IN-HOME COMMUNITY AGED CARE FALLS PREVENTION TELEHEALTH PILOT

Abstract

BACKGROUND A small scale pilot was conducted to test the concept of a remotely delivered in-home prescriptive exercise program for older Australians at risk of falling or with a history of falls. There is limited evidence for the efficacy of remotely delivered falls prevention programs within the aged community setting. Most community models are in-person and resource poor. This can result in older Australians living in isolated locations not having access to a service or provision of a service that cannot support the intervention intensity to produce effective functional gains. In the Residential aged care facility setting, the SUNBEAM trial is evidenced to reduce falls prevalence in participating residents. This pilot aimed to discover if exercise prescription modeled on the SUNBEAM trial could be delivered in a remote format to in-home clients and result in improvement in strength, mobility and balance scores associated with a reduced risk of falling. METHOD The pilot commenced in April 2023 and was delivered by an Accredited Exercise Physiologist for a period of 14 weeks, offering a total of 28 hours of exercise to 6 participants with a history of falls. Participants were provided with a home exercise kit for use and all sessions were conducted as individual appointments, using videoconferencing via the telehealth platform, Coviu. A series of strength and balance related outcome measures and assessments were collected using modified methodology for telehealth. RESULTS The individual results of the program demonstrated gains in strength and balance, directly linked to reducing falls risk. Participants reported meaningful impacts on sense of self from the program. CONCLUSION The pilot was successful in proving the concept of a remotely delivered falls prevention exercise-based program can work for the in-home aged care setting. This warrants future efforts to expand on findings to benefit the wider aged care population residing in their own homes.