The Balance and Foot Health Program for Older Adults

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This multicenter cluster-randomized trial compares a multimodal Foot Health Program plus balance training against balance training alone in nursing home residents. Twenty facilities are randomized 1:1 to either intervention, with about 200 participants total. The intervention consists of weekly foot health workshops alongside standard balance sessions, aiming to see if improving foot health and strengthening foot muscles enhances functional mobility and fall prevention. Eligibility includes residents 65+ who can walk with or without aid, have fall risk factors, and can consent. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline and through follow-up visits to determine additive benefit of the foot-focused program.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* People aged 65 and older.
* Residents of nursing homes.
* Able to walk, with or without a walking aid (cane, walker, etc.)
* Residents at risk of falling, defined by at least one of the following criteria: history of a fall within the last 12 months; unsteadiness while walking or balance issues; limited mobility.
* Able to understand and follow simple instructions.
* Able to participate in workshops.
* Enrolled in a social security program or beneficiaries of an equivalent program.
* Individuals (participants, guardians, or conservators, as applicable) who have been informed and have provided written consent for their participation in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

\- Regular use of minimalist shoes at the time of enrollment.

* Medical condition or clinical situation contraindicating the use of minimalist shoes, as determined by the investigator.
* Use of orthopedic shoes prescribed by a healthcare professional.
* Unhealed foot wound or active foot infection.
* Recent lower limb fracture (\< 3 months) or recent lower limb trauma, likely to limit participation in the workshops or contraindicate foot mobilization, as assessed by the investigator.
* Severe cognitive impairment preventing the understanding of simple instructions or participation in the workshops.
* Any other clinical condition deemed incompatible with participation in the study by the investigator.

Where it's running

• EHPAD " Les 2 Volcans"
  Allègre, France Recruiting
• EHPAD "Saint Dominique"
  Craponne-sur-Arzon, France Recruiting
• EHPAD Centre Hospitalier du Pays De Craponne
  Craponne-sur-Arzon, France Recruiting
• EHPAD "Résidence Ruessium"
  Saint-Paulien, France Recruiting
• EHPAD "Foyer Notre-Dame"
  Beaulieu, France Not yet recruiting
• EHPAD "Bon secours"
  Beauzac, France Not yet recruiting

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

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• Steady Stride fall-prevention program versus usual primary care

  This study will see if the Steady Stride physiatry-based program helps people 65 and older who had at least two falls in the past six months reduce future falls compared with usual primary care.

  Recruiting Steady Strides: Fall Prevention and Stroke Rehabilitation Medical Institute · Baltimore, Maryland · NCT07092176

How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.