Action Seniors! Exercise to Prevent Falls

"Action Seniors!: A 12 Month Randomized Controlled Trial of a Home Based Strength and Balance Retraining Program in Reducing Falls.

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.

A total of 344 community-dwelling adults aged 70 years and older who are referred to a falls clinic secondary to seeking medical attention due to a fall will be randomized to either the 12-month OEP group or usual care. There will be three measurement sessions: baseline, 6 months, and 12 months.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Adults older than or 70 years attending a Falls Prevention Clinic Service;
2. Understands, speaks, and reads English proficiently;
3. MMSE 8 score > 24/30;
4. Had one documented non-syncopal fall in the last 12 months and one of the following: a) A Physiological Profile Assessment (PPA) score of at least 1 SD above normal; OR 2) Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) performance of greater than 15 seconds; OR 3) One additional documented non-syncopal fall in the previous 12 months;
5. Expected to live greater than 12 months;
6. Community-dwelling (i.e., not residing in a nursing home, extended care unit, or assisted-care facility);
7. Able to walk 3 meters with or without an assistive device; and
8. Able to provide written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease (e.g., Parkinson's disease);
2. Diagnosed with dementia (of any type);
3. Had a stroke;
4. Have clinically significant peripheral neuropathy or severe musculoskeletal or joint disease; or
5. Have a history indicative of carotid sinus sensitivity (i.e., syncopal falls).