Handouts for Seniors

• Finding Balance brochure
• A Million Messages – In Your Home, In your Community, Footwear and Foot Care, Transportation

Ideas for display

• Finding Balance photos and artwork
• Footwear
  • Examples of real appropriate and inappropriate footwear, tubular socks with grips
  • Ideal Shoe
Vision
• Photographs depicting vision with different eye conditions
• Examples of night lights (motion activated, wall outlet plug in)
• Examples of sun blocking sunglasses, sunglasses that fit over regular eyeglasses
Winter Safety-bring examples of:
• Ice grippers (i.e. Yaktrax Walker® , others)
• Cane tip pick
• Appropriate snow boots
• Ice melters
• Information on local resources available to shovel sidewalks – e.g. “Snow Angel” volunteers
• Information on locations to walk inside – mall walking, walking tracks
• Other
  • Examples of mobility aids – walkers, canes
  • Examples of hip protectors such as Hip Safe and Safe Hip
  • Model to depict hip fracture

Ideas for active participation

• “Can You Spot the Good Shoes?” Appropriate footwear activity.
• The presentation can be printed out one slide per page. Match the appropriate slides back to back and either laminate or place in page protectors. Leave the pictures of the shoes with no labels or explanation showing. Ask participants to pick appropriate shoes. They can turn the cards over to determine if they made a good choice or to find out what is wrong with the shoe.
• “Can Your Shoes do the Twist?” Provide a chair for participants to sit in so they can remove a shoe. Have the participant grab their shoe with one hand holding the toe box and the other hand grasping the heel. Ask the participant to try twisting their shoe (the action is similar to wringing out a wet cloth). If the shoe does twist, use this opportunity to point out the lack of support structure. To ensure good balance, heel should be wide and rounded to give more contact with ground; sole should provide good grip and stability, back of shoe covers heel, etc.
• Fitting a cane properly. Poster for Measuring Canes can be obtained by contacting the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT).
• Provide copies of Public Health Agency of Canada’s Stay Safe Poster and challenge participants to find all 14 hazards.
• Sloppy Slipper Exchange - Foot problems and foot pain can have a major effect on mobility, balance and stability. One way to highlight the associated problems is by hosting a Sloppy Slipper exchange. For a small fee seniors can exchange their old, loose slippers for a properly-fitting pair. You could even obtain a sponsor to provide the slippers for free.
• Eyewear cleaning station or handout eye glass cleaners at displays

Additional Resources

• Hip Protectors
• Avoid falls while travelling
• Have a safe home
• Check for Safety – A Home Fall Prevention Checklist for Older Adults