Accidental Falls
Conditions
Brief summary
This study compares the effects of three home-based exercise programmes in at-risk to falling older adults living in their own home on the incidence of falls (number and severity), risk factors, and quality of life as well as on the adherence to exercise. The subjects will be randomized and allocated in three groups. The group A will receive the Test-and-Exercise home-based programme (T&E), the group B will receive the Otago home-based exercise programme and the group C (activ-control group) will receive the Helsana booklet
Detailed description
Home-based exercise programmes appear to reduce rate of falls, number of fallers, risk of falling and risk of death and to improve balance, leg strength, function, physical activity and balance confidence in older adults living in the community. The Test-and-Exercise home-based programme (T&E) contains 50 tests and 50 exercises to improve balance, strength and ability in older adults. It is especially built for older adults and is based on the concept of self-efficacy and empowerment. The originality of this programme is the evaluation of the difficulty perceived of the balance-exercises. It is delivered on a booklet which investigators had good experience with in our pilot study, with pictures and descriptions of each test and each exercise. Investigators also developed a mobile application. This application will be transmitted on a tablet-computer. In addition, the participants will receive cards with pictures of the exercises, to put into a plastic sheet to have an overview of their own exercise programme. This programme will be implemented from especially trained physiotherapists. The Otago home-based exercise programme was developed in New-Zeeland in the 2000's to prevent falls in older adults. It proposes 22 exercises and walk training. The physiotherapists give an exercise prescription at each home visit. It shows good results for decrease falls in older adults, but the exercise adherence decrease also with the time. The Otago home-based exercise programme was developed in New-Zeeland in the 2000's to prevent falls in older adults. It proposes 22 exercises and walk training. The physiotherapists give an exercise prescription at each home visit. It shows good results for decrease falls in older adults, but the exercise adherence decrease also with the time.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALHelsana booklet
Helsana programme consists of a booklet with recommendations and 10 exercises performed 3x a week over 12 months.
BEHAVIORALT&E Home-based exercise programme
T&E exercises programme consists of home-based individually tailored balance and functional strength tests and exercises performed 3x a week over 12 months, accompanied by eight in-home visits of physiotherapists during the first six months.
BEHAVIORALOtago
Otago exercises programme consists of home-based individually tailored balance, strength and walking exercises performed 3x a week over 12 months, accompanied by eight in-home visits of physiotherapists during the first six months.
Sponsors
Fondation Leenaards, Switzerland
HES-SO Valais-Wallis
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
65 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* 65 years old and older, * Living in their own home, * Having a history of fall in the previous 12 months or perceiving fear of falling (≥ 20 points on FES-I, * Being able to walk without auxiliary tools in their home. * Signed Informed Consent
Exclusion criteria
* Having severe vision impairment that do not permit the reading of the exercise-programme booklet and that do not permit the completing of the monthly diaries, * Receiving physiotherapeutic treatment with balance learning, * Having cognitive impairment (\<25 points on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) of Folstein
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| number of falls | one year |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Fear of falling | one year | FES-I |
| Severity of falls | one year | Scale of Schwenk 2012 |
| Risk of fall | one year | Algorithm STEADI |
| Quality of life | one year | OPQOL-35 |
| Exercise adherence | one year | Monthly calender |
Countries
Switzerland
Contacts
Primary ContactAnne-Gabrielle Mittaz Hager, MS
Backup ContactRoger Hilfiker, MS
Outcome results
None listed