Efficacy of the Stroll Safe Outdoor Fall Prevention Program

Efficacy of the Stroll Safe Outdoor Fall Prevention Program

This study examines the effectiveness of the Stroll Safe Outdoor Fall Prevention program, a 7-week group based educational intervention. Half of participants are assigned to the Stroll Safe program and half are assigned to a wait list control group that initially receives written information only on outdoor falls prevention.

Inclusion Criteria:

Community-dwelling adults age 60 years or older, English speaking, cognitively competent (i.e. have a Montreal Cognitive Impairment score (MOCA) >24), and able to walk outdoors independently with or without a mobility device. In addition, they must answer "yes" to one or more of the following questions: Have you fallen outdoors and hurt yourself in the past year?, Have you fallen outdoors 2 or more times in the past year?, Are you afraid that you might fall outdoors?, Have you had 2 or more stumbles, trips, or slips outdoors in the past month?

Exclusion Criteria:

Less than 60 years of age, living in an institutional setting (e.g. nursing home), non-English speaker, Montreal Cognitive Assessment Score <24, requiring the assistance of another person to walk outdoors, non-ambulatory, an acute health condition that would interfere with participation(e.g. recent fracture, uncontrolled/poorly managed mental health condition, respiratory disease requiring supplemental oxygen), they reply "no" to all of the following questions: Have you fallen outdoors and hurt yourself in the past year?, Have you fallen outdoors 2 or more times in the past year?, Are you afraid that you might fall outdoors?, Have you had 2 or more stumbles, trips, or slips outdoors in the past month?