Fall Prevention Week, please visit the Fall & Injury Prevention Program website at http://fallprevention.vch.ca.