Marilyn Dunnill is performing a balancing act on a padded beam, a resistance band attached to her ankles, stretching as she switches her balance from one foot to another.
“Now make sure you’re standing nice and tall,” coaches therapist Amber McGill. “Try not to lean a lot going forward...try to keep your posture nice and tall.”
And so Dunnill gradually makes her way down the length of the beam at Sentara’s physical therapy center in Williamsburg.
She is a participant in the SAFE program, which Sentara began offering in 2016 to prevent falls in the elderly population by improving balance and strengthening muscles to keep them safe.
Falls are a significant cause of traumatic injuries among the elderly, Sentara officials say. A study by the National Institutes of Health determined falls that result in hip fractures lead to death within a year for 21.2% of people.
“You get to be this age and the biggest fear is a fall,” said Dunnill, who is 79. “Because huge damage can happen.”