Jane Basley

Strength and Balance
for Seniors

I deliver a home based, individually tailored strength and balance retraining programme for seniors.

Falls can seem such simple events that the solutions might also appear to be simple, but unfortunately, this is not always the case, and impaired strength and balance contributes to most falls.

The programme I deliver is the result of many years of research. It was developed in New Zealand at the end of the 90’s and has been evaluated in both research and routine healthcare services.

Overall, the exercise programme has proved to be effective in reducing the number of falls, and the number of injuries resulting from falls by 35%. It was also shown to be equally effective for men and women.

The outcome of the programme is improved participants’ strength and balance; this also improves and maintains their confidence in carrying out everyday activities without falling.

The Programme

The programme is designed specifically to prevent falls. It consists of a set of leg muscle strengthening and balance retraining exercises progressing in difficulty, and a walking plan.

The exercises are individually prescribed and increase in difficulty during a series of six home visits.

What happens in the programme?

• On the first visit I take a clinical history to understand current and previous conditions that may affect progress, take baseline strength and balance measurements, and prescribe an initial set of exercises for the client to become familiar with.

• After each home visit I provide the client with guidance on how to complete the exercises we have covered in the session.
We also use some light equipment in the form of light ankle weights, resistance bands and a soft foam balance pad.

• At each visit we review progress and agree how to progress the exercises.
At the end of the programme the client has a small library of exercises to use to keep their strength and balance going.