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. 2021 Jul 19:12:21514593211029102.
doi: 10.1177/21514593211029102. eCollection 2021.

Toe Clearance Rehabilitative Slippers for Older Adults With Fall Risk: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Atsuko Satoh  1 , Yukoh Kudoh  2 , Sangun Lee  3 , Masumi Saitoh  2 , Miwa Miura  2 , Yuka Ohnuma  4 , Naoki Fukushi  2 , Aya Ono  1 , Hidetada Sasaki  5
Affiliations

Toe Clearance Rehabilitative Slippers for Older Adults With Fall Risk: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Atsuko Satoh et al. Geriatr Orthop Surg Rehabil. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Introduction: To evaluate fall-prevention rehabilitative slippers for use by self-caring, independent older adults.

Materials and methods: This assessor-blinded, randomized, and controlled 1-year study included 59 self-caring, independent participants (49 women) who attended day services. The mean age of participants was 84.0 ± 5.3 years. Participants were randomly selected from 8 nursing homes. We tested slippers top-weighted with a lead bead (200, 300, or 400 g). Intervention group participants walked while wearing the slippers for 10-20 min, 1-3 days/week at the day service center. Fall risk was measured using the Berg Balance Scale and the Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA) before and at 3-month intervals after the intervention/control phase.

Results: After 12 months, the intervention group demonstrated significant improvement. Berg Balance and POMA compared to the control group (p < .05 p < .01, respectively). Mobility scores improved significantly for both measurements in the intervention group before and after (p < .01), but the control group had significantly lower scores.

Discussion: Overall, falls decreased in the intervention group from 10 to 7, and control group falls increased from 9 to 16 (p = .02). No adverse events related to the intervention were reported.

Conclusions: Rehabilitation training slippers may reduce falls in older adults.

Keywords: balance; fall; older adults; prevent; training.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Participant flow in trial of rehabilitative slippers exercise vs usual exercise at day-service for fall prevention group.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Participants’ changes (25-75 percentile range) in fall risk values by the Berg Balance Scale (A) and the Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA) (B) for the intervention and control groups at the baseline and after 3-month, 6-month, 9-month, and 12-month periods. The Berg Balance Scale has a maximum value of 56 points; higher points indicate lower risk of fall. The POMA test has a maximum value of 28 points; higher points indicate lower risk of fall. Significance was *p < .05, **p < .01, calculated using Friedman’s test.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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