GREENVILLE — The first day of fall is Thursday, Sept. 22, and September is Fall Awareness Month. Join the Greenville Public Library on Sept. 22 for Small Steps for Fall Prevention at 10 a.m. in the third floor conference room for this free event. Registration is not required.

Falling is not a normal part of aging, but according to the National Council on Aging, every 11 seconds an older adult is seen in an emergency department for a fall-related injury. Fortunately, many falls are preventable.

Nikki Nealeigh, a Master Care Partner with Electronic Caregiver, will discuss the National Council on Aging’s “6 Steps to Prevent a Fall” and debunk “10 Myths of Older Adult Falls.” Those in attendance will leave with actionable steps and knowledge about free and low cost local resources to keep themselves and loved ones safer against falling.

As a Master Care Partner, Nikki protects lives with personal emergency response systems and smart equipment for in-home medical monitoring. She has worked at the leadership level with senior citizens, first at Village Green Health Campus and then as the executive director of Oakley Place, and sees massive unmet needs in our community to support people as we age.

“So many of us just want to live independently at home as long and as safely as possible. Sometimes it is a matter of affordability, but most often, it’s a matter of personal preference,” Nealeigh said. “It’s a matter of dignity and self-determination. They want to remain independent and I want to support them in accomplishing that goal.”

Nealeigh has a long history of helping people in Darke County. Some may know her from Downtown Greenville, Inc. (now Main Street Greenville), the YMCA or the KitchenAid Experience.

To learn more about Nealeigh or Electronic Caregiver, you can find her on Facebook or visit https://ecgcarepartner .com/nikkinealeigh/. For more about the National Council on Aging, visit https://www.ncoa.org/older-adults. More information on Falls Prevention Awareness can be found at: https:// www.ncoa.org/article/falls-prevention-awareness-week-toolkit.