View clinical trials related to Falls.
Filter by:The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of a multifactorial falls prevention program in an acute internal medicine ward.
For patients recovering from acute illness, the ability to stand, walk, climb stairs, and participate in therapy are critical to their recovery and eventual discharge to the least restrictive environment. Orthostatic hypotension is a common finding in medically ill adult and elderly patients and is a potentially reversible contributor to functional impairment. This 4-year project will be a randomized controlled trial of a multidisciplinary-multicomponent intervention to determine whether routine identification and treatment of OH improves functional outcomes such as: balance, fall rates, therapy participation, length of stay, transfer to acute care hospital, and discharge location. Routine screening and management of OH may improve outcomes for rehabilitation and long term care patients, as well other high-risk patient populations.
This study will be a randomized controlled trial to determine the efficacy of the Otago Exercise Program (OEP) on falls among seniors with a history of falls.
At the Falls Prevention Clinic, each subject receives a comprehensive assessment of his or her individual risk factors for falling in addition to a comprehensive medical examination. Recommendations and appropriate followup tests and referrals are ordered for patients on an individual basis. Essential for medical advancement is the inquiry into information collected from medical records of older adults at high risk of falls and fracture. On such example is a retrospective chart review we conducted among patients who sustained a hip fracture [14]. The database we propose will provide novel insight into the identification of individuals at high risk for falls, key predictors of falls and associated mortality, morbidity, health related quality of life and healthcare resource utilization. In summary, our database will enable us to assess and improve quality of care, service delivery, patient outcomes, patient reported outcomes and track economic burden.
Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) are assessments of health status or health-related quality of life. The EuroQol-5D (EQ5D) is an example of a generic instrument to assess health-related quality of life. The investigators will use the EQ5D in the Falls Prevention Clinic as part of routine clinical assessment at baseline, 6 months and 12 months to track patient care in a cohort of 300 older adults who are at high-risk of falls.
Alzheimer's Dementia (AD) contributes to poor balance, impaired gait and functional status, thereby, increasing the risk of falls. AD is an independent risk factor for hip fractures. Those with balance problems and gait impairments are at higher risk for long term placement and death related to falls. Exercise interventions improve gait and balance in the elderly. In participants with existing AD, physical activity has shown to prevent further cognitive decline and improve quality of life and prevent falls. However, it is difficult to engage patients with AD in long term exercise programs. The expense of physical therapy limits its easy accessibility. Use of everyday technology might bridge this gap by providing high level of engagement via the use of multimedia while providing a cost-effective alternative. Wii Fit is one such multimedia platform. Wii fit is a Nintendo gaming console used for aerobics, strength training and balance activities. This device includes a balance board that senses weight and shifts in movement and balance. Virtual trainers talk the user through the activity while tracking the user's progress. The investigators propose an 8-week prospective randomized study with the treatment group receiving the exercise program delivered by Wii-Fit system and the comparison arm receiving a walking exercise program in a community dwelling setting. Subjects in each arm will participate for 30 minutes daily five days a week.
Falls in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) are common and lead to fractures, acute hospitalizations and increased rate of institutionalization. Poor balance and gait abnormalities, commonly associated with AD, are risk factors. Improving balance and gait abnormalities is critical in preventing these falls. Walking is the most commonly recommended home-based exercise program for elderly by primary care providers. However, it is difficult to engage patients with AD in long term exercise programs. Barriers include lack of motivation, poor engagement, and external factors such as the cost of physical therapy (PT). The use of readily available technology might bridge this gap by providing high level of engagement via use of multimedia at an affordable price. Wii-Fit is a Nintendo gaming console used for aerobics, strength training, and balance activities. It is a TV based self-directed activity where virtual trainers talk the user through the activity while tracking progress. Some skilled nursing facilities have started using the Wii-Fit as an adjunct to PT and note improvement in balance along with social benefits, but no systematic studies are done to generalize the findings. This study will compare changes in balance and daily living activities between a group receiving Wii-Fit training and another receiving a walking exercise program.
The purpose of the study is to investigate the effect of vitamin D on muscle tissue and physical performance.
The aim of this study is to develop an algorithm to automatically detect falls and near falls, in the elderly and in Parkinson's Disease patients. Subjects will arrive at the investigators' gait laboratory for assessment. A sub-group of the subjects, will receive a monitoring device, to be worn at home for three days.
Compared with cognitively normal older adults, those with mild cognitive problems (MCI) have a two-fold higher rate of falls, sustain more fractures, and have a higher rate of mortality due to falls. Why older adults with cognitive problems fall more frequently is not completely understood. What is known, however, is that attention is a necessary cognitive resource for normal walking and impairments in attention are associated with increased risk of falls in older adults. It has been suggested that cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEI), medications used for treatment of dementia, may improve motor function and walking (gait performance). Since ChEI are known to improve attention, we hypothesized that ChEI will reduce falls risk in people with MCI by improving their gait velocity, improving their balance, and reducing their gait variability; a well-established risk factor for falls. In the proposed study, we will evaluate the effect of donepezil (ChEI) on gait velocity, gait variability, and the balance on 140 elderly individuals with MCI (70 intervention and 70 controls). Gait variables will be measured using an electronic walkway, and balance confidence using a validated scale (Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale; ABC) over four months. By characterizing and understanding the effects of cognitive enhancers on fall risk in older adults with cognitive impairments, we will be able to pave the way for a new approach to fall prevention in this population. We would establish that medications that augment cognitive function could be a complementary therapeutic option for reducing fall risk in people with MCI. This may lead to new approaches to prevent and treat fall risk in this population, which will lead to improve the autonomy and quality of life of seniors in early stage of dementia, and a decreased burden for the Ontario health care system.