• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.7-19
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• 2006

Falls are a major sources of death and injury in elderly people. Aged-related changes in the physiological systems which contribute to the maintenance of balance are well documented in older adults. These changes coupled with age-related changes in muscle and bone are likely to contribute to an increased risk of falls in this population. Regular exercise may be one way of preventing falls and fall-related fractures. However, the optimal exercise prescription to prevent falls has not yet been defined. On the literature review of exercise intervention for fall prevention in the elderly, exercise appeared to be a useful tool in fall prevention by improving fall risk factors. The optimum exercise prescription; moderate intensity frequency of 3-4 times per week, duration of 30-60minutes can contribute to decreased hazards and number of fall. Fall prevention protocol should include safety, falling effect, enjoyment, and easiness to follow for older people. Effective exercise programs suggested for fall prevention were such as weight-bearing exercise, resistance exercise, lower muscle strength with elastic band, swiss ball exercise walking, tai chi, and yoga.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.51-62
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide data about the risk factors related to falls among elderly patients with dementia using meta-analysis. Methods: Key words used for search through electronic database (CINAHL, PubMed, Ovid-MEDLINE, RISS, KISS, DBPIA, National Assembly Library) included 'dementia', 'Alzheimer', 'fall'. Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis and 'R' version 3.2.2 was used to analyze the correlated effect size. Results: Study results showed that risk factors related to falls were identified as the demographic (age, gender, education), dementia-related (disease duration, cognition), physical (body mass index, walking, balance, activity of daily living, use of walking aids, number of medications including psychotropic drugs, musculoskeletal problems, parkinsonism, comorbidity), psychological (neuropsychiatric symptom, depression), environmental (Physical environment), and fall-related (fall history, high risk group of fall) factors. The effect size of risk factors such as high risk group of fall (r=.35), use of walking aids (r=.33), depression (r=.31), psychotropic drugs (r=.27), Musculoskeletal problems (r=.25) were higher than the other risk factors. Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, strategies to improve elderly patient's depression, intensive care for high risk group of fall, and adequate training with walking aids are needed for prevention of falls in elderly patients with dementia.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.161-171
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• 1998

Balance can be defined as the ability to maintain the body's center of gravity within the base of support with minimal sway. Falls occur frequently in the elderly persons by the physiological change and dysfunction with age. Injuries resulting from falls include soft tissue damage and fractures of the radius, humerus, and femoral neck other consequences of falls include decreased mobility, reduced confidence, long lies (which can give rise to hypothermia, dehydration and pneumonia), and death Risk factors for falls have beau classified as intrinsic (those related to the individual) and extrinsic(those associated with environmental features), Intrinsic factors include decreased strength, visual deficits, vestibular dysfunction, and decreased vibratory sensation in the feet. Improvement of the balance related to the increased probability for fells in the elderly persons and is important for fall preventions and improvement of the living quality ef the elderly persons

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.245-254
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• 2010

Purpose : The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of falls prevention exercise program(center of gravity control training, multiple sensory training, strategic posture training, ambulation training, muscle strengthening training) to balance and muscular strength in the elderly females. Methods : A total of 30 elderly womens participated in this study. All subjects have participated in exercise program on three times a week for eight weeks. Before and after of exercise program, They have measured about Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA), Time Up & Go (TUG), Sit to stand, Fall Efficacy Scale (FES), Quality of Life (QOL). Results : The results of this study were as follows ; 1) There were statistically significant difference in the BBS, POMA, FES, QOL test on within-subject. 2) There were not significant difference in the TUG, Sit to stand test on within-subject. 3) The BBS was correlated with POMA and QOL. The POMA was also correlated with QOL. Conclusion : The result of this study shows that falls prevention exercise program was meaningful increasing of balance ability and quality of life on elderly women

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.16-22
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• 2006

Falling is a serious problem associated with aging. Unintentional injury, which most often results from falling, is one of the leading causes of death in elderly people. The purpose of this study is to investigate the risk factors of falls and to compare characteristics of people who fall with that of non-fallers among the rural community-dwelling elderly of Korea. A sample of 201 people, living in the community, aged 60 years and over was taken from the members of a center for seniors located in Jecheon city. The mean age of the participants was 70.5 years of age. The participants are comprised of 151 women and 50 men. Eighty four of the 201 participants (41.8%) fell during the previous year. Twenty two of the fallers (26.2%) fell down more than two times. It was found that fallers had poorer eyesight, multiple chronic diseases and a more difficult time walking than non-fallers. In the logistic regression analysis of falls, only the difficulty of walking one kilometer (OR=2.4) and chronic diseases (OR=2.5) have shown an increased risk of falls. The risk of recurrent falls is, in addition, influenced by the difficulty of walking one kilometer. The result of our study shows that the impairment of mobility was the strongest risk factor of recurrent falling.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.6242-6249
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• 2014

The aim of this study was to determine the physical performance and fear of falls in the community dwelling elderly and to investigate how the factors were connected to one another. The data was collected between January 3rd and March 30th, 2014 from 460 elderly people, aged 65 or older, who agreed to participate in this study. The data was sampled among the elders' assistants as a way of responding to the questionnaire after being read. The study scales were composed of the demographic characteristics, physical function and fear of falls. A total of 139 (30.2%) subjects had experienced a fall. The results showed a positive correlation with the chair rise, standing on the leg, pick up a penny from floor, timed up and go test, and fear of falls. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that a predictor of the fear of falls were chair rise and timed up and go test. A combination of physical performance accounted for 16.9% of the fear of fall. Based on the findings of this study, it is useful to more effectively develop fall prevention and intervention programs in a future study.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.65-73
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• 2020

PURPOSE: This study examined the effects of coordinative locomotor training on the physical factors for falls in the elderly with mild cognitive impairment. METHODS: This study examined thirty subjects diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment by the radiologic findings, history, and physical examination. The subjects were assigned to a control group (n = 15) or experimental group (n = 15, coordinative locomotor training). The experimental group underwent coordinative locomotor training for four weeks, with training sessions two times per week. The control group was given a fall-prevention education for 60 minutes without coordinative locomotor training. To evaluate the physical factors for falls, the lower extremity strength and the Korean version of the Fullerton advanced balance scale and biorescue were measured for balance. These tests were conducted before and after training. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed between the two groups after the four weeks of coordinative locomotor training for the elderly with mild cognitive impairment the experimental group had a greater degree of improvement in the physical factors for falls. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that coordinative locomotor training may have a functional effect on fall-prevention and the mobility of the elderly with mild cognitive impairment. In addition, it is expected to provide systematic and effective data that can be used as a fall prevention program for the elderly with mild cognitive impairment in each institution.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.117-124
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• 2018

Purpose: This study was to analyze clinical and epidemiological characteristics of elderly patients who were admitted to the emergency department (ED) due to falls by separating male and female. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the fall patients aged 65 years or older from the data of the in-depth surveillance study of injured patients visit to the ED under the supervision of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) from 2011 to 2016 by separating male and female. Results: A total of 361,588 elderly fall patients were analyzed and, among them, 14,429 (37.3%) were males and 24,208 (62.7%) were females. Male and female showed similar frequency of damage happening season. However, they showed falling accident mostly on winter. The time of injury occurrence is mostly from 12:00 to 18:00 with 4,949 (34.3%) male and 8,564 (35.4%) female. Most falls occurred in daily activities, accounting for 7,614 (52.8%) in males and 14,957 (61.8%) in females, respectively. Unintentional damage accounted for the most part and 7,395 (51.2%) of male and 15,343 (63.4%) of female were injured indoors. Head and neck were the most common site of injuring, with 8,392 (58.2%) in males and 7,851 (32.4%) in females. According to ED examination outcomes, most of the patients were discharged, while the majority of the hospitalized patients were admitted to the general patient room. Conclusions: The elderly falls occurred mostly from 12:00 to 18:00, during winter and to elderly women. Also, they happened unintentionally indoors in everyday life, mostly. Proved clinical, epidemiological characteristics from this research will be used as useful indicator at validity research of development of prevent program of falling accident for elderly people.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.424-431
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the Otago exercise program on physical function and risk of falling in elderly who have experienced falls. Thirty-six elderly people who had experienced falls more than once were randomly classified into an experimental group and control group. Each group exercised 30 minutes three times per week for a total of 8 weeks. Measurements were made using Tetrax to assess risk of falls. In addition, to measure physical function, static balance was measured using Biorescue, dynamic balance was measured using TUG, walking ability was measured using 10 MWT, and lower extremity strength was measured using FTSST. A paired t-test was conducted to verify the difference between before and after exercise in each group, and an independent t-test was performed for comparison between the groups. Regarding the experimental and control groups, static balance ability and dynamic balance ability increased significantly after exercise, and risk of falls decreased (p<.05). Lower extremity strength and gait ability increased significantly after exercise only in the experimental group (p<.05). Based on these results, the Otago exercise program is effective in improving physical function and reducing risk of falls in elderly people who have experienced falls.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.141-149
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• 2018

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine the effects walking program with dance on gait, cognition, and risk of falls of elderly with dementia in a long-term care hospital. Methods: Subjects consisted of 42 elderly with dementia in a long-term care hospital (21 elderly with dementia in an experimental group and 21 elders with dementia in a control group). Data were collected from March 14 to April 30, 2016. Subjects in the experimental group performed walking program with dance (three times a week, 30-50 minutes session, 18 sessions). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, independent t-test, paired t-test, repeated measures ANOVA with the SPSS/WIN 21.0. Results: The participants in the experimental group showed significantly increased scores of cadence (F= 8.36, p= .007) and improved scores of cognition (F= 9.95, p= .003) compared the control group. Conclusion: The findings indicate walking program with dance is recommend a regular exercise program to enhance the cadence associated with walking speed and cognitive function elderly.