Falls Prevention in Older Home Care Recipients

Oslo Metropolitan University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Accidental Falls

Treatments: Other: Exercise and education

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02374307

2014/2051 (Other Identifier)

130140

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of a falls-prevention exercise programme on health-related quality of life, fear of falling, falls and physical function in older people receiving home care. Participants in the intervention group perform the Otago exercise programme. Participants in the control group continue their usual activities.

Full description

Falls and falls-related injuries are considered a serious public health issue in the older population. Strength and balance exercise in combination with information about falls prevention seems to be effective in reducing falls, but less is known about the effect of this kind of intervention on quality of life. This randomized controlled trial investigates the effect of a falls prevention program on health-related quality of life, fear of falling, falls and physical function in community-dwelling older people who receive home care.

Enrollment: 155 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 67+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• has fallen at least one time in the last 12 months
• receives home-help services
• able to walk independently indoors with or without walking aid

Exclusion criteria

• medical contraindication to exercise
• life expectancy <1 year
• scores under 23 points on Mini Mental Scale Examination
• participating in another falls prevention programme during the 12 weeks of the programme, for example a falls prevention group

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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155 participants in 2 patient groups

Exercise and education

Experimental group

Description:

This group performs a 12-week individual tailored home exercise programme in accordance with the manual of Otago exercise programme. Physiotherapists visit the participants 5 times during the 12 weeks (at week 1,2,4,8 and 10) to prescribe and progress exercises. Motivational conversations on telephone are performed the weeks when no visits are scheduled. Additionally, the participants receive information on the first visit which will focus on motivation, importance of adherence and effectiveness of falls prevention. The participants are expected to do exercises on their own, and in that way perform exercises 3 times weekly. If safe, the participant are provided with a walking plan and be encouraged to walk twice weekly.

Treatment:

Other: Exercise and education

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

The control group performs activities as usual.