NCT01705912

Fall Prevention Among Community Living Elderly

Fall Prevention by Assistant Nurses Among Community Living Elderly With Risk of Falling - a Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 148 (actual)
• Sponsor: Gunilla Fahlstrom · Other Government
• Sex: All
• Age: 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to assess effects of a home exercise program, supervised by assistant nurses with the aim of preventing falls. Community living persons 65 years of age or older having a risk of falling were invited to participate. Participants were randomized to either training or control. The training program was individually designed by a physiotherapist and the 5-month program performance was supervised in the partcipants home by eight home visits from an assistant nurse. All participants received a visit from an occupational therapist who assessed the home and, if necessary, gave advice.

Detailed description

Falls among elderly are a major public health problem, but preventive interventions containing physical exercise and home improvement are available. In this study the crucial question was to test whether unlicensed staff, assistant nurses, could be used for preventive work. Estimation of study power gave that 170 participants in each group would be needed to detect a difference in days with falls, the main outcome measure.

Conditions

• Accidental Falls/Prevention and Control

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Complete intervention	The basic intervention, an occupational therapist assessed the home environment and gave advice, if necessary. Then participants were assessed by a physiotherapist concerning health and function pre and post intervention. The intervention consisted of an individually designed home exercise program aiming at improving balance, muscle strength and walking ability. The program, which was made by the physiotherapist, should be performed three times a week. A minimum of 30 minutes of walking per week was recommended, encouring further walking on an individual basis. An assistant nurse made eight home visits to supervise, help and encourage performance of activities.
OTHER	Basic intervention	The basic interventions was an occupational therapist assessed the home environment and gave advice, if necessary. Then participants were assessed by a physiotherapist concerning health and function pre and post intervention.

Timeline

• Start date: 2007-01-01
• Primary completion: 2009-12-01
• Completion: 2009-12-01
• First posted: 2012-10-12
• Last updated: 2012-10-12

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Sweden