Staying Steady: a community based exercise initiative for falls prevention

Over the past decade falls in the older population have become a priority in government policy. There is good evidence to suggest that tailored exercise effectively reduces falls; however, much of this evidence takes the form of randomized controlled trials that do not reflect the diversity of clinical practice. In response to emerging evidence, a community falls prevention program, called Staying Steady, was developed targeting older people at risk of falls. The program was evaluated using a mixed methods approach to capture both the personal experiences of the five participants, and any measurable clinical outcomes. The narrative accounts, supported by the measurable clinical outcomes, indicated that it was possible to replicate the results of large trials at a local level. The qualitative aspect of the evaluation enabled detailed consideration of other issues important to falls prevention programs. A social cognitive model was used to explain the reasons why participants either did, or did not, adhere to the program. The acceptability of the program to the participants was also explored in detail. Recommendations have been made to develop the Staying Steady program for future service users.