Press release:
Independent Living of Genesee Region (ILGR) is pleased to announce that Director James C. Moody has been selected to serve as the program coordinator / facilitator for “Step Up to Stop Falls in Genesee County.”
Moody will coordinate activities of four workgroups (Exercise, Community Education, Home Assessments and Health Fairs) and manage partner accountability to carry out the project plan.
Local partners include the Genesee County Office for the Aging, University of Buffalo, Genesee Community College Nursing Program, Summit Physical Therapy – UMMC and Catholic Charities of Western New York. These partners are working with several other Genesee County agencies.
Moody will also work with the project's executive leader, Office for the Aging Director Pamela Whitmore, to develop long-term plans that involve all community residents.
Falls are the leading cause of injury deaths, hospitalizations and emergency department visits among adults 65 and older. Falls can result in lasting, serious issues, affecting mobility, independence and mental health.
Genesee County residents age 65 and older average more than 425 visits per year to the emergency department because of falls. Typically, 177 of those incidents result in a hospital stay. The annual cost for these services is more than 3 million dollars!
Step Up to Stop Falls in Genesee County is a prevention project funded by the Community Health Foundation of Western and Central New York to provide Genesee County elderly residents with information needed to help reduce the risk of falling and thus, reduce costs to the community.
Independent Living of Genesee Region (ILGR), part of the WNY Independent Living Inc., Family of Agencies, has primary offices at 113 Main St., Suite 5, Batavia. The agency provides individuals of the Genesee Region (Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming counties) with four core services: information and referral; peer counseling; independent living skills training and individual and community advocacy.
For more information about ILGR, to become involved in the Falls Prevention Project or to begin receiving services, please call 815-8501, ext. 400, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
