EOU balance class helps older adults prevent falls

When an older adult falls in Union County, the consequences can reach far beyond a bruise. With Grande Ronde Hospital serving as the county’s only hospital, Eastern Oregon University built a spring-term Balance Class in the Fieldhouse to help older residents stay steady, stay independent and stay out of the emergency room.

The class met twice a week and mixed EOU students, older adults and hospital staff in a hands-on setting that focused on fall prevention. Bella Henneke, a junior majoring in health and human performance, helped guide participants through balance exercises. Jackie Morgan, a senior instructor in EOU’s Health Science and Human Performance area, directed the program, while Darren Dutto, dean of the College of Science, Technology, Mathematics and Health Sciences, helped lead the effort.

The format changed over the term. Early sessions gave students the basics of balance and mobility, then community members joined in for more active work. Participants moved through stations that paired physical movement with small mental challenges, a setup hospital physical therapist Corrine Dutto said made more possible in the Fieldhouse than would have fit in a conference room. The class also relied on a low-cost approach, with flyers, word of mouth and hospital support rather than a formal budget.

The need is real. The Oregon Health Authority says falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries for adults 65 and older in Oregon, and one in three older adults in the state falls each year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says falls are the leading cause of injury for adults 65 and older nationwide, and more than 14 million older adults, about one in four, report falling each year.

That public-health burden lands in a small community. Union County had 26,196 residents in the 2020 census, and La Grande had 13,026, so even a modest program can touch a meaningful share of the local population. Grande Ronde Hospital says it serves a community of more than 2,039 square miles in northeast Oregon, along with southeast Washington, and its community benefit work emphasizes local priority needs and underserved residents.

Morgan said the class was a strong student experience because many participants are preparing for allied health careers and get to work directly with community members instead of only practicing in theory. EOU’s Health and Human Performance program says it is designed to prepare graduates to promote health and physical activity in their community, and the Balance Class turned that mission into a practical service for older adults in La Grande, Elgin and the rest of Union County.