To Prevent Seniors From Falling HoliVision Launches iStand Falls Prevention Exercise to Help Reverse Epidemic of Deadly Falls

Updated on October 10, 2022

HoliVision has launched the iStand Falls Prevention® Exercise Program, the first mobile application for a simple exercise routine to help millions of seniors who are at risk for, and who experience life-threatening falls every year.

The iStand mobile app program utilizes a technology that can easily reach seniors who own a computer or tablet, and incorporates two of the most highly-recommended exercise programs in the world, Tai Chi and the Otago Exercise Program (OEP). OEP was designed by specialists at Otago University in New Zealand. The innovative iStand program is also available on DVD.

iStand teaches simple activities and movements modeled on Tai Chai and OEP that seniors can perform to improve balance, strength, and awareness – in an effort to minimize their risk of falls. iStand is designed so that physical therapists can guide participants through the program in both individual and group settings, and includes exercise routines that seniors can do at home. Even seniors who are frail will benefit from the stretching and movements as long as they have a caretaker with them.

The creator of iStand says the idea for a falls prevention mobile application was born out of her frustration with the significant and growing problem of falls among seniors.

“There is no nationwide falls prevention program right now,” says Mazy Holiday, founder and COO of HoliVision. “The number of seniors who are severely injured and the number who die each year due to falls is truly alarming. How can this widespread problem not be a priority?”

One out of three seniors over age 65 falls each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), with falls being the number one cause of death from injury among this age group. The death rate from falls among seniors has risen sharply over the past decade and is expected to grow as the population ages. There is a need for what iStand provides says Holiday, because physical therapists cannot help the overwhelming number of seniors who could benefit from a regular, simple and safe exercise routine.

iStand also has an online TeleHealth community called HIP (Help, Interact, Prevent) a feature which allows seniors to engage with each other and with their physical therapists. By logging on to http://www.istandfit.com seniors can report falls to their physical therapist online and discuss their exercise routines and other healthy activities with each other.

“The iStand program incorporates highly effective, simple and safe exercises for maintaining strength and balance among the senior population,” adds Holiday. “The only way to successfully reduce the incidence of falls among seniors is to make these exercises easily available to them wherever they are and help get them started so that they get into the routine of performing these activities daily or at least several times a week. iStand now makes this possible.”

The iStand Falls Prevention Exercise Program app is currently available for iPad and can be downloaded from iTunes. The iStand DVD is currently available on Amazon.com. Holiday says future plans include making iStand available across multiple platforms, and on a global basis.

In addition to iStand, Holiday developed the cushioning technology and holds the patents for The SupportSafe Walking Cane® and The SupportSafe Walker®. To learn more about these products, visit http://www.holivision.com

About HoliVision:
HoliVision specializes in falls prevention exercise and education for seniors, and the latest technology and designs in walking aids for rehabilitation and mobility.

Since 2009, the HoliVision team has been busy designing a line of modernized walking aids in an effort to bring canes and walkers out of the Stone Age, and into the modern era of design and technology. Creating more stable and easy-to-use walking aids brought the issue of falls among seniors to the forefront for Ms. Holiday. She recognized that falls prevention for seniors was a critical necessity, and began developing a mobile application that incorporated programs with the highest demonstrated return rate on reducing falls.

Because of the lack of nationwide and organized dissemination of falls prevention programs for seniors, digital technology has become the clear and obvious solution for a segment of the population that has limited income, and often doesn’t or cannot leave the house regularly.
An estimated 33 million seniors own a computer, 15 million own a tablet, and most have DVD players with their television. The iStand mobile app is one component of a larger nationwide program that includes physical therapy to be launched later this year. With iStand, a greater number of seniors will now have immediate access to these programs that weren’t so easily available before. HoliVision’s iStand Falls Prevention Exercise Program is available in both a mobile app for iPad, and a DVD. http://www.holivision.com

+ posts

Senior Outlook Today is your go-to source for information, inspiration, and connection as you navigate the later years of life. Our team of experts and writers is dedicated to providing relevant and engaging content for seniors, covering topics such as health and wellness, finances, technology and travel.