None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
StandingTall targets a major need for older people for whom falls are a real risk that can have debilitating impacts on quality of life. This project aims to evaluate the implementation of StandingTall in clinical practice and the community in multiple sites across Australia and Northern England. We will monitor exercise adherence, as well as acceptability and uptake of StandingTall in older people and health care workers. Our primary aim is to estimate mean adherence at each site with a confidence interval width of +/- 10 minutes. This project addresses the final steps needed to disseminate this innovative technology for widespread use by older people across Australia, UK and internationally.
Interventions
All intervention participants will receive the StandingTall exercise program for 6 months. StandingTall comprises standing balance (e.g. standing on the floor and/or foam surface), transferring (e.g. sit-stand transitions), walking (e.g. walking in circles or to targets in a grid), stepping (e.g. step and lift) and box (e.g. step up and over a box) exercises delivered using tablets/computers. Exercises are delivered through animated instructions on the screen. The StandingTall program is fully o
All intervention participants will receive the StandingTall exercise program for 6 months. StandingTall comprises standing balance (e.g. standing on the floor and/or foam surface), transferring (e.g. sit-stand transitions), walking (e.g. walking in circles or to targets in a grid), stepping (e.g. step and lift) and box (e.g. step up and over a box) exercises delivered using tablets/computers. Exercises are delivered through animated instructions on the screen. The StandingTall program is fully optimised to deliver unsupervised, individually-tailored and progressive balance exercises using mobile technology (computer/tablet and internet). Online StandingTall safety training is provided for participants, support persons and exercise specialists through the StandingTall website. The training module includes a quiz, an 80% pass mark is needed for participants and exercise specialists to receive access to the StandingTall program and control management system respectively. Participants are expected to have an installation session with an exercise specialist (e.g. physiotherapist, exercise physiologist, sports scientist, fitness leader with prior experience in delivering exercise to older people) before starting the program. The StandingTall program automatically progresses exercise dose, in the first 2 weeks the dose is 40 minutes per week, and increases by 20 minutes fortnightly, to finally reach a dose of 2 hr/wk from week 9 onwards. Exercise intensity is individually tailored using a modified perceived exertion 5-point Likert scale (1 = unstable and 5 = very stable). Exercise intensity rating ensures the exercises are of moderate to high challenge and increase in difficulty according to the user’s ability. Within the StandingTall program, participants rate exercise intensity after each exercise, which determines whether the exercise progresses, remains stable or regresses. Participants have full autonomy to choose the timing and duration of their sessions. Adherence data is automatically transferred to a secure server at Neuroscience Research Australia. Weekly exercise minutes (adherence) can be monitored in the control management system.
Sponsors
Neuroscience Research Australia
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Single group
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
60 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
The trial will involve consenting adults who are: • male or female; • 60+ years; • living in the community (as opposed to residential care); • have no major mobility limitation (ability to walk 10m indoors without the use of assistive device); • without major cognitive impairment (no diagnosis of dementia or cognitive impairment) • have sufficient English language skills to comprehend an internet-based intervention.
Exclusion criteria
The trial will exclude adults who are: • residents of residential aged care facilities; • have the following medical conditions: delirium, acute medical illnesses, severe psychiatric disorders, progressive neurological diseases; • unstable medical condition that precludes exercise participation • considered not suitable for study participation by their family doctor or health care worker; • have a major cognitive impairment (a diagnosis of dementia or cognitive impairment); • have mobility limitations (Unable to walk unaided around the home) • visual impairment that cannot be corrected with glasses
Outcome results
None listed