Tai Chi is receiving widespread attention as an evidence-based means of reducing falls among older adults, improving quality of life for seniors as well as reducing healthcare costs for organizations that care for them.
The Powell PACE Center in San Francisco has long held a Yang-style Tai Chi class with John Dong every Friday. John has been teaching at Powell for over 10 years and practicing Yang-style Tai Chi for over three decades; unfortunately, only our Friday participants could reap the benefits of his class. So when Self-Help for the Elderly offered a free training to become a certified Tai Chi instructor in exchange for teaching a six-week Tai Chi class focused on fall prevention, Powell Activity Therapist Eva Piontkowski enrolled in the program.
After Eva completed the training, Powell participants were offered the six-week class and 40 participants signed up for it. At the end of the program, many seniors took part in a final perfomance that also featured Jin Heng International Wushu Tai Chi Group, comprised of Powell Caregivers Lap-Chong Ian, Kam Chi Lam, and many others.
“Tai-Chi is a part of Chinese culture that can have a positive impact on health. When you do Tai Chi, at first you’re not sure how much you are getting out of it—then later you realize your positive impact on health. When you do Tai Chi, at first you’re not sure how much you are getting out of it—then later you realize your thinking, your health, everything has improved a lot," said Kam. "Tai Chi is such a beautiful mystery in this way.”
