Balance Pad Exercise may Attenuate Falling Risks in Geriatric Health Services Facility Residents

Abstract

1247 Maintaining balance is important to prevent falling with advancing age. However, the effect of balance pad exercise in frail elderly population is not well known. PURPOSE: To determine the effect of a 10 weeks of balance pad exercise on reducing falling risks in geriatric health services facility residents. METHODS: This study was an exercise intervention trial with participants assigned either to an exercise group or to a control group. Participants were four male and twenty female volunteers aged 76–95 years, living dependently in long-term care facility. Four male and twelve female performed balance pad exercise for 45 minute, 3 days a week, for 10 weeks. The exercise included single leg standing, walking on a balance pad, strength, locomotion/agility, and motor processing. Outcome variables included functional reach, one leg balance with eyes open, semi-tandem, timed up & go, stepping, 10 m walking time, Tinetti balance scale, falls efficacy scale, geriatric depression scale, daily steps, exercise energy expenditure, total daily energy expenditure and body balance obtained by stabilometer. RESULTS: The percentage of attendance in an exercise group was 94.2 ± 6.8%. No subjects became ill or had any injury related to the exercise program. At the beginning of the study, both exercise and control groups performed similarly in all tests. After the 10-wk training program, the exercise group showed significantly greater functional reach, semi-tandem, timed up & go, stepping and Tinetti balance subscale (p<0.05–0.001). In contrast, there were no significant improvements in any of the test measures in the control group. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that 10 weeks of a balance pad exercise adopted in this study may improve balance, lower limb muscle function and locomotion/agility, thereby attenuating falling risks in frail elderly individuals.