Falls prevention trials

Thirty percent of people aged 65 years and over fall at least once a year. Falls prevention trials are designed to study those at greatest risk by assessing factors leading to falls and suggesting prevention methods.

CERA staff are involved in several studies and randomized trials of innovative interventions designed to prevent falls.

The Central Sydney Tai Chi Trial

Convincing evidence that exercise can prevent falls does exist, but the best type of exercise remains uncertain. Tai Chi, intensive strength and endurance training, and home-based exercises prescribed by a physiotherapist seem promising. To determine the the effectiveness of a tai chi based program in reducing falls and improving balance in people aged 60 and older, a 16-week community-based was conducted in Central Sydney Area Health Service Area.

Results indicate that the program reduces the risk of falling by 35 per cent and also also improved aspects of balance, although the exact relationship between balance and falls is not clear. Participants who continued with classes beyond the trial period did so because they enjoyed the classes or because they felt they were getting something out of doing tai chi.

Full report:
The Central Sydney Tai Chi Trial - A randomised controlled trial of the effectiveness of tai chi in reducing the risk of falls in older people. Produced by: Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Advancement, Population Health Division, NSW Department of Health.
To view the pdf file of this paper, link here

Preventing falls and injury in hospitals

Falls in acute hospitals increase morbidity, prolong hospital stays, and strain the resources of the health care system, family and community. In Australian hospitals, 38% of all reported patient incidents involve a fall . In the geriatric ward of an acute hospital, a 27% falls rate has been reported and in general hospitals reported rates were 1.6% and 1.7%. The general outcome was the identification of effective strategies for preventing falls in acute hospitals. Details of this study and other research work conducted under the Prevention of Older People's Injuries (POPI) program at the Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute can be found on their web site, link here

Publications

• Interventions for preventing falls in elderly people. Gillespie LD, Gillespie WJ, Robertson MC, Lamb SE, Cumming RG, Rowe BH. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2003;(4):CD000340.
  To view the abstract for this paper, link here


• Intervention strategies and risk-factor modification for falls prevention. A review of recent intervention studies. Cumming RG. Clin Geriatr Med. 2002 May;18(2):175-89.
  To view the abstract for this paper, link here


• A randomized, controlled trial of tai chi for the prevention of falls: the Central Sydney tai chi trial. Voukelatos A, Cumming RG, Lord SR, Rissel C. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2007 Aug;55(8):1185-91.
  To view the abstract for this paper, link here


• The effectiveness of a community-based program for reducing the incidence of falls in the elderly: a randomized trial. Clemson L, Cumming RG, Kendig H, Swann M, Heard R, Taylor K. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2004 Sep;52(9):1487-94.
  To view the abstract for this paper, link here