FALLS LINKS
e-Newsletter 4, 2020
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With ongoing restrictions and people isolating at home it is important to keep active to maintain our physical and mental health. In this edition we highlight a number of programs that have adapted to changes in order to support their clients in remaining healthy and active.
Keeping Well at Home Booklet
Manchester University have kindly shared their Keeping Well at Home booklet with us to adapt for NSW. This booklet contains ideas and suggestions to support older people during COVID-19 and help them to remain active and well.
It includes a list of exercises that can be performed at home, tips on how to manage mental health and a number of links to useful services and information. The booklet will continue to be updated as restrictions in NSW change and can be accessed here.
Sit Up, Get Dressed, Keep Moving
University Hospital of North Midlands (UHNM) and the British Geriatrics Society have relaunched the ‘Sit Up, Get Dressed and Keep Moving’ campaign which aims to help healthcare professionals recognise the long term effects of deconditioning, implement simple measures to prevent it, and educate patients and carers about the importance of remaining active during hospital admission and following discharge.
As part of this campaign new posters, banners and brochures have been developed for display in hospitals explaining the benefits of staying active, and illustrated guides outlining chair and bed-based exercises aimed at maintaining and gaining muscle strength, improving blood circulation, helping mobility progression and supporting overall recovery.
Further resources can be found here.
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Mask Up and Look Down + SAFE Exercise at Home Booklet Released
The Safe Exercise at Home website has released a helpful factsheet on the safe use of face masks to reduce the risk of falls due through vision impairment. They have also created a booklet containing useful tips for staying safe while exercising, determining how hard you should work and illustrated guides demonstrating the correct way to perform the exercises.
Their website is a great resource for both health professionals and older people alike.
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Program Highlight
SHARE virtual exercise classes
When SHARE's face-to-face exercise classes were forced to stop in mid March they wanted to do what they could to support the community. Since then they have adapted and are now running their 14 weekly exercise classes using Zoom. This has allowed members to continue their exercise despite the restrictions and in some cases even attend additional classes that were not possible previously due to transport limitations.
These classes are free for members of SHARE, for more information or to get access to these classes, kindly send your request to info@share.org.au or (02) 8580 0628. For the non-tech savvy, feel free to contact the SHARE office, they can help you to set-up Zoom and get access to these classes.
SHARE is a Not For Profit but for purpose and is an award winning and well-known brand with a proven record of providing exercise classes to people over 50 in the community since 1983. SHARE delivers caring, targeted, affordable, flexible and relevant classes /programs in non-threatening settings.
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Upcoming Events
- SHARE and Nutrition Australia present: Brain Boosters - How to exercise and eat well to reduce the risk of dementia
6:00PM - 7:00 PM AEST, 1st September 2020, Webinar event - Institute for Musculoskelal Health presents: The Research Power Hour - Unpacking the STRIDE Trial
8:30AM - 9:30AM AEST, 4th September 2020, Webinar event - 21st International Conference on Falls and Postural Stability 25th September 2020
25th September 2020, Webinar event. - EU Falls Festival 2021
15th - 16th April 2021, Leuven, Belgium
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Research Highlight + Upcoming Research Power Hour
A randomized trial of a multifactorial strategy to prevent serious fall injuries
Bhasin S, Gill TM, Reuben DB, Latham NK, Ganz DA, Greene EJ, Dziura J, Basaria S, Gurwitz JH, Dykes PC, McMahon S, Storer TW, Gazarian P, Miller ME, Travison TG, Esserman D, Carnie MB, Goehring L, Fagan M, Greenspan SL, Alexander N, Wiggins J, Ko F, Siu AL, Volpi E, Wu AW, Rich J, Waring SC, Wallace RB, Casteel C, Resnick NM, Magaziner J, Charpentier P, Lu C, Araujo K, Rajeevan H, Meng C, Allore H, Brawley BF, Eder R, McGloin JM, Skokos EA, Duncan PW, Baker D, Boult C, Correa-De-Araujo R, Peduzzi P, STRIDE Trial Investigators. New Engl. J. Med. 2020; 383(2): 129-140.
(Copyright © 2020, Massachusetts Medical Society)
DOI 10.1056/NEJMoa2002183 PMID 32640131
The STRIDE Trial was a large US study that explored strategies to reduce injuries and develop confidence in older adults. The study was recently published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine.
The Institute for Musculoskeletal Health invites you to join Dr Nancy Latham, STRIDE Study Director, and an expert panel as they discuss the results and finer details of this impressive trial and take questions from the audience. Their expert panel will include Professor Cathie Sherrington, Professor Vasi Naganathan and Professor Stephen Lord.
Date: Friday September 4, 2020 8:30AM - 9.30 AM AEST
To register your attendance please follow this link:
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Injuries from falls are major contributors to complications and death in older adults. Despite evidence from efficacy trials that many falls can be prevented, rates of falls resulting in injury have not declined.
METHODS: We conducted a pragmatic, cluster-randomized trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a multifactorial intervention that included risk assessment and individualized plans, administered by specially trained nurses, to prevent fall injuries. A total of 86 primary care practices across 10 health care systems were randomly assigned to the intervention or to enhanced usual care (the control) (43 practices each). The participants were community-dwelling adults, 70 years of age or older, who were at increased risk for fall injuries. The primary outcome, assessed in a time-to-event analysis, was the first serious fall injury, adjudicated with the use of participant report, electronic health records, and claims data. We hypothesized that the event rate would be lower by 20% in the intervention group than in the control group.
RESULTS: The demographic and baseline characteristics of the participants were similar in the intervention group (2802 participants) and the control group (2649 participants); the mean age was 80 years, and 62.0% of the participants were women. The rate of a first adjudicated serious fall injury did not differ significantly between the groups, as assessed in a time-to-first-event analysis (events per 100 person-years of follow-up, 4.9 in the intervention group and 5.3 in the control group; hazard ratio, 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80 to 1.06; P = 0.25). The rate of a first participant-reported fall injury was 25.6 events per 100 person-years of follow-up in the intervention group and 28.6 events per 100 person-years of follow-up in the control group (hazard ratio, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.83 to 0.99; P = 0.004). The rates of hospitalization or death were similar in the two groups.
CONCLUSIONS: A multifactorial intervention, administered by nurses, did not result in a significantly lower rate of a first adjudicated serious fall injury than enhanced usual care. (Funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute and others; STRIDE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02475850.).
Language: en
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Share your news
Do you have any news on Falls Prevention you want to share with others on the network, or report on a project that is happening in your area. We also welcome suggestions for articles and information you would like to see in this newsletter.
Send your news and suggestions to: fallsnetwork@neura.edu.au
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Our mailing address is:
NSW Falls Prevention Network
Neuroscience Research Australia
PO Box 1165
Randwick NSW 2031
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