Posted April 16, 2009
IT is marketed as an electronic games console for the young, but now an investigation is under way to see if the Nintendo Wii can help stop the elderly from falling down.
People over 70 who have fallen at least once in the past year are being sought to take part in a balance study that uses the popular gaming system.
The research, funded by the British Geriatrics Society, will use gentle exercises to see if they make any difference to their balance.
“Falls are the most common cause of accidental injury in older people and the most common cause of accidental death in 75-year- olds and over, ” said Dr Marie Fraser, specialist registrar at Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen.
“The over-65s who live independently in the community fall at a rate of 30per cent a year, and this rises as they get older. Some 6per cent of falls result in a broken bone including potentially fatal injuries such as fractured hips.
“Falls cause real problems both for the individual and for our population as a whole. As well as causing injury, they can lead to loss of confidence, a fear of falling, reduced quality of life and even early death. They also have a health care cost.
“NHS Grampian’s Department of Medicine for the Elderly is working closely with colleagues at the University of Aberdeen to explore and develop innovative approaches to improving balance.
“We are evaluating computer-assisted exercise programmes to see if these are suitable and acceptable to the elderly population.”
After an initial assessment by a physiotherapist, volunteers will be guided through the Wii sessions which involve a warm up and then a maximum of 30 minutes of simple balance games.
The idea of using Wii Fit and its balance board came from Dr Alison Stewart, commercial research manager with NHS Grampian.
She said: ” A total of 90per cent of hip fractures are due to falls. As many older people have a problem with their balance, I wanted to investigate balance and initially I proposed using a piece of equipment that cost several thousand pounds.
“When no grants were forthcoming to pay for this equipment, I heard that the Wii Fit balance board might do exactly the same thing. I’m hoping this will be the case – and that it will also provide our volunteers with the added value of being entertained at the same time.”
Anyone wishing to volunteer for the study should call 01224 556789 and leave their details
Date: Mar 31, 2009
