Community-based Falls Prevention Program for the Elderly

Summary

Background: Falls are the leading cause of injury among older adults in Singapore, but falls among the elderly can be preventable and the risks are predictable. Translating this understanding of falls etiology into an integrated clinical and public health program that is accessible to the elderly is a critical health services delivery challenge.

Hypothesis: An evidence-based program of screening, risk modification and physical therapy delivered in a community setting will reduce recurrent falls incidence among a high-risk group of elderly recently discharged to the community.

Methodology: This randomized controlled trial targets patients seen at Emergency Department (ED) for a fall or fall-related injuries who are at least 65 years old and will be discharged to home. Upon signing the informed consent form, the participants will be followed up for nine months from the baseline assessment during which the participants are randomized into either a control or the intervention group. The participants in the intervention group will be provided with a multifactorial program of screening, risk modification and physical therapy focused on progressive strength, balance, and gait training either as an individualized program or a group setting in the community for the first three months from the date of randomization. The number of recurrent falls will be monitored via a falls prevention diary maintained by (or for) each participant.

Conditions

• Accidental Falls

Interventions

OTHER

physical therapy

Tailored physical therapy sessions to modify impairments in balance and/or gait and to transition high-risk participants to an evidence-based group exercise program.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ministry of Health, Singapore

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School

  collaborator OTHER

• Singapore General Hospital

  collaborator OTHER

• Changi General Hospital

  collaborator OTHER

• Health Promotion Board, Singapore

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• Agency for Integrated Care, Singapore

  collaborator OTHER

• Jurong Health Services

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• National University of Singapore

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• David B Matchar, MD · Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2012-12-31

Primary Completion

2015-04-30

Countries

• Singapore

Study Locations