Villages of Santa Fe Expands Fall Prevention Across Northern New Mexico

In the corners of Northern New Mexico—where neighbors are often miles apart—Villages is making strides to ensure that aging doesn’t mean isolation.

Thanks to generous support from the Santa Fe Community Foundation, Anchorum Health Foundation, CHRISTUS Health, and Santa Fe County Senior Services, Villages is launching over 250 new in-person exercise and fall prevention classes. These classes will reach deep into Santa Fe, San Miguel, Mora, and Rio Arriba counties—regions where geographic isolation, transportation barriers, and limited access to healthcare have long placed older adults at an elevated risk.

But this isn’t just about numbers. It’s about neighbors.

With a new collaboration with the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Villages is not only delivering programming but also listening—surveying rural communities to understand how fall risk is perceived and where disparities lie. Together, we’re shaping solutions that reflect local language, lived experience, and community values.

Key strategies for both the exercise classes and fall prevention workshops include:

·       Surveying rural fall-risk awareness through our partnership with UNM to uncover hidden disparities and shape targeted solutions.

·       Partnering with local clinics, public safety entities, senior centers, and community groups to build culturally responsive programs.

·       Co-creating class formats with rural participants to reflect lived experience, local language, and community values.

Recovering from a fall

“We’re not just teaching people how to prevent falls—we’re helping them reclaim confidence, connection, and control.”

Fall Prevention workshops are led by Ann Church, Master Trainer in Matter of Balance, alongside Katie Titus, PT, DPT, Clinical Supervisor at CHRISTUS St. Vincent. Their sessions go beyond the basics, offering practical, empowering strategies to stay strong, steady, and safe.

🌱 Rooted in Equity, Growing in Community

Villages’ rural expansion is more than a program—it meets people where they are, honoring their stories and co-creating wellness pathways that are as diverse and dynamic as the communities themselves.