View clinical trials related to Fall.
Filter by:The aging population is at an exceptionally high risk of debilitating falls, contributing significantly to reduced independence and quality of life. It remains extremely challenging to screen for falls risk, and programs designed to mitigate falls risk have only modestly influenced the sizeable portion of the aging population experiencing one or more falls annually. Balance control in standing and walking depends on integrating reliable sensory feedback and on planning and executing appropriate motor responses. Walking balance control is especially dynamic, requiring active and coordinated adjustments in posture (i.e., trunk stabilization) and foot placement from step to step. Accordingly, using a custom, immersive virtual environment, the investigators have shown that sensory (i.e., optical flow) perturbations, especially when applied during walking, elicit strong and persistent motor responses to preserve balance. Exciting pilot data suggest that these motor responses are remarkably more prevalent in old age, presumably governed by an increased reliance on vision for balance control. Additional pilot data suggest that prolonged exposure to these perturbations may effectively condition successful balance control strategies. Founded on these recent discoveries, and leveraging the increase reliance on vision for balance control in old age, the investigators stand at the forefront of a potentially transformative new approach for more effectively identifying and mitigating age-related falls risk. The investigator's overarching hypothesis is that optical flow perturbations, particularly when applied during walking, can effectively identify balance deficits due to aging and falls history and can subsequently condition the neuromechanics of successful balance control via training.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of vestibular rehabilitation to improve the balance in older people and reduce the number of falls, comparing three arms with different vestibular rehabilitation strategies (dynamic posturography exercises, optokinetic stimuli and exercises at home) and a control group.
Falls and fractures are serious and costly events for elderly individuals: they cause functional impairments, increase mortality and contribute to huge healthcare costs for the society. The number of falls, and following consequences, are expected to increase in society as the proportion of the elderly population will increase, therefore it is crucial to be able to detect and prevent falls and fractures in the population. The investigators have previously published results that objective measurements of postural balance can predict fall risk in 70-year-olds in Umeå and subsequently investigated whether balance can be improved through 4-week balance exercise program. However, preliminary results suggest that the frequency and duration of exercise should be longer than 3 times a week for 4 weeks to produce effects. Furthermore, there is also evidence indicating a link between muscle weakness and fall risk in elderly subjects, while research findings show that it is possible for older individuals to influence muscle strength and muscle mass with resistance exercise. Functional strength training can also positively influence the balance. In this context, the investigators aim to investigate whether a 10-week resistance exercise program may positively affect balance, muscle strength, muscle mass and physical function, with the aim of preventing future falls and fractures in the population.
Today most fracture prevention measures targets the bone and osteoporosis. However, only about 20% of individuals with fractures have osteoporosis and at least 90% of all fractures are caused by a fall. Therefore, the present project builds on previous findings from our group identifying postural sway as an important risk factor for falls and aims to intervene against this risk factor in a randomized controlled trial targeting subjects at the highest risk for falls.
Wandsworth Integrated Falls and Bone Health Service (IF & BHS) provides an evidence-based falls prevention exercise programme, but yearly about 500 of 1800 patients decline participation or do not continue to exercise. Our study seeks to address this efficiency gap by developing a gardening programme as an alternative to traditional exercise. In a preparation period (4/17-5/17) we will explore the special needs of the target population through interviews and create an age appropriate gardening site at "Growhampton", a gardening project run by the University of Roehampton; from 5/17 to 9/17 a falls prevention gardening group will be implemented and evaluated.
The head of nursing at University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) plans to roll out an intervention across groups of hospital wards over the next four months. The intervention is designed to reduce falls as part of quality improvement for the hospital. However, the head of nursing has asked the University of Warwick to help with the scientific evaluation of the intervention - to find out whether and to what extent falls on the wards are reduced by the intervention. The University of Warwick will have two functions: 1. To analyse data on falls to see if there has been a statistically significant drop in fall rates before and after the intervention has been implemented across these groups of wards 2. To determine a random order in which the groups of wards receive the intervention as this will make it easier to distinguish cause and effect.
GAPcare (Geriatric Acute & Post-acute Care Coordination Program for Fall Prevention) is an early stage investigation that surveys older adults who present to the Emergency Department for any illness to determine the feasibility of an Emergency Department (ED)-based multidisciplinary intervention for preventing recurrent falls in older adults. In this observational study, older adults will be approached during routine clinical care in the ED and asked about prior falls, prior experiences having falls treated in the inpatient and outpatient setting, and the investigators will solicit feedback on potential improvement to care in the ED setting for falls.
Hypothesis: 'Transport PLUS,' a low cost, easily generalizable intervention performed by Emergency Medical Technicians while transporting a patient home from the hospital, can improve transitions of care and improve patient safety following hospitalization as measured by decreased rates of falls and reduced rates of return to the hospital.
The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of vestibular rehabilitation developed using computerized dynamic posturography or a mobile posturographic system with vibrotactile stimulation, to improve the balance in older people and reduce the number of falls.
This study serves to test a previously evaluated falls prevention intervention recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, entitled the Study of Accidental Falls in the Elderly (SAFE) Health Behavior and Exercise Intervention, to evaluate if the intervention is accessible to older adults with low vision receiving services from the Southeastern Blind Rehabilitation Center (SBRC). This study also serves to pilot a version of the SAFE intervention that has been adapted to be accessible for individuals with low vision at SBRC.