gms | German Medical Science

Mobility plays a key role in the live of older persons. Independency and quality of live depend on the mobility status of the older person. The mobility status is threatened by the experience of fall.

Research evidence states that approximately one third of people over the age of 65 years living at home experience one or more falls per year. In the age group 80 years and older there is an increase in fall rates up to 40 percent. In Germany an estimated 4 million of older persons fall once per year. 135.000 hip fractures are in Germany the results of falls. Women have a five times higher risk for hip fractures then men.

One of the major research interests in fall research is the early identification of older persons at risk of falls and the matched intervention program for this person. Guidelines for fall intervention emphasize the multifactorial approach for interventions or strength and balance training as well as home modifications.

At the Institute of Sport Science of the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg an ongoing research project in fall prevention is conducted with special focus on reducing fall rate and fall frequency through different intervention programs. Participants in the randomised controlled trial were 70. to 90. years old community-dwelling older persons (N = 293). The intervention were multifaceted (1), health related fitness (3), and psychomotor (4) interventions. Each intervention contained 32 sessions twice per week for 60 minutes.

The presentation will outline the different approach and topics of the intervention programs.