By Kerri Pepoy,Staff Writer

NORWAY – Ed Trebilcock, who is afflicted with diabetes and Parkinson’s disease, could have holed up in his home after falling twice last summer. Instead, the 65-year-old Otisfield resident decided to do something about it.

“A year ago, I would have walked right up the middle of the stairs. Now I know to do things differently, like staying to the side and holding the rail,” he said Wednesday at a new class for senior citizens, A Matter of Balance.

“A lot of it is common sense, but it makes you more aware,” Trebilcock said. “It makes me see into the future so I think about how I do things.”

Six area seniors attended the class Wednesday, but that number is expected to grow as word spreads about its existence.

The class is held by Healthy Oxford Hills, one of 31 Healthy Maine partnerships across the state.

Healthy Oxford Hills received a grant from the Partnership for Healthy Aging to offer the class, which is designed to reduce the fear of falling and increase activity levels of older adults. A Matter of Balance is based on research conducted by the Roybal Center for Enhancement of Late-Life Function at Boston University.

Ken Morse, partnership director of Healthy Oxford Hills, said the partnership is expanding its original mandates of smoking cessation, nutrition and physical activity to include programs that focus on senior citizens.

“We know that is going to become increasingly important,” he said.

The class is held twice per week for four weeks at the Ripley Medical Office Building in Norway. Morse said many seniors are understandably afraid of falling because it can result in serious injury or death, but to avoid falling they often become less active.

However, reduced physical activity results in muscles without strength and flexibility, which are critical to help avoid a fall and also lessen bodily harm from a fall.

“As people age, their balance gets worse, and it creates a vicious cycle. They become more afraid of falling, so they become less physically active,” Morse said.

According to the Partnership for Healthy Aging, falling is a major cause of injury and death for older adults, and one-third to one-half of older adults acknowledge that they are afraid of falls.

But falling can be prevented if seniors engage in physical activity and also learn important safety tips as well as assertiveness skills, said Libby Graffam, assistant director of Healthy Oxford Hills and a master trainer of the class. Master trainers teach the class curriculum to volunteer “coaches,” who in turn lead the exercises.

Wednesday’s session focused on being assertive, particularly with family members and doctors. Many seniors who live on their own may be reluctant to tell their loved ones or doctors that they fell or almost fell because they fear being placed in a nursing home and losing their independence.

“It’s important to tell a family member and doctor so they can do an evaluation,” Graffam told the group of seniors. “It could be something simple, like your shoes. Maybe those aren’t the right sneakers you should be wearing.

“If your family knows, hey, mom is going to speak up if things aren’t right, they will trust you more,” she said. Seniors were also urged to discuss any medications with their doctors to ensure that their medications didn’t cause a fall.

Graffam and Wahneta Ellsworth, another master trainer, and Judy Pelletier, a coach, also gave the group some homework: a home safety checklist to complete. It included important tips such as making sure extension cords were not in areas where someone could trip on them, and checking for dangerous frays in carpeting and rugs. The class also stresses the importance of physical activity to help muscles stay limber.

Graffam said a physical therapist will speak to seniors during the final session of the year to address concerns they may have about potential hazards, including climbing stairs, stepping off curbs and picking items off the floor.

The class will be held again in the spring. Graffam said she hopes to set up transportation to the class for seniors who cannot or do not wish to drive. She is also seeking volunteers to serve as coaches.

“There are not a whole lot of programs for seniors,” she said. “There are not enough volunteers in this area to help with senior programs.”