Self-management for Mobility Improvement in the Elderly Clinical Trial
Official title:
The Senior Step Study: How Elderly Help Themselves Maximally Forward
The Senior Step Study investigates whether feedback given by a mobility feedback device in combination with an instruction book containing every day exercises, motivates elderly to exercise more. By exercising more participants take charge of their own mobility and fall risk. Senior Step Study studies whether this 'exercising more' positively affects their mobility, fall risk, mental wellbeing, self-management, and quality of life.
Falling is an important problem among community-dwelling elderly. The number of falls and
concomitant health costs will rise within an aging population. Fall related injuries and fear
of falling decrease mobility and have a negative impact on social functioning, mood,
wellbeing and autonomy. Research from a medical perspective has concentrated on case finding
and fall prevention. Currently, insufficient possibilities are available for elderly and
caregiver to asses and improve their own mobility and fall risk. The Senior Step Study aims
to provide a tool for elderly to improve their self-management abilities in monitoring and
improving mobility and fall risk.
The researchers expect that elderly in the intervention group will be more aware of their own
mobility and fall risk, and will therefore experience more autonomy, better mental wellbeing,
and better quality of life. We expect this to reflect in less demands made on healthcare by
the elderly.
150 elderly living at home, in a home for the elderly, and elderly who regularly attend
activities in a community home, are asked to participate in the study. During the six months
of the study, subjects will receive weekly telephone calls from the computerized falls
telephone. The intervention group will measure their normal gait speed measured over 4
meters, using the mobility feedback device once a week, and use the feedback given by this
mobility feedback device to perform exercises from the instruction book. Activity diaries
allow them to register the type and duration of the exercises.
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