The influence of physical exercises on elderly people’s balance and prevention of falls

The objective of the research: improvement of balance for elderly people. The research problem: the population of elderly people is rapidly increasing therefore it is important to maintain their physical activity and independence in daily life activities. Falls are considered as one of the basic factors affecting old-age morbidity and mortality. Therefore it is very important to detect risks of falls for elderly people and apply appropriate prevention measures. The aim of the research: to determine the effects of physical exercises for the elderly people’s balance and risk of falls. Objectives of the study: 1. To identify the factors influencing the elderly people’s risks of falls before and after physiotherapy; 2. To identify the influence of physical exercises for the elderly people’s static and dynamic balance before and after physiotherapy. The research methods and organization: The study took place at St. Joseph's long term social care public institution in Panevežys in 2012. The permission for the research was received from the director of the institution. The study involved 34 elderly people whose age ranged from 65 to 100 years. The participants of the research were divided into two groups: 17 in the control group and 17 in the experimental group. One of the research’s groups received the physical therapy program for nine weeks every day and the other, the control group, did not receive any intervention. Conclusion: 1. Physical therapy significantly improved balance, reduced weakness in the legs, hands, joint stiffness, and reduced the fear to fall and the risk of falling. 2. Physical therapy significantly improved static and dynamic balance