None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Each year, about 2 in 3 adults living in aged care centres falls at least once. These falls can have serious consequences such as injuries and mobility limitations or fear to fall again. Churches of Christ Queensland have designed an exercise program to prevent falls and improve balance among residents of aged care centres. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of this exercise program. The outcome of this study will help inform and facilitate ongoing improvements in falls prevention and management.
Interventions
This research will evaluate a group exercise program that aims to prevent falls and improve balance among residents of Churches of Christ run aged care facilities in Queensland.
Study design
The study is designed as a single-blinded 12-month cluster randomized controlled trial.
Centres and Participants
Churches of Christ (CofCQLD) operates 18 residential aged care facilities in Queensland. The 14 centres with more than 25 residents each will be involved in this study. The centres will be ma
This research will evaluate a group exercise program that aims to prevent falls and improve balance among residents of Churches of Christ run aged care facilities in Queensland. Study design The study is designed as a single-blinded 12-month cluster randomized controlled trial. Centres and Participants Churches of Christ (CofCQLD) operates 18 residential aged care facilities in Queensland. The 14 centres with more than 25 residents each will be involved in this study. The centres will be matched pair wise according to number of residents and low/high care ratio; from each pair, one centre will be allocated to the intervention group and one centre will be allocated to the control group using a blinded randomisation procedure. Randomisation will take place after completion of baseline testing. Sample size calculations showed that over 600 participants are needed to detect statistically significant differences in falls risk; the total number of residents in these 14 sites is 1103. Intervention group Participants will be invited to attend twice weekly, 30-45 min group exercise sessions within the premises of the residential aged care facility for a 12 month period. The sessions are led by lifestyle coordinators and supervised by a physiotherapist. The sessions involve a range of group-based exercises designed to incorporate all the major components that are found to support and manage fall risks among older people, including strength, balance, fitness/endurance, and gait. Further falls prevention strategies incorporated within the program include dual-tasking, enhancement of speed of reaction and the ability to take that step to regain balance, and bodily coordination. The program is designed to allow participants of all ability levels to participate and be challenged whilst encouraging and supporting each other. Examples of exercises include: - Range of motion and stretching in warm up and cool down - Variations in standing balance – chair support, side stepping, weight shift, arm movements - Sit to stands – slow and faster; skier’s exercise - In chair exercises at fast pace for upper and lower limbs to challenge cardiovascular fitness - Coordination – throwing and catching balls, eyes follow and finger-to-nose movements - Speed of reaction using coloured boards – pointing to correct colour on boards with foot as called by leader at speed
Sponsors
Dr Tina Skinner
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Prevention
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
65 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Participants are Churches of Christ Queensland residents from aged care centres aged 65 years and older.
Exclusion criteria
Residents will be excluded from participating in the trial if they: (i) are confined to their bed or are wheelchair dependent at all times, (ii) are unable to stand or remain standing unaided, or (iii) have any medical conditions (musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary or metabolic) that would prevent their safe participation in the exercises program. Residents will also be excluded if they have been receiving regular (1 or more times per week on average) physiotherapy or exercise therapy that involves balance and/or muscle strengthening exercises similar to those included in the intervention during the past 6 months or anytime during the intervention period.
Outcome results
None listed