Research into exercise program to prevent falls in older adults receives funding
Research into whether physiotherapy coaching and Fitbits can help older adults complete strength and balance exercise programs designed to prevent falls received funding from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research.
Megan Oakey (pictured), Provincial Manager of the Injury Prevention Program with Population and Public Health at the BC Centre for Disease Control and member of the BCIRPU, is part of the team that was awarded $500,000 over three years through the Implementation Science Team Project grant. The funding will be used to study the implementation of a strength and balance training program that can reduce falls in older adults.
Each year, 30 percent of seniors have at least one fall and nine out of 10 hip fractures result from falls. While exercise programs are a proven intervention, as few as 25 percent of older adults will continue programs once they begin.
For this study, the team will compare outcomes when the exercise program is delivered by physiotherapy coaching and Fitbit technology compared to traditional delivery The team will measure the degree to which the program is followed by seniors at 12, 18 and 24 months, number of falls and risk of falling. In addition, the team will assess the cost-effectiveness of delivering the program.
Oakey hopes the coaching and Fitbit program may make it easier for older adults, regardless of where they live or who may have difficulty accessing community programs, to participate in an at home strength and balance exercise program.
The project will be hosted at the University of British Columbia and includes collaborators from Vancouver Coastal Health, Fraser Health, Simon Fraser University, Arthritis Research Canada, and more.
For more information, see the announcement on the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research’s website.
This article first appeared on the Provincial Health Services Authority intranet.
- distress when a child was in pain and when a family was grieving; and
- sadness in the event they were not able to save a child in their care.
- concern for the injured child and the child’s family;
Particularly traumatic events, such as those involving vivid sights and sounds (e.g., families holding each other and having extreme reactions), stuck with the practitioners, having long-lasting impressions on them and causing them to re-live these events in the years following their exposure.
Even after their shift was over, practitioners said that they changed how they approached parenting and how they perceived safety during play as a result of witnessing these traumatic events. They reported having more knowledge of the causes and consequences of severe injuries, such as those that require hospitalization or emergency care. For example, practitioners were more likely to enforce boundaries around where their children could play, such as by forbidding their child to play near busy streets. They also were more likely to tell their child about safe play environments and equipment, and put this equipment on their child before play, such as explaining the benefits of using helmets while riding bikes.
Practitioners were more likely to enforce boundaries around where their children could play, and use safety equipment, such as bike helmets.
Practitioners also described being concerned about their children’s play near open windows, around large bodies of water unsupervised, and in environments where firearms were present. They also expressed worry about their children’s play on trampolines and on motorized vehicles, such as ATVs. Findings related to trampoline play safety concerns were published in the journal Injury Prevention.
Observing family grief due to child injury or death affected the mental well-being of health care practitioners, drawing attention to the need for mental health supports for those involved in caring for severely injured and dying patients.
"Raise more resilient children through play...watch and see how your child handles challenging tasks without intervening right away." —Dr. Michelle Bauer
Building resilience through play
How can parents help their children build resilience? By letting them play!
The experiences that practitioners witnessed encouraged them to support their children in building resilience through play; specifically, by supporting children in learning to cope with failure, overcome fear, build self-confidence, develop distress tolerance, and regulate negative emotions. Findings related to building resilience through play were published in the journal Child: Care, Health, and Development.
Parents fostered resilience in their kids by:
- helping their kids get back on bikes after they fell off and wanted to try again;
- sitting on their hands so they did not instinctively reach for their children when their children fell down; and
- encouraging participation in challenging and thrilling activities in forests and water while safety equipment was used.
"There are a few ways that parents can raise more resilient children through play that are supported by literature and our study findings," said Dr. Bauer. "One: watch and see how your child handles challenging tasks without intervening right away."
"Two: Ask your child how they want you to help—let them tell you what makes them feel safe and happy during play. Let them lead. And three: make play both safe and exciting by encouraging risk-taking, teaching them how to avoid hazards, and using safety equipment.”
This research was supported through Drs. Bauer’s and Gilley’s receipt of a clinical and translational research seed grant from the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR), Dr. Bauer’s BCCHR postdoctoral fellowship award, and additional training provided to Dr. Bauer through her participation in the Programs and Institutions Looking to Launch Academic Researchers (PILLAR) program through ENRICH, a national organization training perinatal and child health researchers.
Learn more about the study through two infographic posters:
Graphics and posters by Milica Radosavljevic
