Getting Started > Know your members

Know your members

People participate when programs address their interests and needs. Before you plan a program on falls prevention or active living, think about your members.

What are your members needs and interests? Can you answer the following questions about your members?

• What do your members know about falls prevention?
• Is falls prevention important for your members?
• Who is currently physically active? What encourages them to keep active?
• Is active living important for your members?
• Who gets very little physical activity? Why aren't they more active?
• Who might be a strong supporter for a falls prevention or active living program?

See Resources: Program Tool 2 - Your members

Are your members ready to make a change?
At some time, most of us have tried to make a change in our lifestyle. We may have been successful, or not. Change is not easy. Think about a time when you have tried to stop smoking, change your eating habits, or start exercising. Understanding how people make changes in their behaviour will help in planning successful falls prevention and active living programs.

Research has taught us that people make lifestyle changes in stages. They typically go through a series of steps or stages as they move from thinking about making a change towards adopting a new behaviour. For example, as someone progresses from being inactive to being active, they likely go through the following stages:

Stage 1: Not active and not thinking about it.
These people are not thinking of making any lifestyle changes. They see no benefit to being active and/or have no intention of becoming active anytime soon.

Stage 2: Not active, but thinking about it.
These people are thinking about the benefits of being active for them. Some may be only thinking about what they might do to be more active. Others may even be getting ready to try out different ways of being active.

Stage 3: Active.
Some people may have just begun to add physical activities to their daily routine. Others may be regular exercisers and have been physically active for some time (at least six months).

As you plan programs and activities, knowing what stage your members are at is VERY important. Different messages and approaches work best for people at specific stages. The following tools in Resources: Program Tools describe the stages people go through to make changes in their behaviour and the related goals, messages and strategies for leaders.

• Program Tool 3 - Falls prevention: Tips for supporting older adults at each stage of change
• Program Tool 4 - Active living: Tips for supporting older adults at each stage of change

What do your members need to make changes?

Research tells us that to support people through lifestyle changes we need to address each of the following:

Knowledge of risk factors:
People need to know what it means to be at risk and what may put them at risk. For example, to consider reducing falls hazards in their homes, your members need to know what might increase their risk of falling around their home. To consider becoming more active, they need to know the risks of being inactive.

Perception of personal vulnerability:
People need to believe that falls or health problems can happen to them. For example, older adults may believe that only frail seniors fall. Since they are not frail themselves, they incorrectly think that they are not at risk of falling and are not likely to make changes. Similarly, if someone does not see his own risk of health problems related to inactivity, it will be difficult to motivate him to be more active.

Knowledge that change is good:
People are more likely to make changes if they believe the change will lead to a positive outcome. For example, a person who believes that using a cane will keep him safer is more likely to use a cane than someone who doesn't believe a cane can prevent a fall. And, a person who believes that getting active will help her stay independent longer is more likely to listen when a speaker talks about walking as a good idea, and more likely to start walking.

Confidence in their ability to make the change:
When people believe they can do something, they are more likely to do it! For example, a person who believes that he really can walk for 30 minutes each day, or that his phone call to the municipality will get the sidewalk fixed, will more likely take these actions.