|
Jean Wyman
School of Nursing
|
|
Fall
Prevention Tips
Engage in regular exercise such as walking
at least 20 minutes most days of the week.
Make your home safer:
- Remove tripping hazards, clutter, and unstable furniture.
- Remove throw rugs or secure with double-sided tape.
- Have grab bars installed in bathroom.
- Correct poor lighting and install nightlights in hallways,
bedrooms, and bathrooms.
- Install tightly fastened handrails on both sides of stairs.
Apply brightly colored tape to face of stairs to aid visibility.
- Locate telephone within reach of bed.
Wear low-heeled shoes with rubber or crepe soles.
Have your health care provider review your medications.
Get your vision checked by an eye doctor. Poor vision can
lead to falls.
|
|
Those of
us who regularly vow—and fail—to get more exercise
know how difficult it is to change, even when that change promises
better health and longevity. “Making physical activity a
priority is a major challenge,” says Jean Wyman, who directs
the Center for Gerontological Nursing. “It’s even harder
in older adults who are a little bit more frail and unsteady.”
Unfortunately, balance impairment, muscle weakness, medication use,
and normal age-related changes contribute to a risk for falls, a
major problem among older adults. Exercise, Wyman believes, can
reverse that risk—and save lives.
Studies show that 34 percent of people age 65 and over take
a fall each year, with the rates increasing with advancing age.
The costs are high—patients with hip fractures run up $15,000
or more in hospitalization charges, often losing their independence
or even their lives. Mortality rates associated with falls are especially
high in Minnesota.
As principal investigator in a five-year, $2 million study,
“Fall Prevention Program for High Risk Elderly Women,”
Wyman is directing an interdisciplinary team of researchers to study
the
effects of exercise—specifically walking and balance exercises
along with tailored risk reduction counseling—on fall prevention.
This interdisciplinary effort demonstrates the depth of
collaboration in pursuit of evidence-based knowledge. Eight
researchers contributing to the study represent the School of
Nursing, College of Pharmacy, Medical School including the
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of
Kinesiology in the College of Education and Human Development, as
well as the School of Public Health and the Department of Computer
Science and Engineering.
But even if regular exercise is proven to reduce the risk of falls,
patients still have to do it. Motivating change—and making
it
stick—is part of the program. The study is modeled on a recognized
theory of behavior change to help patients successfully incorporate
exercise into their lives. “Many other studies have not used
health behavior theory to help people change their behaviors,”
said Wyman.“Our study is theoretically based, and I think
that’s why we’re seeing people make changes.”
Participants enrolled in the study received a fall risk assessment
including a home safety inspection, fall prevention education,
and counseling on how to reduce specific risk factors. Participants
then work with a nurse to choose the risks they want to modify and
negotiate an action plan.
Successful change, however, requires time and the ability of
researchers to build trusting relationships. “It takes a while
for people to be open enough to make a change,” said Wyman.
“Making a behavior change takes at least six months.”
An intensive two-part intervention—12 weeks followed by
another 16—gets participants through the six-month barrier,
and
on to healthier, more active lives. The standardized program
includes a 30-minute walk five days a week, and twice-weekly
balance and strength training. Sixteen weeks of interactive,
computerized telephone monitoring and support completes the
program and helps cement the change. “The people who volunteered
for the study are very courageous,” said Wyman.
The potential benefits are undeniable. Fewer falls would
significantly cut costs associated with fall-related treatment and
hospitalization. The heightened quality of life—improved balance,
gait, function, mood, and confidence—is incalculable.
Preliminary results indicate the fall prevention program is successful.
If cost-effective, the fall prevention program may some day be packaged
for managed care organizations to use with older patients. Or it
could be incorporated into the school’s practice plan.
Written by Mame Osteen
Reprinted with permission from the spring 2006 edition of Minnesota
Nursing, a publication of the School of Nursing.
|
