A Matter of Balance cetified master trainer Marisa Ramos with photos of her previous class graduatesBy ELENA MARSH
Insider Staff Writer
After a traumatic fall, some seniors struggle to regain confidence in their mobility. This mental hurdle can strain their quality of life, and fears of falling again can turn a walk around the block into a nerve-racking task to avoid.
The experience is all too common. Private physical therapy can become costly, and group exercise classes often draw people who are already confident with their movement. However, for those starting at zero, there is a solution.
Health educator Marisa Ramos is a certified master trainer for A Matter of Balance, a program with the Moore County Health Department. A Matter of Balance is an evidence-based program specifically designed to reduce the fear of falling and improve activity levels among older adults from not-for-profit health company MaineHealth.
The program is free and includes eight two-hour classes presented to a small group of eight to 14 participants led by trained coaches and Ramos. So far, A Matter of Balance has hosted six graduations in Moore County and awarded nearly 50 program certificates to participants.
“This is my life’s passion,” said Ramos. “In Moore County we have a large retired population and (A Matter of Balance) is really needed.”
Each of the eight two-hour sessions teaches a different skill through group discussions, problem solving, exercise training, assertiveness training and a few homework assignments.
The importance of exercise is central in preventing falls, and Ramos and her team teach practice exercises to improve strength, coordination and balance. There is also a home safety evaluation that helps find tripping hazards and outlines the importance of a well-lit home.
So far, classes have been taught in Robbins, Aberdeen and Southern Pines, but a difficulty that Ramos has faced is finding meeting places and community centers to host the program.
“There is space at the Health Department,” said Ramos. “But I want to meet people where they are at.”
She hopes that as the program gathers attention, more towns and communities will look into hosting A Matter of Balance.
The next session is scheduled for January at the Jackson Terrace Apartments in Carthage, where many of the residents are 55 and up. Even though the residents of the complex are the intended beneficiaries, anyone can sign up for a session as long as they can attend. Days and times are then decided among the eight to 14 people who sign up.
Ramos was born in New York and grew up in the U.S. Virgin Islands before she arrived in Moore County about one year ago. Her two-decade career in public health has taken her through Durham, Cumberland, Lee and Alamance counties. Over the years, she has specialized in a variety of health education courses and initiatives. Most recently, Ramos is preparing to graduate from the North Carolina Rural Centers’ Rural Economic Development Institute, giving her a greater knowledge of rural health.
“I am realizing, as I get older and work in public health for so long, that rural health is not just in one state, rural health is all over the world,” said Ramos. “Outside of cities rural health carries on everywhere.”
In 2017, Ramos spoke at North Carolina Public Health Association on the ways that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities can learn mobility techniques as well to improve their overall quality of life.
“I implemented A Matter of Balance for them to strengthen those muscles that needed strengthening,” said Ramos.
Her belief in the program and seeing its positive impact is what keeps Ramos enthusiastic about sharing it with her community. On her cellphone she keeps videos of her graduated participants who share how A Matter of Balance has changed their lives.
“It’s a good feeling,” said Ramos. “It makes me feel like I have touched a life. I have made a difference in somebody. When someone says they don’t have a fear of falling anymore or they can walk two steps without their walker or they can reach and grab something that they couldn’t grab before, that makes me feel good. It is heartwarming for me.”
For those who might be interested in enrolling in the program, Ramos offers a “zero session” where interested participants can learn more about the goals of the program and meet a graduate.
Interested parties in either joining a class or becoming a coach for A Matter of Balance program can contact the Moore County Health Department at (910) 947-3300 or by email at hdinfo@moorecountync.gov.
Contact Elena Marsh at (910) 693-2484 or elena@thepilot.com.
