Maravilla at The Domain Observes Fall Prevention Awareness Month
09-7-2021

In celebration of Fall Prevention Awareness Month, Maravilla at The Domain hosted an open house and tour of its onsite rehabilitative center. The event was held in conjunction with Orthopaedic & Neurological Rehabilitation (ONR). 

Guests enjoyed tours of the on-site rehabilitation center; heard remarks by Maravilla Executive Director Mark Ranno and ONR’s Director of Rehab, Blaine Booher; and observed demonstrations of Otago Exercise Program and ZIBRIO® Stability Scales, the latest methodologies in preemptive wellness and movement employed at Maravilla. 

Senior Resource Group collaborated with Austin-based ONR in 2019 to provide preemptive health, wellness and movement assessments and on-site rehabilitative services at Maravilla at The Domain. The ONR Center at Maravilla opened in February 2020 with 32 residents currently in the program. Participants routinely say they have experienced significant improvements in their balance, flexibility, strength and mental well-being. They also emphasize the convenience of having the ONR services offered on-site, so they can simply walk downstairs and receive treatment without leaving the community. The ONR staff can also deliver services in residents’ residences for those who are unable to come downstairs or are uncomfortable with coming into the therapy gym. 

The Maravilla/ONR rehabilitative program focuses on preemptive wellness and movement, emphasizing gait and balance screenings and mindful living, and using leading-edge technology to gather and analyze data to guide individualized programs. 

ONR Director of Rehab Blaine Booher spoke about the programs offered and demonstrated three of ONR’s methodologies in use at Maravilla:

−    The Otago Exercise Program (OEP) is a series of 17 strength and balance exercises, delivered by a physical therapist (PT), that seeks to reduce in-home falls by 35-40% for older adults. Developed in New Zealand, this evidence-based program uses PTs to assess, coach and progress patients over the course of six months to one year. Recent research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention shows statistically significant improvement in clinical scores after as little as eight weeks participating in the OEP. The Centers for Disease Control promotes the Otago program, as do the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Project and the Administration for Community Living, both programs of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

−    ZIBRIO® Stability Scales measure physical balance to help correctly identify people who are at risk for falling and enable them to take steps to prevent those falls from occurring. With its genesis in the U.S. space program, ZIBRIO uses machine learning to establish patterns of stability and instability via a one-minute standing test taken with eyes open.

−    Balance/gait Analysis is an integral component of the ONR therapy examination and includes gait velocity, as well as a visual analysis to identify deficits in step length, foot clearance, weakness and other factors.

Generally, the ONR program focuses on three distinct areas – education, fitness and wellness and rehabilitation.

−    The educational component addresses health issues many seniors face and includes health innovation lectures, wellness and assessment clinics, and community presentations. 

−    The Otago program and balance training are incorporated into the fitness and wellness agenda, which aims to improve lower extremity strength and balance for enhanced independence and quality of life, emphasizing prevention. Activities may include working with a personal trainer, as well as exercise programs such as yoga, massage therapy, or tai chi. On average, about 15 Maravilla residents participate in the wellness program and have given very positive feedback. 

−    Rehabilitation is a comprehensive, resident-centered program including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and other individualized offerings. 

ONR bills Medicare for its services, but self-pay is an option for those whose insurance plan does not cover the services or whose allowance for visits has been exhausted. Eventually, ONR will offer its full range of services to patients who are not Maravilla residents, but it has postponed those plans in light of the pandemic. When outpatient services are finally offered, ONR’s extra-large gym and separate entrance will ensure Maravilla residents are fully accommodated without being disturbed by additional traffic.

To learn more about Maravilla at The Domain, visit www.MaravillaAustin.com or the Maravilla at The Domain information office located onsite. Interested parties can reach the sales team by calling (512) 598-4100 or via email at MaravillaAustinMarketing@srg-llc.com.