A Matter of Balance: Program Outcomes for Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Aims: The purpose of this program evaluation was to determine if A Matter of Balance with volunteer lay leaders (AMOB/VLL) was effective in increasing fall self-efficacy, fall control, and fall management in community-dwelling older adults. Methods: Participants included community-dwelling older adults over the age of 60 who were concerned about falls and attended at least five of the eight AMOB/VLL program sessions. Fear of falling, pretest, posttest, and 3-, 6-, and 12- month follow-up data were collected from program participants between 2012 and 2013. Results: Participants demonstrated overall improvements in fall self-efficacy, fall control, and fall management. Qualitative analysis also showed that participants made behavioral, environmental, and physical changes after completing AMOB/VLL. There was also an overall improvement in sit-to-stand scores from pretest to posttest (M = 1.34, SD=2.49). Conclusions: Findings show that AMOB/VLL is effective in decreasing fear of falling by increasing fall self-efficacy, fall control, and fall management.
Fall prevention, fall self-efficacy, fear of falling, occupational therapy
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