OneJain UK and Jain Health Initiative recently held a webinar in Gujarati titled ‘Balance and Ageing - Preventing falls in the elderly’ on Sunday 11 April. It attracted an audience of almost 1000 people and has since been viewed over 4000 times on YouTube.
The webinar presented by Rajvee Punater was to inform the elderly Gujarati population in UK in Gujarati about this important topic. Rajvee commented that the feedback received appreciated the professionalism and the clarity with which the information given and was practical.
Rajvee commenced the webinar with Jain prayers in remembrance of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Dr Anuja Shah, a General Practitioner in Luton then gave an explanation of the common environmental and medical causes of falls and the importance of regular medication reviews.
Optometrist Nehul Shah then described the different causes of sight loss in the elderly and how one can improve their sight, as well as emphasising the importance of regular eye tests. Sunita Dhanani, with twenty-five years of experience as a carer for her elderly parents-in-law, took the viewers on a virtual tour of her house, giving the viewers practical tips about how to make their home safe and reduce the chance of falls.
This was followed by physiotherapist Sushma Sethna who shared some useful videos showing simple exercises the viewers can try at home to improve their balance and increase muscle strength. She also included a video about how to arise from the floor safely after a fall.
Dr Devesh Shah, a senior registrar specialising in Care of the Elderly at Barnet Hospital gave the viewers insight into what happens in hospital after a fall and helpful tips about always carrying a document with your medical information so hospital staff can be quickly be made aware of relevant medical history and medications.
A q&a session concluded the webinar. This webinar highlighted the significance of preventing falls in the elderly population and risks of fractures.
