Development of a fall prevention protocol for replication in a virtual environment

Abstract

Several effective fall prevention exercise programs address the problem of falls. The primary challenge is not to develop effective programs, but to find ways to motivate older people to begin and maintain these programs while delivering these programs to as many older adults as possible. This short-term pilot study collected preliminary data on the design and testing of a balance rehabilitation protocol that could be replicated in a virtual gaming environment like the Wii Fit. The protocol, based on evidence- based practice, focused on strength, endurance, and functional reach. Eight older adults participated in twelve one hour sessions with an occupational therapist and exercise professional. Outcome measures included the Modified Falls Efficacy Scale, Life Space Questionnaire, and postural sway. Results suggest that the protocol was effective in improving postural sway (as measured by a force plate), reducing fear of falling, and increasing perceived life space.

Share and Cite:

Walker, B. and Huber, L. (2012) Development of a fall prevention protocol for replication in a virtual environment. Advances in Aging Research, 1, 47-52. doi: 10.4236/aar.2012.12006.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1] Center for Disease Control (2008) Preventing falls: What works. A compendium of effective community-based interventions from around the world. CDC, Atlanta.
[2] Hornbrook, M., Stevens, V., Wingfield, D., Hollis, J., Greenlick, M. and Ory, M. (1994) Preventing falls among community-dwelling older persons: Results from a randomized trial. The Gerontologist, 34, 16-23. Hdoi:10.1093/geront/34.1.16
[3] Hausdorff, J., Rios, D. and Edelber, H. (2001) Gait variability and fall risk in community-living older adults: A 1-year prospective study. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 82, 1050-1056. Hdoi:10.1053/apmr.2001.24893
[4] Alexander, B., Rivara, F. and Wolf, M. (1992) The cost and frequency of hospitalization for fall-related injuries in older adults. American Journal of Public Health, 82, 1020-1023. Hdoi:10.2105/AJPH.82.7.1020
[5] Tinetti, M.E., Baker, D.I., McAvay, G., Claus, E.B., Garrett, P., Gottschalk, M., et al. (1994) A multifactorial intervention to reduce the risk of falling among elderly people living in the community. New England Journal of Medicine, 331, 821-827. Hdoi:10.1056/NEJM199409293311301
[6] Stevens, J., Corso, P., Finkelstein, E. and Miller, T., (2006) The costs of fatal and nonfatal falls among older adults. Injury Prevention, 12, 290-295. Hdoi:10.1136/ip.2005.011015
[7] US Census Bureau (2008) An older and more diverse nation by midcentury. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/012496.html
[8] Chodzko-Zajko, W. (2006) National Blueprint: Increasing physical activity among adults 50 and older: Implications for future physical activity and cognitive functioning research. In: Poon, L., Chodzko-Zajko, W. and Tomporo- wski, T., Eds., Active Living, Cognitive Functioning, and Aging, Human Kinetics, Champaign.
[9] Lange, B., Flynn, S., & Rizzo, A. (2009), Game-based telerehabilitation. European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, 45, 143-151.
[10] Basak, C., Boot, W.R., Voss, M.W. and Kramer, A.F. (2008) Can training in a real-time strategy video game attenuate cognitive decline in older adults? Psychology and Aging, 23, 765-777. Hdoi:10.1037/a0013494
[11] Green, C. and Bavelier, D. (2008) Exercising your brain: A review of human brain plasticity and training-induced learning. Psychology and Aging, 23, 692-701. Hdoi:10.1037/a0014345
[12] Van Schaik, P., Blake, J., Pernet, F., Spears, I. and Fencott, C. (2008) Virtual augmented exercise gaming for older adults. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 11, 103-106. Hdoi:10.1089/cpb.2007.9925
[13] Haddad, J.M., Van Emmerik, R.A., Wheat, J.S. and Hamill, J. (2008) Developmental changes in the dynamical structure of postural sway during a precision fitting task. Experimental Brain Research, 190, 431-441. Hdoi:10.1007/s00221-008-1483-9
[14] Brandt, J., Spencer, M. and Folstein, M. (1988) The telephone interview for cognitive status. Neuropsychiatry, Neuropsychology, and Behavioral Neurology, 1, 111-117.
[15] Stalvey, B., Owsley, C., Sloane, M.E. and Ball, K. (1999) The life space questionnaire: A measure of the extent of mobility of older adults. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 18, 479-498. Hdoi:10.1177/073346489901800404
[16] Hill, K., Schwarz, J., Kalogeropoulos, A. and Gibson, S. (1996) Fear of falling revisited. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 77, 1025-1029. Hdoi:10.1016/S0003-9993(96)90063-5
[17] Rose, D. (2010) FallProof!: A comprehensive balance and mobility training program. Human Kinetics, Champaign.
[18] DeVreede, P. (2004) Functional tasks exercise versus resistance exercise to improve daily function in older women: A feasibility study. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 85, 1952-1961. Hdoi:10.1016/j.apmr.2004.05.006
[19] Dunlap, W., Cortina, J., Vaslow, J. and Burke, M. (1996) Meta-analysis of experiments with matched groups or repeated measures designs. Psychological Methods, 1, 170- 177. Hdoi:10.1037/1082-989X.1.2.170
[20] Cohen, J. (1992) A power primer. Psychological Bulletin, 112, 155-159. Hdoi:10.1037/0033-2909.112.1.155
[21] Acock, A. (2005) Working with missing values. Journal of Marriage and Family, 67, 1012-1028. Hdoi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2005.00191.x
[22] Harding, S. and Gardner, A. (2009) Fear of falling. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, 27, 94-100.

Copyright © 2024 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.

Creative Commons License

This work and the related PDF file are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.