Effectiveness and economic evaluation of a nurse delivered home exercise programme to prevent falls. 1: Randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of a trained district nurse individually prescribing a home based exercise programme to reduce falls and injuries in elderly people and to estimate the cost effectiveness of the programme. Design: Randomised controlled trial with one year's follow up. Setting: Community health service at a New Zealand hospital Participants: 240 women and men aged 75 years and older. Intervention: 121 participants received the exercise programme (exercise group) and 119 received usual care (control group); 900/o (211 of 233) completed the trial. Main outcome measures: Number of falls, number of injuries resulting from falls, costs of implementing the programme, and hosp..