Clinical Impact of a Digital Home-based Falls Prevention Program on Elderly People

Clinical Impact of a Digital Home-based Falls Prevention Program on Elderly People - a Randomized Controlled Trial

This study is a single-center, prospective, non-blind, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial with an experimental and a control group with the aim of evaluating the clinical impact of a home-based falls prevention program using a new biofeedback system on community-dwellers older adults with fall risk in comparison with standard of care.

The experimental group will perform a 12-week exercise program at home, under remote monitoring from a clinical team, whereas the control group will benefit from standard medical care currently in place at the participating primary care facility.

The hypothesis is that the home-based falls prevention program will lead to a lower risk of falling than standard medical care.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Patients aged over 65 years old
2. Ability to walk at least 20 meters, unaided or with unilateral support
3. Ability to understand motor complex commands
4. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score > 24 points
5. Functional independence for instrumental activities of daily living
6. Risk of recurrent falls, defined as 5xSST score > 15,00 seconds

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Patients residing in nursing homes, daycare units or assisted-living facilities
2. Aphasia, dementia or psychiatric comorbidity, significantly interfering with communication or compliance with a home-based exercise program
3. Severe visual our hearing, interfering with communication or with compliance to a home-based exercise program
4. Cardiac, respiratory or other condition incompatible with at least 30 minutes of light to moderate physical activity
5. Osteoarticular conditions (e.g. severe osteoarthrosis), which prevent the patient from complying with a home-based exercise program
6. Patients with neurologic conditions (e.g. stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease)
7. Other medical complications, which prevent the patient from complying with a home-based exercise program
8. Illiteracy