Home-based stroke program reduces falls, improves mobility

 Reducing falls IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH! You need to prevent them entirely. 

Survivors want full recovery; WHY THE FUCK AREN'T YOU DELIVERING THAT?

Home-based stroke program reduces falls, improves mobility

A multidisciplinary(Useless big word, you're just trying to make it sound important!), home-based intervention significantly reduced fall rates in community-dwelling stroke survivors, achieving a 33% decrease in falls over 12 months compared with usual care.

Improvements in mobility, balance, self-efficacy, and community participation suggest that tailored exercise, home hazard reduction, and goal-directed coaching can meaningfully enhance recovery and safety for ambulatory post-stroke patients.

The findings were published in the BMJ.

“More than twice as many people with stroke have falls compared with the general older population, and they are also likely to be repeat fallers,” said lead author Lindy Clemson, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. “Falls after stroke can lead to serious injury and hospitalisation, delaying recovery and rehabilitation, and jeopardising long-term health and wellbeing. The decrease we saw in the rate of falls among people receiving the active intervention program was underpinned by worthwhile improvements in their mobility, balance, community participation, and self-efficacy.”

The study enrolled 370 adults aged >50 years who were within 5 years of a stroke and able to walk 10 metres with or without an aid. Participants were randomised to either usual care or a 6-month, 3-part intervention program delivered by a physiotherapist and an occupational therapist working together, via a series of 10 home visits and follow-up phone calls. The individualised program encompassed 3 components: (1) habit-forming exercise to improve balance and strength, embedded into daily activities, based on the Lifestyle integrated Functional Exercise (LiFE) program; (2) fall hazard reduction focused on adapting the home environment and encouraging protective behaviours to reduce risk; and (3) coaching participants towards a goal for mobility outside the home, such as walking in the park, a shopping trip or using public transport.

After 12 months, the intervention group experienced a 33% reduction in the rate of falls compared with usual care (P = .02). While the proportion of participants experiencing a fall did not differ significantly, those in the intervention group showed meaningful improvements in self-efficacy, mobility, balance, and community participation, indicating enhanced confidence and functional independence.

“By focusing on stroke survivors living in their communities and testing an intervention delivered in the home, we’ve ensured the intervention reflects something that can readily be implemented,” Catherine M. Dean, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. “We believe our world-first finding could help reduce the global burden of falls after stroke.”

Reference: https://www.bmj.com/content/392/bmj-2025-085519

SOURCE: Macquarie University