Tailored group exercise (Falls Management Exercise — FaME) reduces falls in community-dwelling older frequent fallers (an RCT)

Frequent or recurrent fallers are more likely to have chronic medical conditions and physiological impairments, exhibit functional decline and have poor outcomes, than single fallers [1]. Fractures are also more common in recurrent fallers than single fallers [2]. Modern surgery for hip fracture can no longer improve on its outcomes [3] and therefore, effective prevention of falls [4, 5] is the key to preventing disability and death. There is still no published evidence that a single intervention (tailored group exercise) can prevent falls or injuries in a high risk group of frequent fallers. This randomised controlled trial (RCT) aimed to investigate the impact of a 36 week individualised and tailored group and home exercise intervention, compared with a control intervention, in reducing falls and injuries in communitydwelling, independent-living, frequent falling women aged 65 years and over. Preliminary results have been published in abstract form [6]. The primary outcome was falls and fallrelated injuries. The secondary outcome was the number of frequent fallers who had died, had moved into residential care or were in hospital compared with the group they were in.