Spotlight

There's always something exciting going on at the Brooks Center. Here we provide you with a spotlight on an investigator, staff member or new trial.

New Study Launched to Prevent Falls in the Elderly

A new study funded by the Brooks Endowment Fund hoping to decrease falls in the elderly has begun. The study, titled Psychosocial Factors Influence on Response to Falls Intervention program in older Adults, is run by Dr. Mark Bishop, PT, PhD. The study goal is to find out how individual attitudes and thoughts, such as fear, might affect the changes they experience during intervention for a balance program. The patients will be accepted from the community and will be evaluated at The Brooks Center, located in the Health Care Plaza. Eligible participants must be over 60 years old and have had a history of at least two falls in the past year.

Eligible participants will complete a full evaluation and a home exercise program will be set up for them. The home exercise program will include strengthening exercises for hips, knees and ankles, and balance exercises like standing on one foot, walking heel-toe, single leg standing, walking forward or backward or picking objects off the floor. If the participant has inner ear problems, exercises may be given to help this as well. Participants must be willing to attend testing sessions once a month for three months. They will be paid $20 after each evaluation, with the potential to earn $80.

The possible benefits of being involved in this study include an improvement in strength and balance, and in increase in how much walking a person may do without falling.
The study may also help others by improving the design of exercises for strength and balance.

For more information on this study or if you would like to participate please contact Mark Bishop, PT, Ph.D at (352) 273-6112.