Balance and coordination exercises in the older adult at risk of falling

Abstract

Introduction. Over the years, the elderly present various health states, where falls is one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality caused by loss of balance and decreased mobility, causing the development of disabling diseases and even death. death; In addition, it represents high social health expenses; that can be avoided and reduced by appropriate intervention-

Objective: To determine the effects of a plan of balance and coordination exercises to prevent falls in the elderly.

Materials and methods. Quasi-experimental study, of longitudinal design, in 23 Ecuadorian older adults between 65 and 85 years of age; selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. A systematic review was carried out in databases such as PubMed, PEDro, Scielo, Medline, Medigraphic, and Science Direct, based on keywords, generating 50 articles and of which 20 eligible for the exercise plan were obtained. The risk of falls was assessed with the Tinetti scale and the Times Up and Go (TUG) test; while the level of dependency was evaluated with the Barthel index. The data obtained were tabulated and analyzed through the statistical program SPSS V22 from IBM,

Results. Significant clinical and statistical changes were observed between the measurements before and after the intervention in the Tinetti scale (0.001) and in the Barthel index (0.046); while in the TUG test there were no significant differences.

Conclution. Coordination and balance exercises are effective in preventing the risk of falls in this group of older adults.