Seabrook Island Village (SIV), Neighbors Helping Neighbors, held its third “Practical Tips for Safe Movement Workshop” on January 30 at the Oyster Catcher Community Center.
Dr. David Anderson and Ms. Laurie Lybrand, from Roper Home and Hospice Services, provided strong scientific evidence about safe movement, and tips on accessing local resources. Charleston Southern University’s Dr. Nicole Decker identified changing physiology issues connected with aging as another factor in achieving safe movement.
Participants, including SIV members, Kiawah River Estates members and their families, played “Safety”, (a bingo-like board game), and practiced a wide variety of skills, such as getting in and out of cars, using canes, gait belts, or walkers. Individual discussions covered social services for specific needs and individual considerations for fall risks.
Stations were staffed by physical therapy doctoral students from Charleston Southern University, who were supervised by the Roper team and faculty from their university. Participants got practice as helpers and as individuals benefiting from assistance.
There was keen interest in exercises that could be done at home to help with issues related to safe movement. Dr. Decker, a Board Certified Geriatric Clinical Specialist, recommended the following YouTube Exercise Videos from the American Physical Therapy Association:
- For those who do not use a device to walk, click here.
- For those who use a cane, click here.
- For those who use a walker, click here.
- For exercises for healthy aging, click here.
- For exercises to promote balance, click here.
SIV is focused on helping members stay in their own home for as long as it is safe to do so. Recognizing ongoing needs of individuals who use devices, as well as volunteers who help others, future sessions will provide more specific workshops for each group. SIV is a federally recognized not-for-profit organization. Click here for more information about our organization and future programs.
-Submitted by Seabrook Island Village