APTA Section on Geriatrics Balance & Falls Special Interest Group

Balance & Falls SIG

As a Section on Geriatrics member, you can participate in the Balance and Falls Special Interest Group (Balance and Falls SIG).

Look for information regarding the Balance and Falls SIG in each issue of GeriNotes, and on the web at www.geriatricspt.org, or plan to attend our meetings at Combined Sections or Annual Conference.

Joining the Balance and Falls SIG is easy. Just fax a note including your name, physical address, e-mail address and phone number to 608/221-9697. Please follow this with an e-mail message to our office.

SIG Description

The primary purpose of the Balance and Falls SIG is to provide a forum for the increase of knowledge and quality of practice for physical therapists in relation to older persons with balance problems and an increased risk for falling. The SIG uses various means to foster discussion and communication among its members. These include programs at CSM, articles in Gerinotes or other publications, and newsletters to members. Interested Section on Geriatrics members are encouraged to provide email addresses for communication.

Download the current SIG Standing Rules

Leadership

If you have questions about the Balance and Falls SIG or about balance and falls in general, feel free to contact one of the officers directly.

Chair
Mike T. Studer, PT, NCS, CEEAA
Mike@northwestrehab.com

Vice-Chair
Melanie Desumma, PT, MS
melanie.desumma@foxrehab.org

Secretary:
(also serves as Treasurer)
Brady Whetten, PT, DPT
Brady@northwestrehab.com
Nominating Committee Chair
Cielita Lopez-Lennon, PT, DPT, NCS
crimson_cougs@me.com

Abstracts

Fall prevention in the elderly: analysis and comprehensive review of methods used in the hospital and in the home.
Does a home based strength and balance program in people aged >= 80 years provide the best value for money to prevent falls?: A systematic review of economic analyses of falls prevention interventions.
Cost-effectiveness in fall prevention for older women.
Exercise intervention to prevent falls and enhance mobility in community dwellers after stroke: a protocol for a randomised controlled trial.
Can cognitive enhancers reduce the risk of falls in older people with Mild Cognitive Impairment?A protocol for a randomised controlled double blind trial.
Effect of hip protectors, falling angle and body mass index on pressure distribution over the hip during simulated falls.
Effects of potentially inappropriate psychoactive medications on falls in US nursing home residents: analysis of the 2004 National Nursing Home Survey database.

Members-Only Resources

Staying Vertical: Balance and Falls Reduction (developed by the Balance and Falls Special Interest Group) Link