The Effects of Footwear on Balance and Confidence in Older Inpatients

NHS Trust

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Postural Balance; Accidental Falls

Treatments: Other: Pillow Paw Slippers; Other: Outdoor Shoes

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01132963

GN09GE487

Details and patient eligibility

About

The study aims to assess whether type of footwear worn changes the balance, mobility and confidence of older inpatients and consequently may affect their falls risk whilst in hospital. The investigators hope to identify which footwear type is most beneficial to patients in the ward environment.

Full description

Footwear is known to be one of many recognised significant risk factors for falls, presumably by affecting balance and gait pattern. However, little is known regarding the best footwear for hospital inpatients in whom approximately 40% of older persons fall during their hospital admission. Patients admitted to hospital without their own footwear (slippers or shoes) are routinely given foam slippers referred to as pillow paws (PPs). There are concerns that these PPs may contribute to falls as they are often ill fitting (come in a very limited size range) and or are flimsy offering little foot and ankle support. Hence Medicine for the Elderly consultant and registrars designed this study to gain information on differences in balance, mobility and confidence when patients are wearing different footwear types. As a secondary outcome, falls data will also be collected to see whether there is any association between footwear types and inpatient falls incidence.

The aim is to compare pillow paws (PPs) with sturdy outdoor footwear or sturdy slippers. In this way we hope to gain information on which footwear type is most beneficial to hospital inpatients. A recent similar study infers that sturdy outdoor footwear benefits outpatients, but it is not clear whether the same applies to a hospital inpatient population whom are often frailer with greater co-morbidities (physical and mental) and a higher falls risk.

Enrollment: 200 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Appropriate footwear
• Over 65 years
• Able to stand independently
• Inpatient in an acute geriatric assessment or rehabilitation ward

Exclusion criteria

• Unable to stand independently
• Acutely unwell
• Terminally unwell
• Registered partially sighted or blind
• Using lower limb orthotic device

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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200 participants in 2 patient groups

Outdoor Shoes

Experimental group

Description:

Patient will be asked to do balance tests while wearing outdoor shoes.

Treatment:

Other: Outdoor Shoes

Pillow Paws Slippers

Active Comparator group

Description:

Patient will be asked to complete balance tests while wearing standard hospital issue 'Pillow Paw' slippers on their feet

Treatment:

Other: Pillow Paw Slippers