October 9, 2017

Ventura, Calif. – The Ventura County Area Agency on Aging’s (VCAAA) Fall Prevention Program was recently awarded $50,000 from the Camarillo-based Gold Coast Health Plan. The funds will be used to continue efforts to address the crisis of fall incidents throughout Ventura County.

The VCAAA’s Fall Prevention Program offers a variety of programs backed by evidence-based material to residents of Ventura County who are 60 or older in an effort to arm adults and caregivers with the tools necessary to prevent falls and increase mobility. A wide variety of classes, including A Matter of Balance, Walk with Ease, Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance, and Stepping On, are offered year round at locations throughout Ventura County. In addition to classes, the VCAAA provides case management to individuals who have reported falls in an effort to address immediate concerns.

Nationally recognized research shows that one in four adults over the age of 65, and half of the population over the age of 75, fall each year. Of those individuals, half will die within a year from complications and injuries sustained from the fall.

The VCAAA, in partnership with several local private and public organizations that make up the Ventura County Elderly Fall Prevention Coalition, is committed to decreasing the number of fall incidents through prevention programs, which will ultimately result in lower healthcare costs.

“Gold Coast Health Plan is helping to ensure that we can provide the best possible services to residents of Ventura County,” said Victoria Jump, Director of the VCAAA. “Whether through volunteer work or funding, the community is a vital resource in keeping our programs viable. We are grateful for Gold Coast’s continued support.”

For more information, please visit www.vcaaa.org.

Media inquiries may be directed to Jannette Jauregui at jannette.jauregui@ventura.org or (805) 477-7306.

The Ventura County Area Agency on Aging, an agency of the County of Ventura, is the principal agency in Ventura County charged with the responsibility to promote the development and implementation of a comprehensive coordinated system of care that enables older individuals and their caregivers to live in a community-based setting and to advocate for the needs of those 60 years of age and older in the county, providing leadership and promoting citizen involvement in the planning process as well as in the delivery of services.

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