Relative survival after hospitalisation for hip fracture in older people in New South Wales, Australia

Survival after hospitalisation for hip fracture by age group and sex relative to survival in the general population was assessed in people aged 65+. Men had double the risk of death compared with women to 1 year, but age effects lasted only to 3 months. Clinical outcomes need to be improved.We assessed the relative survival of hospitalised fall-related hip fracture patients aged 65+ years leaving hospital in New South Wales, Australia, between July 2000 and December 2003.We carried out a population-based study of all hospital separations for NSW residents with a principal diagnosis of hip fracture (ICD-10-AM S72.0 to S72.2) and first external cause of fall (ICD-10-AM codes W00 to W19), linked to NSW death data. A total of 16,836 cases were included. Relative survival 3 to 36 months post-admission by 10-year age groups and sex was calculated, using NSW life tables for 2002-2004. Relative excess risk was modelled using a generalised linear model with Poisson error structure, using the life table data.One-year cumulative relative survival in 65- to 74-year-olds was 82% (men), 90% (women); in 85+-year-olds 65% (men), 80% (women). Men have a relative excess risk of death of 2.2 (95% CI 2.03-2.38) times that of women. Only 21% of deaths mention the hip fracture as contributing to death.There is a need to reduce the number of hip fractures and improve clinical outcomes for older people hospitalised with hip fractures

The falls efficacy scale international (FES-I): a comprehensive longitudinal validation study

Method: five hundred community-dwelling older people (70-90 years) were assessed on the FES-I in conjunction with demographic, physiological and neuropsychological measures at baseline and at 12 months. Falls were monitored monthly and fear of falling every 3 months. Results: the overall structure and measurement properties of both FES-I scales, as evaluated with item response theory, were good. Discriminative ability on physiological and neuropsychological measures indicated excellent validity, both at baseline (n = 500, convergent validity) and at 1-year follow-up (n = 463, predictive validity). The longitudinal follow-up suggested that FES-I scores increased over time regardless of any fall event, with a trend for a stronger increase in FES-I scores when a person suffered multiple falls in a 3-month period. Additionally, using receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves, cut-points were defined to differentiate between lower and higher levels of concern. Conclusions: the current study builds on the previously established psychometric properties of the FES-I. Both scales have acceptable structures, good validity and reliability and can be recommended for research and clinical purposes. Future studies should explore the FES-I's responsiveness to change during intervention studies and confirm suggested cut-points in other settings, larger samples and across different cultures

Impact of white matter lesions on physical functioning and fall risk in older people a systematic review

Background and Purpose-White matter lesions (WMLs) are common findings on neuroimaging in older people. This review systematically evaluates the published literature on the associations between WMLs and balance, gait, mobility, and falls in older people. Methods-Studies were identified with searches of the MEDLINE databases. Articles reporting associations between WMLs and balance, gait, mobility, and falls in older people in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies were included. Results-Thirty-one articles reporting data from 19 studies met the inclusion criteria. There were consistent findings from both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies indicating greater WML volumes are associated with impaired balance, slower gait, and reduced mobility. Most studies addressing regional WML distributions have reported that WMHs in the frontal lobe and periventricular regions show the strongest relationships with balance, gait, and mobility impairments. In relation to falls, a threshold effect was apparent in that only those with severe WML volumes were found to be at increased risk of falling. Conclusions-The findings of this systematic review indicate that WMLs are common and are significantly associated with impaired balance, gait, mobility, and falls in older people. In many studies, however, impaired mobility and increased fall risk are only evident in people who have the most severe degree of WMLs. (Stroke. 2011; 42: 2086-2090.

A multifactorial approach for understanding fall risk in older people

OBJECTIVE: To identify the interrelationships and discriminatory value of a broad range of objectively measured explanatory risk factors for falls. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study with 12-month follow-up period. SETTING: Community sample. PARTICIPANTS: Five hundred community-dwelling people aged 70 to 90. MEASUREMENTS: All participants underwent assessments on medical, disability, physical, cognitive, and psychological measures. Fallers were defined as people who had at least one injurious fall or at least two noninjurious falls during a 12-month follow-up period. RESULTS: Univariate regression analyses identified the following fall risk factors: disability, poor performance on physical tests, depressive symptoms, poor executive function, concern about falling, and previous falls. Classification and regression tree analysis revealed that balance-related impairments were critical predictors of falls. In those with good balance, disability and exercise levels influenced future fall risk-people in the lowest and the highest exercise tertiles were at greater risk. In those with impaired balance, different risk factors predicted greater fall risk-poor executive function, poor dynamic balance, and low exercise levels. Absolute risks for falls ranged from 11% in those with no risk factors to 54% in the highest-risk group. CONCLUSIONS: A classification and regression tree approach highlighted interrelationships and discriminatory value of important explanatory fall risk factors. The information may prove useful in clinical settings to assist in tailoring interventions to maximize the potential benefit of falls prevention strategies

Implementation of the StandingTall programme to prevent falls in older people:a process evaluation protocol

INTRODUCTION: One in three people aged 65 years and over fall each year. The health, economic and personal impact of falls will grow substantially in the coming years due to population ageing. Developing and implementing cost-effective strategies to prevent falls and mobility problems among older people is therefore an urgent public health challenge. StandingTall is a low-cost, unsupervised, home-based balance exercise programme delivered through a computer or tablet. StandingTall has a simple user-interface that incorporates physical and behavioural elements designed to promote compliance. A large randomised controlled trial in 503 community-dwelling older people has shown that StandingTall is safe, has high adherence rates and is effective in improving balance and reducing falls. The current project targets a major need for older people and will address the final steps needed to scale this innovative technology for widespread use by older people across Australia and internationally. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This project will endeavour to recruit 300 participants across three sites in Australia and 100 participants in the UK. The aim of the study is to evaluate the implementation of StandingTall into the community and health service settings in Australia and the UK. The nested process evaluation will use both quantitative and qualitative methods to explore uptake and acceptability of the StandingTall programme and associated resources. The primary outcome is participant adherence to the StandingTall programme over 6 months. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval has been obtained from the South East Sydney Local Health District Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC reference 18/288) in Australia and the North West- Greater Manchester South Research Ethics Committee (IRAS ID: 268954) in the UK. Dissemination will be via publications, conferences, newsletter articles, social media, talks to clinicians and consumers and meetings with health departments/managers. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12619001329156

Minimising disability and falls in older people through a post-hospital exercise program: a protocol for a randomised controlled trial and economic evaluation

Background: Disability and falls are particularly common among older people who have recently been hospitalised. There is evidence that disability severity and fall rates can be reduced by well-designed exercise interventions. However, the potential for exercise to have these benefits in older people who have spent time in hospital has not been established. This randomised controlled trial will investigate the effects of a home-based exercise program on disability and falls among people who have had recent hospital stays. The cost-effectiveness of the exercise program from the health and community service provider's perspective will be established. In addition, predictors for adherence with the exercise program will be determined. Methods and design: Three hundred and fifty older people who have recently had hospital stays will participate in the study. Participants will have no medical contraindications to exercise and will be cognitively and physically able to complete the assessments and exercise program. The primary outcome measures will be mobility-related disability (measured with 12 monthly questionnaires and the Short Physical Performance Battery) and falls (measured with 12 monthly calendars). Secondary measures will be tests of risk of falling, additional measures of mobility, strength and flexibility, quality of life, fall-related self efficacy, health-system and community-service contact, assistance from others, difficulty with daily tasks, physical activity levels and adverse events. After discharge from hospital and completion of all hospital-related treatments, participants will be randomly allocated to an intervention group or usual-care control group. For the intervention group, an individualised home exercise program will be established and progressed during ten home visits from a physiotherapist. Participants will be asked to exercise at home up to 6 times per week for the 12-month study period. Discussion: The study will determine the impact of this exercise intervention on mobility-related disability and falls in older people who have been in hospital as well as cost-effectiveness and predictors of adherence to the program. Thus, the results will have direct implications for the design and implementation of interventions for this high-risk group of older people.7 page(s

Exercise therapy for prevention of falls in people with Parkinson's disease: A protocol for a randomised controlled trial and economic evaluation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>People with Parkinson's disease are twice as likely to be recurrent fallers compared to other older people. As these falls have devastating consequences, there is an urgent need to identify and test innovative interventions with the potential to reduce falls in people with Parkinson's disease. The main objective of this randomised controlled trial is to determine whether fall rates can be reduced in people with Parkinson's disease using exercise targeting three potentially remediable risk factors for falls (reduced balance, reduced leg muscle strength and freezing of gait). In addition we will establish the cost effectiveness of the exercise program from the health provider's perspective.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>230 community-dwelling participants with idiopathic Parkinson's disease will be recruited. Eligible participants will also have a history of falls or be identified as being at risk of falls on assessment. Participants will be randomly allocated to a usual-care control group or an intervention group which will undertake weight-bearing balance and strengthening exercises and use cueing strategies to address freezing of gait. The intervention group will choose between the home-based or support group-based mode of the program. Participants in both groups will receive standardized falls prevention advice. The primary outcome measure will be fall rates. Participants will record falls and medical interventions in a diary for the duration of the 6-month intervention period. Secondary measures include the Parkinson's Disease Falls Risk Score, maximal leg muscle strength, standing balance, the Short Physical Performance Battery, freezing of gait, health and well being, habitual physical activity and positive and negative affect schedule.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>No adequately powered studies have investigated exercise interventions aimed at reducing falls in people with Parkinson's disease. This trial will determine the effectiveness of the exercise intervention in reducing falls and its cost effectiveness. This pragmatic program, if found to be effective, has the potential to be implemented within existing community services.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>The protocol for this study is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12608000303347).</p

White matter hyperintensities and impaired choice stepping reaction time in older people

A

Walking, Thinking and Daily-Life Activity in Older People with Dementia

Gait has been linked with cognition in cognitively healthy and impaired older people. However, the studies in cognitively impaired people have been small, have not contrasted the strength of cognitive domain associations and have reported inconsistent findings. We examined baseline data of 309 older people with mild-moderate cognitive impairment (age 82±6 years; 47% female) who were participating in a large fall prevention randomised controlled trial. Gait speed was measured at usual pace over 2.4m and cognitive performance was assessed with the Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination-III (ACE-III). The ACE-III assesses cognitive domain performance (attention; memory; verbal fluency; language; visuospatial ability). Executive function (EF) was additionally examined using the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). Each cognitive domain was associated with gait speed in separate models adjusted for confounders. EF (verbal fluency and the FAB) demonstrated the strongest association which withstood adjustment for attention, memory, language and visuospatial ability. In contrast, visuospatial ability was the only cognitive domain to withstand adjustment for EF (verbal fluency, not the FAB). These findings support higher-order gait regulation. Characterising individuals at risk of negative health outcomes can assist in identifying effective prevention strategies. Forty-five older people with mild-moderate dementia were age-sex matched to two (n=90) healthy controls and all participants (age 81±6 years, 42% female) wore triaxial accelerometers (MoveMonitor, McRoberts) on their lower back for 7-days. Daily-life gait quantity and quality were estimated from the MoveMonitor. Steady-state clinical walking speed was assessed at usual pace over 2.4 to 10.0m. Participants with dementia had reduced gait quantity, slower clinical, habitual daily-life and maximum daily-life walking speeds and multi-domain gait impairment compared to controls. In participants with dementia, clinical walking speed more closely represented habitual daily-life walking speed, whereas in controls, it more closely represented maximum daily-life walking speed. These findings have assessment, functional (e.g. crossing roads) and training/treatment implications