Director of Therapy for Joyner Therapy Services, Jessica Cook says 21% of geriatric individuals who suffer a fall will die within a year. That’s a startling statistic and even more, a quarter of seniors who fracture a hip from a fall die within six months. With falls being such a problem for older adults and Carmi being an overall aging population, it was a timely program Cook gave in helping address fall prevention. With age comes related losses in muscle strength, flexibility, and balance reactions. Cook says those can be addressed through therapy.
While some factors that lead to a fall include vision and medication, improving the patient’s balance and walking gate are important pieces that can often keep older folks out of the hospital. Among the tests and Cook demonstrated were simple standing and sitting with a timer, a one leg stand, and standing up from a sitting position, walking a short distance, coming back and sitting down again. Joyner specializes in Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy and they also offer massage with or without a doctor’s referral, plus aquatic therapy and ASTYM at their 3 locations. She says they work with Medicare, Medicaid and all major insurance carriers. The Carmi location is on April Avenue and you can call 382 – 2771 for details.
