Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
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Review
Interventions to reduce fear of falling in community-living older people: a systematic review.
The objective was to assess which interventions effectively reduce fear of falling in community-living older people. An extensive search for relevant literature comprised a database search of PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials; expert consultation; and manually searching reference lists from potentially relevant papers. Randomized, controlled trials that assessed fear of falling in community-living older people were included. ⋯ Three of these interventions explicitly aimed to reduce fear of falling. Several interventions, including interventions not explicitly aimed at fear of falling, resulted in a reduction of fear of falling in community-living older people. Limited but fairly consistent findings in trials of higher methodological quality showed that home-based exercise and fall-related multifactorial programs and community-based tai chi delivered in group format have been effective in reducing fear of falling in community-living older people.
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To determine how prescribing for comorbid illnesses and symptom control changes during the palliative phase of a terminal illness. ⋯ Prescribing changes as life-limiting illnesses progress, with older people taking more medications. Medications for comorbid medical conditions should be reviewed in the context of their original therapeutic goals.