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Lorena Smalley

ARE YOU PREPARED SERIES – Fall Prevention and Safety in the Home

This November, join us every Thursday afternoon for Are You Prepared?, a four-part series designed to help you stay informed and confident in life’s important matters.

  • Thursday, November 20, 2025
  • 1:45 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
  • Cafe, Westend Seniors Activity Centre
  • Cost: $3.00 – includes coffee & treats
  • Door prizes, loot bags, and all attendees will receive a variety of resources

HOW TO REGISTER

1:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.
Arrive & Get Settled

ARRIVE EARLY

Sign in and grab a loot bag before you meet the speakers, grab a beverage & snack, and get seated.

1:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.

Wael Soliman, Terra Losa Pharmacy

Medications and the Risk of Falling: Stay on Your Feet

Falls are a significant concern, particularly among older adults, as they can lead to serious injuries and complications. One critical factor contributing to fall risk is the use of medications. Certain drugs, particularly when used inappropriately or in combination, can increase the likelihood of falls. Understanding this connection is essential for preventing falls and ensuring your safety. We will explore how certain medications can contribute to fall risk, how to recognize these risks, and most importantly, what can be done to mitigate them.

Pharmacist Wael Soliman is a long-time Friends of WSAC partner.  Over the last few years, he has hosted Toonie Talks, flu shot clinics, sponsored our events and now is presenting as part of our Active Aging series.

2:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Naomi Fowler, Alberta Health Services

Keeping Your Balance

Come learn how your physical activity is connected to your risk of having a fall. Learn what exercises are recommended and programs that specifically work on preventing falls. In Take a closer look at the role of physical activity, and importantly – building strength and challenging balance- to help us stay upright and to enjoy our lives to the fullest.

Naomi Fowler (she/her) MSc (Occupational Therapy), BSc (Kinesiology) Naomi is currently employed as a Health Promotion Facilitator with Alberta Health Services on the Edmonton Zone Population Health Promotion team. Prior to this position, Naomi worked for over a decade in community settings as a home care Occupational Therapist in Ontario, Connecticut and Alberta. Naomi is passionate about working towards system level changes to promote the health and well-being of older adults in the Edmonton Zone by supporting projects on falls prevention and aging in place.

3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Tammy Whittaker, Ember Healthcare

 

Your Home, Your Sanctuary – Preventing Slips, Trips, and Falls in Your Home

In this presentation, we will walk through the best ways to prevent slips, trips, and falls inside of your home. Including what a case manager at AHS Home Care would assess for hazards, the most common reasons older adults fall, and helpful technology that can reduce your risk. We will provide helpful tips for securing government funding to make your home accessible and what to do if you fall in your home, or witness a fall.

Tammy Whittaker is a registered nurse with an MBA and co-owner of Ember Health.  Tammy has years of home care leadership experience. Innovation in healthcare has always been her focus. “I come from a family of nurses, but that couldn’t prepare us for the emotional toll it would take when my father needed palliative care at home. We were spending so much time wayfinding and advocating to find the right home care fit. I decided there had to be a better way to help families at home. That’s why I started Ember. To provide true wrap-around support, direction, and care to families in times of crisis. Someone to take the mental load away when you just don’t have the capacity.”

3:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Odette Bose, Health Canada

Radon – What you need to know

Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that occurs naturally in the environment from the breakdown of uranium in soils and rocks. Radon can seep into buildings, accumulate to relatively high levels, and become a health hazard. Exposure to radon increases the risk of developing lung cancer. The lung cancer risk depends on the concentration of radon, a person’s smoking habits, and the duration of radon exposure. Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Radon is easy to test and mitigate for. In this presentation you will learn about what radon is, the health risks it poses, how to test your how, and if necessary, how to reduce radon levels.

Odette Bose is the Risk Communication and Public Involvement Officer for Health Canada’s Chemicals Management Plan in Alberta and the North region, where she leads outreach on chemical health and safety. She brings over 20 years of experience with federal and provincial governments, specializing in human health risk assessment, contaminated sites, and stakeholder engagement. With a master’s in environmental engineering and ongoing studies in educational psychology, she is passionate about translating complex science into practical knowledge that supports healthier communities.

4:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Wrap Up / Q&A

Wrap Up and final opportunity to meet with guest speakers