A randomized controlled trial of a home exercise programme for elderly people with poor mobility

Age and Ageing,  Sept, 1995  by Marion E.T. McMurdo,  Robert Johnstone

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We believe that our study involves a number of methodological improvements over some other work in this field. The study design was a randomized controlled trial and the pre-study and post-study assessments were made by a single `blind' observer not otherwise involved in the project. Use of a `blind' observer overcomes the strong tendency to expectation bias inherent in exercise trials, particularly if the outcome assessments are also being made by the individual who provided the exercise intervention.

Our project is the first trial to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of targeting exercise advice at individual older people in their own homes. The interventions used were chosen so as to need no specialist equipment. They could, if successful, be readily adopted into clinical practice at only modest cost.

Elderly people with poor mobility living alone have limited opportunities to exercise, even if motivated to do so. Some institutions now provide exercise groups led by a visiting exercise therapist, and more active old people can avail themselves of exercise classes in the community. Neither of these options is available to most of our study population, who are constrained by frailty, transport problems and lack of facilities.

Frail elderly people potentially have the most to gain from exercise, by maximizing residual function. Further work is required to identify ways of targeting suitable elderly people living alone with restricted mobility who would benefit from exercise, and to describe the optimal exercise intervention.

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the financial support of Research Into Ageing. We thank the subjects and wardens of the participating sheltered complexes for their ready cooperation.

Further Information

Copies of the exercise programmes and health education information used in this study are available from the authors. Therabands are available from The Hygenic Corporation, 1246 Home Avenue, Akron OH 443.

References