A new treatment programme to improve balance in elderly people--an evaluation of an individually tailored home-based exercise programme in five elderly women with a feeling of unsteadiness

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate an individually tailored home-based exercise programme of balance in the elderly. The aim was also to examine if the degree of confidence of a person in performing common daily activities without falling could be influenced by training and if there were any relations between different physical factors and balance as well as between the degree of confidence in performing common daily activities without falling and balance.

Method: A multiple baseline design in a single case format was used and five women were included in the study. These five women trained by walking outdoors for six weeks, they trained neck rotation isolated and integrated in activities for 4 weeks and performed an individual balance programme for 2 weeks.

Results and conclusions: The results showed that four of the five women had improved their balance and increased their degree of confidence in performing common daily activities without falling. The improved balance could be related to the increased activity level through walking outdoors. The treatment programme can be a useful model for physiotherapists in their work with balance problems in elderly people.