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Steady As You Go (SAYGO): A Falls-Prevention Program for Seniors Living in the Community*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 March 2010

Ellie Robson ,
Joy Edwards ,
Elaine Gallagher  and
Dorothy Baker
Ellie Robson*
Affiliation:
Population Health and Research, Capital Health Region
Joy Edwards
Affiliation:
Population Health and Research, Capital Health Region
Elaine Gallagher
Affiliation:
University of Victoria
Dorothy Baker
Affiliation:
Yale University
*
Requests for offprints should be sent to: / Les demandes de tirés-a-part doivent être adressé e s à: Ellie Robson, M.H.Ed., Health Strategy Researcher, Population Health and Research, Capital Health Region, Suite 300, 10216–124, Street, Edmonton, ABT5N 4A3. (erobson@cha.ab.ca)
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Abstract

This study was an implementation and community trial of a new falls-prevention program for seniors called Steady As You Go (SAYGO). The program, designed in the Capital Health region of Alberta, integrated the knowledge gained from successful falls-prevention research into a brief community intervention. SAYGO included a multifactorial, risk-abatement approach, as well as a cognitive-behavioural and environmental focus. The target population was relatively healthy and mobile, community-dwelling seniors. The randomized community trial was conducted in urban and rural areas in Alberta, with 660 seniors participating. Seniors who completed the program made significant reductions in eight of the nine risk factors addressed in the program. Over a 4-month follow-up period, the proportion of seniors who fell was lower in the treatment group (17%) than in the control group (23%). Among those seniors who had reported a fall in the previous year, a significantly lower proportion of those in the treatment group experienced a fall in the follow-up period (20%) as compared to those in the control group (35%).

Résumé

Cette recherche portant sur la mise en oeuvre et l'essai communautaire d'un nouveau programme de prévention des chutes pour les personnes âgées surnommé « Steady as You Go (SAYGO) ». Le programme a été conçu dans la région de la Capitale santé de l'Alberta et mariait les connaissances acquises des recherches réussies en prévention des chutes à l'intervention communautaire à court terme. Le programme SAYGO comprenait une méthode multifactorielle et une approche de réduction des risques de même qu'une focalisation cognitivo-comportementale et environnementale. La population visée était des personnes âgées, vivant en communauté, plus ou moins en santé et mobile. Au total, 660 personnes âgées ont participé à l'essai communautaire randomisé. Le tout s'est déroulé dans des zones urbaines et rurales de la province. Les personnes âgées qui ont complété le programme ont connu des réductions importantes dans huit de neuf facteurs de risque adressés. Durant la période de suivi de 4 mois, il y a eu une réduction du nombre de chutes des personnes âgées appartenant au groupe traitement (17 %) par rapport au groupe témoin (23 %). Parmi celles qui avaient indiqué une chute l'année précédente, un nombre réduit de personnes âgées du groupe traitement ont subi une chute durant la période de suivi (20 %) comparativement au groupe témoin (35 %).

Keywords

agingfalls preventionhealthy community-dwelling seniorsvieillissementprévention des chutespersonnes âgées en santé vivant en communauté
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 22 , Issue 2 , Summer/L'été 2003 , pp. 207 - 216
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2003

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Footnotes

*

Capital Health Authority (CHA), Regional Public Health (formerly the Edmonton Board of Health), gratefully acknowledges Health Canada's, The New Horizons: Partners in Aging Program for funding the implementation and evaluation of this program. Thanks also to Alberta Health for funding its initial design. Collaborative partners of the program included: The Society for the Retired and Semi-Retired (Edmonton), the Edmonton Chinese Community Services Centre, and the East Central Health Region of Alberta.

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