Exercise programmes prevent falls in elderly people

When an elderly person falls it can have serious consequences, so fall prevention is an important health strategy. Two studies in this week's issue examine the effectiveness of fall prevention programmes, in addition to giving economic evaluations. On p 697 Robertson et al report a randomised controlled trial in 240 people aged over 75 in New Zealand. The intervention was a home based exercise programme delivered by a trained nurse rather than a physiotherapist. The researchers found that the exercise programme reduced the number of falls, and of serious injuries and hospital admissions resulting from falls, but that it was only cost effective in those aged over 80. In its second study (p 701) the same team conducted a controlled trial in 450 people aged over 80, but this time the exercise programme was delivered in a primary care setting. The researchers found that the number of serious injuries and the hospital costs resulting from falls did not differ between the group taking part in the exercise programme and the control group.

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Effectiveness and economic evaluation of a nurse delivered home exercise programme to prevent falls. 1: Randomised controlled trial

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