NCT01552551

Assessment and Referral Versus Exercise in Primary Prevention of Falls: PA Healthy Steps Program

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 189 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Pittsburgh · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 50 Years – 100 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Older adults at high risk of falls will complete the PA Healthy Steps program. This program will be implemented by research staff who will follow the training manual and implement the program as it was designed to assess the effectiveness of the program. Participants will then be randomly assigned to three arms: (i) Follow-up only; (ii) Falls case management, in which adherence to physician and home safety assessments will be facilitated; and (iii) Healthy Steps in Motion, a 4-week group exercise program designed to complement Healthy Steps. All participants will be followed monthly for 6 months through personal and automated telephone interview protocols to ascertain falls and injuries.

Detailed description

This falls prevention program is offered in 11 senior housing sites. Trained instructors from the research team provide the Healthy Steps in Motion exercise classes. Participants provide a signed form indicating physician clearance for participation. Falls case management involves monthly calls to speak with participants about home safety checks, perceived risk for falls, and physician contact or other visits to health care professionals to reduce falls risk. This study is a pilot. The research team is interested in participation and adherence, as well as the primary outcome of falls incidence.

Conditions

• Lower Extremity Weakness Distal
• Distorted; Balance

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Assessment and education	PA Healthy Steps program
BEHAVIORAL	Healthy Steps with Falls Case Management	Counseling to ensure that participants receive a physician assessment and home safety check
BEHAVIORAL	Healthy Steps in Motion	Group exercise program

Timeline

• Start date: 2012-05-01
• Primary completion: 2013-01-01
• Completion: 2013-06-01
• First posted: 2012-03-13
• Last updated: 2015-12-30

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States