Madrid Man Credits Learning to Parachute Jump for Saving His Life

CANTON – The arrival of spring means we’re all spending more time outside and in some instances that involves climbing on ladders, using dangerous tools or even possibly using dangerous tools while climbing on ladders.

It was while trimming a tree when Craig Ballard, of Madrid took a fall that could have cost him his life. He said a limb from the tree he was cutting fell and inadvertently kicked the ladder out from under him.

“I went down while holding the chainsaw,” he said. “I was fortunate enough that I had my wits about me and enough to do what I needed to do to still be here.”

He attributes knowing what to do in that situation to something he learned while sport parachute jumping. 

“I was able to position my body and fall in a way that helped minimize the damage," he said. “I really think that helped save my life.”

Even though he was able to ditch the chainsaw, Mr. Ballard did not escape uninjured. He broke both of his legs, as well as his left arm. The accident led to a lengthy hospital stay prior to another long stay at United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care, where he was admitted into the rehabilitation unit.

“They certainly know what they’re doing,” he said referring to the therapy staff at United Helpers in Canton. “They were able to take a pretty big problem and make it a little more manageable.”

Mr. Ballard, who spent almost 45 years as a member of the Madrid Volunteer Rescue Squad, and another 13 years as a volunteer firefighter in Madrid, said he is not used to being the one on the receiving end of assistance.

“I’m thankful for everyone who helped me out along the way. The first responders who came to the scene, the nurses and the doctors at the hospital, and the nurses and therapy staff here who have helped me get as close to where I would like to be as they could,” he said.

Mr. Ballard’s stay at United Helpers was 100 days, the most his insurance would cover. “While I do wish, I could have stayed a bit longer, I am certainly in a better spot now than I was when I got here.”

When Mr. Ballard arrived in Canton, he wasn’t going anywhere unless it was in his wheelchair. By the time he was discharged this past winter, Mr. Ballard was using a walker.

United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care in Canton offers both short-term rehabilitation stays and long-term skilled nursing care. To learn more, please visit www.unitedhelpers.org or call (315) 386-4541.

Craig Ballard, of Madrid credit his time at United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care in Canton for helping to get him back on track following a serious accident that occurred while he was trimming a tree. He is seen here working with Physical Therapist Assistant Chelsie Denner.

Clarkson Partners with United Helpers Independent Senior Living for Fall Prevention Program

CANTON – Occupational Therapy students from Clarkson University have teamed up with United Helpers Independent Senior Living to introduce a fall prevention program.

According to the National Safety Council, falls are the leading cause of injuries amongst people 65 and older, with one in four reporting at least one fall each year.

The program began with a fall prevention presentation a few weeks ago and concluded last week when students returned to the building to perform a series of balance assessments with members interested in participating in the program.

Seven first-year students participated with approximately 10 members from the building taking part.

“For our students this is almost like a final exam for them,” said Brittany DiSalvo, who is a professor in the Occupational Therapy Department. “We’re finishing up our year with some hands-on learning.”

One of those students was Lauren Engel, of Charlotte, NC. 

Occupational therapy student Jordyn Whitton works
with Professor Brittany DiSalvo and United Helpers
 Independent Senior Living member Jane Daby. 

“This is our first time getting to work with people from the community,” she said. “Earlier in the spring we did a fall prevention program and this is kind of piggybacking off of that. I feel like we’re teaching them something, but they’re also teaching us too.”

“We’re hoping to come back in the fall with a new group of students,” Mrs. DiSalvo said. “There’s so much we could do and we’d like to explore other areas of functional performance for this group while focusing on keeping them safe, strong, and independent. We are looking to enhance this partnership and become more of a familiar face in the facility.”

While Mrs. DiSalvo said she’s not sure what next year’s students will do with the members, she did say she’s looking forward to working with the people at United Helpers Independent Senior Living again.

“Projects like this are great,” she said. “Working with individuals in the community provide the students with hands-on experiences, things that a textbook just cannot teach.”

Linda Buchanan, a long-time ISL member said she very much enjoyed having the students come in. She attended both their verbal presentation, as well as the hands-on session, where she completed each of the balance assessments.

“I was very impressed with their presentation. The students all did a great job. As we get a little bit older this is very important information to have,” she said.

Some of the assessments included reaching forward, both while sitting and standing, standing up from a seated position, standing with their eyes closed, picking an object up off of the floor, and stepping onto and off of a stool.

“The assessments completed in this experience serve as an indicator for assessing fall risk among this population. Our students can use the results and the information gathered today to address the individual’s deficits while overall focusing on keeping everyone safe,” Mrs. DiSalvo said.