Haines TP, Russell T, Brauer SG, Erwin S, Lane P, Urry S, Jasiewicz J, Condie P
This study was a randomized controlled trial with blinded outcomes assessment and a six-month follow-up. Participants were older adults (>65 years) using a mobility aid discharged from a tertiary hospital in Brisbane, Australia, without referral for community-based rehabilitation services. A digital video disk-based programme encompassing six exercise types each with six levels of difficulty. A home visit from a project physiotherapist was conducted to ensure patient safety. Control group patients received usual care. Study participants experienced decreasing health-related quality of life, several falls and lower levels of participation in activities of daily living over the six-month follow-up. The intervention group did not differ significantly from the control group in terms of the outcomes examined, though a non-significant reduction in the rate of falls was observed. Intervention group participants complied with the exercise programme well during the first two weeks following discharge from hospital but then reduced their compliance levels thereafter.
A video-based exercise programme may be beneficial for reducing the rate of falls in an elderly population though further research with a larger sample size is indicated.
Clinical Rehabilitation, 2009 Aug 12, online ahead of print