In partnership with Knox County Senior Services and the Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee, the Knox County Health Department (KCHD) is expanding its Stay Active and Independent for Life (SAIL) program to three new locations. SAIL is designed to prevent falls among adults over 65 years of age by focusing on strength, balance, flexibility and aerobics. The evidence-based program includes exercise classes, education and fitness assessments. KCHD provides instructor training and support to maintain the offering, but the courses are taught by independent instructors. These classes are proven to reduce the incidence of falls among older adults.
The public will have the opportunity to talk with instructors, meet other participants, tour the facilities and learn more about the program at upcoming kickoff events for the three new locations:
• Frank R. Strang Senior Center, Wednesday, May 2 at 11:30 a.m., 109 Lovell Heights Rd.
• Halls Senior Center, Monday, May 14 at 9 a.m., 4405 Crippen Rd.
• John T. O’Connor Senior Center, Wednesday, May 16 at 10 a.m., 611 Winona St.
More information is available by calling 865-215-5175 or by visiting knoxcounty.org/health/sail.php, where a video one of the SAIL classes can also be seen.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2.8 million adults aged 65 and older are treated in emergency departments for fall injuries each year and more than 800,000 are hospitalized. One out of five falls causes a serious injury such as broken bones or a head injury. The direct medical costs of falls, adjusted for inflation, are $31 billion annually. Locally, in 2016, falls were the most common form of accident requiring a hospital or emergency room visit among Knox County adults over 65.
