Authors: Rik Dawson, Jenni Suen, Catherine Sherrington, Wing Kwok, Marina B Pinhjeiro, Abby Haynes, Charlotte McLennan, Katy Sutcliffe, Dylan Kneale and Suzanne Dyer.

This is an interesting study looking at different and effective exercise plans, and their delivery in fall prevention effort for aged care residents over the age of 65.

As we know, falls in the elderly can severely impact on their mobility, independence, confidence and even result in death, so this makes fall prevention a top priority for care providers.

The study highlights the importance of key elements in fall prevention exercise programmes:

• They should include balance and strength exercises, relating to everyday functions such as squatting, standing up from a chair and standing on one leg, progressing from non- to partial- to full weight bearing as able.
• They should be delivered with moderate intensity.
• They are catered to the client’s needs.
• They are delivered appropriately (supervised) and sustained over time.

This study interested me as StandSure is currently being used in a fall prevention unit at a hospital in London, where patients most commonly are recovering from stroke and/or have dementia. These clients often have a fear or inability to put their feet firmly on the ground; StandSure has been used in seated therapy programmes where full weight bearing is unachievable, progressing to full weight bearing over time, using repetitive sit to stand motion. It has also been demonstrated that StandSure can effectively be your extra pair of hands in a therapy session, allowing the therapist to use their hands elsewhere on the body knowing that the feet are well grounded. Incorporating this into a well-structured and supervised exercise programme, aged care facilities can make tangible differences to the lives of elderly clients and promote a more active and healthier lifestyle.