One in four seniors over the age of 65 experience a fall. Malnutrition is a major risk factor for frailty, which is a leading cause of falls.  Lack of access to nutritious food in the aging population can lead to a decline in overall health and stability. Those with limited resources may be at an even greater risk as they may choose low-cost foods or eat the same things on a regular basis which does not provide the variety of nutrients that is vital to overall health. And often the fear of falling causes older adults to limit physical activities which leads to further decline in health and wellbeing. 

To help combat this problem, the Campbell County nutrition education assistant teamed up with a Matter of Balance trainer from the Brighton Center to challenge a group of seniors living in the Grand Towers senior apartments in Newport Kentucky. Eight dedicated seniors accepted the challenge and met for 3 hours each week for 8 weeks. 

Matter of Balance is a national program addressing fear of falling and ways to increase physical activity. Class included videos, discussions of risk factors, and exercise sessions focusing on building strength to improve balance.

Using Healthy Choices for Every Body, a research-based curriculum designed by the University of Kentucky, participants sampled a healthy recipe while they learned how to purchase simple ingredients to plan and prepare meals at home as most of them were not cooking for themselves. They learned the value of eating fresh produce and varying their diet to maximize nutrition thereby improving overall health.   As a result of the program 50% of the participants reported that they ate more fruits and vegetables and also incorporated strength training into their regular routine and 63% reported exercising thirty minutes for a greater number of days each week. 

Not only were the seniors willing to participate in a 3 hour time commitment each week, they were actually eager to start the journey towards improving their strength and health and were sad to see the series end.