Characteristics of and Barriers to Functional Status Assessment in Assisted Living.

The most commonly used functional status (FS) instruments were examined to determine the validity, reliability, sensitivity, and specificity to change and feasibility in residents in an assisted living facility (ALF). Twenty-six ALF residents were assessed weekly for up to 8 months using six instruments. Group and single-subject analyses were used to examine associations between instruments and acute events.

Exercise interventions, gait, and balance in older subjects with distal symmetric polyneuropathy: a three-group randomized clinical trial.

Objective: Older patients with a distal symmetric polyneuropathy are at markedly increase risk for falls and fall-related injuries. Despite this, few studies have investigated the effect of exercise regimens on gait and balance in this high-risk group.

Design: One hundred older patients with distal symmetric polyneuropathy were randomized to one of three interventions: functional balance training, Tai Chi, or education-only control.

Effects of step length, age, and fall history on hip and knee kinetics and knee co-contraction during the maximum step length test.

Background: Maximum step length is a brief clinical test involving stepping out and back as far as possible with the arms folded across the chest. This test has been shown to predict fall risk, but the biomechanics of this test are not fully understood. Knee and hip kinetics (moments and powers) are greater for longer steps and for younger subjects, but younger subjects also step farther.

Patient safety in the rehabilitation of the adult with an amputation.

This article reviews and summarizes the literature on patient safety issues in the rehabilitation of adults with an amputation. Safety issues in the following areas are discussed; the prosthesis, falls, wound care, pain, and treatment of complex patients. Specific recommendations for further research and implementation strategies to prevent injury and improve safety are also provided.

Training implications of maximal forces on a computer-controlled and motor-driven leg press by age group, sex, footplate direction, and speed.

Strength training that overloads lengthening muscle fibers may result in greater strength gains with less effort and perceived exertion than conventional training modalities. This study evaluates a device capable of this overloading (a motor-driven and computer-controlled leg press) to develop recommendations for future training interventions. Unimpaired younger and older men and women (7/group, total n=28) performed three maximal-effort trials for both directions of footplate motion (IN and OUT) at three speed profiles (knee rotation speeds of 15, 25, and 35°/s) on a motor-driven and computer-controlled leg press.

Effect of a group-based exercise program on balance in elderly.

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of 8-week group functional balance training classes on balance outcomes in community-dwelling veterans at risk for falls.

Design: Pre-test, post-test using retrospective data.

Setting: VISN 8 Patient Safety Center at James A.

Strategies to reduce risk of fall-related injuries in rehabilitation nursing.

Rehabilitation nurses are in a critical position to lead interdisciplinary team fall prevention management, including injury risk reduction. This article provides an update for rehabilitation nurses on evidence-based strategies to reduce patients'risk of fall-related injuries. This content builds on existing literature by focusing on knowledge to promote patient responses that reduce the risk of falls and ultimately fall-related injuries.