Enjoyable Exercise Games for Older People at Risk of Falls

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Computer-Based Exercise Games to Prevent Falls in Older Adults

  • IRAS ID

    174681

  • Contact name

    Stephen Uzor

  • Contact email

    stevesace@gmail.com

  • Sponsor organisation

    Glasgow Caledonian University

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 11 months, 25 days

  • Research summary

    The project will investigate the use of computer-based exercise games to improve adherence to rehabilitation exercise, and thereby, reduce the risk of falling in older adults. It will include one randomised controlled trial, with two groups of participants, exploring the use of standard rehabilitation care and games in the following scenarios:

    a) Unassisted rehabilitation the home.
    b) Unassisted rehabilitation in the home, with occasional community exercise.

    Participants will be required to use either booklets and DVDs or a laptop computer with games to carry out Otago exercises that have been shown to significantly reduce the risk of falling in older adults. It is expected that the use of the computer-based games would encourage adherence to rehabilitation and lead to better rehabilitation outcomes, e.g. balance, mobility, fall risk.

    The study will involve participants who:
    1) are aged 65 years and older.
    2) are identified as medium to high risk fallers (according to the Tinetti scale).
    3) have had at least one fall, 12 months prior to taking part in the trial.
    4) have no severe cognitive, visual or aural impairments.

  • REC name

    Yorkshire & The Humber - Bradford Leeds Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    15/YH/0231

  • Date of REC Opinion

    13 May 2015

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion