Salinas, Calif. – February 27, 2017 – Natividad Medical Center (NMC) today announced the launch of the second phase of Brain Smart, the hospital’s community education series on head trauma, focusing on fall prevention. Falls are the leading cause of injuries for Americans aged 65 and older.

Injuries from falling among seniors due to lack of knowledge and denial of aging reach 2.8 million annually. In response to this growing concern, NMC’s trauma prevention team will hold a series of educational classes designed to teach practical strategies to reduce falls. The program, called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns about Falls, will begin March 10 at NMC and continue every Friday afternoon from 2-4 p.m. through April 28, 2017. Older adults and anyone interested in improving balance, flexibility and strength are encouraged to attend this free 8-week series.

“The Trauma Center continues to track the injuries that affect our community the most, and falls is always at the top,” said Lorraine Artinger, RN, trauma prevention and outreach nurse at NMC. “Our team has been trained by the Partnership for Healthy Aging to teach the A Matter of Balance program to help older adults in our community manage lifestyle activities and concerns about falling.”

Throughout the program, participants will learn to set goals for increasing activity, make changes around the house to reduce fall risk, and understand what exercises increase muscle strength and balance.

As the only Level II Trauma Center in the county, Natividad Medical Center is well positioned to address the need for information concerning falls, which are the number one cause of traumatic brain injuries. It’s important to understand that health concerns, such as diabetes, arthritis and stroke, can all affect balance. Seniors should speak with their doctor about any recent falls, review their medication list, have vision and hearing checked regularly, and address any danger areas in and around the home.

Keep an eye out for fall prevention tips and ways to maintain an active lifestyle on KION News Channel 5, 46 and Telemundo this month. To learn more about Brain Smart, please visit: NatividadBrainSmart.com.

To learn more and register for the A Matter of Balance workshop series, please call Lorraine Artinger, RN, trauma prevention and outreach nurse, at 831-772-7357.

About Natividad Medical Center (NMC)
Owned and operated by Monterey County, NMC is a 172-bed, acute-care hospital providing health care services to county residents for more than 132 years. Based in Salinas, California, NMC offers inpatient, outpatient, emergency, diagnostic and specialty medical care. NMC provides more than 38,000 patient days of care each year and has more than 52,000 emergency department visits per year. NMC is a Level II Trauma Center providing the immediate availability of specialized personnel, equipment and services to treat the most severe and critical injuries. NMC’s Trauma Center is a vital community service locally that saves lives and eliminates the need to fly critically injured patients to a distant trauma center. NMC is ranked No. 1 in newborn deliveries in Monterey County and is the only teaching hospital on the Central Coast through its affiliation with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). With a medical staff of more than 350 physicians, NMC’s mission is to continually monitor and improve the health of the people, including the vulnerable, in Monterey County through coordinated, affordable high-quality health care. For more information, please call 831-755-4111 or visit www.natividad.com.