Members of the Healthy Aging and Resilient Places (HARP) Lab attended the Strong & Steady Falls Prevention Event on September 22 at the Wheeler Farm Outdoor Education Center in Murray, Utah.
Organized by the Salt Lake County Falls Prevention Coalition, the free community event brought together older adults, community members, and local organizations for activities focused on fall prevention, balance, movement, health, and social connection. Activities included Tai Chi, demonstrations on how to get up safely after a fall, wellness resources, pet therapy, crafts, cooking demonstrations, and live music.
Fall prevention is also an area of research at the HARP Lab. Two current projects examine how environmental conditions and the built environment may contribute to falls among older adults:
- Fall Risk Mapping uses GIS and spatial analysis to examine fall-related injuries and environmental risk factors and identify areas with higher fall risk.
- Fall Riskscape uses street-view imagery, computer vision, and statistical modeling to study relationships between streetscape features and outdoor falls among older adults.Learn more about HARP Lab’s fall prevention and healthy aging projects
For older adults interested in fall-prevention programs in Salt Lake County, Aging & Adult Services offers programs including Stepping On and Tai Chi for Arthritis & Fall Prevention, along with other health and physical activity programs offered through County senior centers.