Self-management for Mobility Improvement in the Elderly
Conditions
Keywords
Gait speed, Mobility, Falls, Fall risk, Self-management, Mental wellbeing, Elderly
Brief summary
The Senior Step Study investigates whether feedback given by a mobility feedback device in combination with an instruction book containing every day exercises, motivates elderly to exercise more. By exercising more participants take charge of their own mobility and fall risk. Senior Step Study studies whether this 'exercising more' positively affects their mobility, fall risk, mental wellbeing, self-management, and quality of life.
Detailed description
Falling is an important problem among community-dwelling elderly. The number of falls and concomitant health costs will rise within an aging population. Fall related injuries and fear of falling decrease mobility and have a negative impact on social functioning, mood, wellbeing and autonomy. Research from a medical perspective has concentrated on case finding and fall prevention. Currently, insufficient possibilities are available for elderly and caregiver to asses and improve their own mobility and fall risk. The Senior Step Study aims to provide a tool for elderly to improve their self-management abilities in monitoring and improving mobility and fall risk. The researchers expect that elderly in the intervention group will be more aware of their own mobility and fall risk, and will therefore experience more autonomy, better mental wellbeing, and better quality of life. We expect this to reflect in less demands made on healthcare by the elderly. 150 elderly living at home, in a home for the elderly, and elderly who regularly attend activities in a community home, are asked to participate in the study. During the six months of the study, subjects will receive weekly telephone calls from the computerized falls telephone. The intervention group will measure their normal gait speed measured over 4 meters, using the mobility feedback device once a week, and use the feedback given by this mobility feedback device to perform exercises from the instruction book. Activity diaries allow them to register the type and duration of the exercises.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALMobility feedback device with use of instruction book
Weekly use of the mobility feedback device to measure gait speed. Two infrared sensors will be placed in the line of walking, a photo frame containing a display, symbols and lights will tell the participant when and how to perform the test. Gait speed is shown on the display and will serve as feedback to the participant. Participant can use their gait speed to decide which exercises from the instruction book he performs. Participants will be asked to keep an activity diary.
Sponsors
ZonMw: The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development
Radboud University Medical Center
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE (Investigator)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
70 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Subjects of 70 years and over * Subjects who experienced at least 1 fall in the previous 12 months * Subjects who can walk independently or with a walking aid * Informed consent on the basis of Dutch legislation (WMO) * During the study subjects cannot participate in a falls prevention course
Exclusion criteria
* Subjects not able to speak Dutch * Subjects not able to understand and remember simple Dutch instructions * Subjects not capable of using the falls telephone, and do not have an informal caregiver who can answer the falls telephone for them
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mental wellbeing | Baseline to 3 months | Medical Outcomes Study (MOS-20) |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of falls | Baseline to 6 months | Computerized falls telephone system |
| Self-management | Baseline to 3 months, baseline to 6 months | Self-Management Ability Scale (SMAS-30) |
| Physical activity | Baseline to 3 months, baseline to 6 months | LASA Physical Activity Questionnaire (LAPAQ) |
| Balance and mobility | Baseline to 3 months, baseline to 6 months | Short Physical Perfomance Battery, Timed Up and Go |
| Mental Wellbeing | Baseline to 6 months | Medical Outcomes Study (MOS-20) |
| Fear of falling | Baseline to 3 months, baseline to 6 months | Falls Efficacy Scale (FES-I) |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Compliance and motivation using the intervention | Baseline to 6 months | Qualitative research using semi-structured interviews |
Countries
Netherlands
Outcome results
None listed