title: Evaluation of a combined cognitive-behavioural and exercise intervention to manage fear of falling among elderly residents in nursing homes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although the fear of falling is common among elderly residents in long-term care facilities, interventions developed for fear of falling management is very rare. Of these limited interventions, most were exercise interventions with only limited testing. The cognitive-behavioural intervention can decrease the fear of falling; however no intervention of the kind was developed and assessed to decrease fear of falling among the elderly in long-term care facilities. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural strategies either with or without exercise in reducing fear of falling among elderly residents in nursing homes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective randomized control trial was conducted in six nursing homes in northern Taiwan. Seventy-five elderly participants were randomly assigned to one of the three groups: the comparison group, the cognitive-behavioural strategies with or without exercise group. The fear of falling, falls, depressive inclination, mobility, and muscle strength of extremities were collected at the two-month and five-month follow-up sessions, in which the progress of the patients were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mixed model analysis revealed that elderly adults in the combination experimental group had significant improvements compared with the other two groups on fear of falling, depressive inclination, mobility, and muscle strength at five months. The incidences of falls, post intervention, in both experimental groups were significantly lower than those in the comparison group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that the combination intervention helped elderly residents manage their fear of falling and falls, decrease their depressive inclination, and enhance their mobility and muscle strength.
authors: a School of Nursing , College of Medicine, Chang Gung University , Taiwan.|b Healthy Aging Research Center , Chang Gung University , Taiwan.
authors: Tzu-Ting
authors: TT
authors: Huang
authors: c National Taoyuan Special School , Taiwan.
authors: Meng-Ling
authors: ML
authors: Chung
authors: d Mackay Memorial Hospital , Taiwan.
authors: Fan-Ru
authors: FR
authors: Chen
authors: a School of Nursing , College of Medicine, Chang Gung University , Taiwan.
authors: Yen-Fan
authors: YF
authors: Chin
authors: a School of Nursing , College of Medicine, Chang Gung University , Taiwan.
authors: Bi-Hwa
authors: BH
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003071:Cognition; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D015444:Exercise; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength; D009735:Nursing Homes; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013624:Taiwan; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: fear of falling; nursing homes; randomize controlled trial