Introduction
There is good evidence that tailored, specific exercise can improve postural stability and reduce other risk factors for falls and injurious injuries including osteoporotic fracture. It is essential, therefore, that Primary Health Care Teams and Social Services, ideally placed to detect individuals with a risk or history of falling, recognise the benefits of, and promote, referral into an appropriate exercise programme.
The course has been specifically designed to improve postural stability and reduce the risk of falls. It has been developed by a team with extensive expertise in the fields of research, exercise, medicine and general practice, falls and injury prevention, rehabilitation, education, social services and public health. It is based on published research showing a reduction in falls and falls injuries in people who have a high risk of falls.
It is a recognised, validated course and the only training course in the UK specifically for exercise and falls prevention (pending CIMSPA endorsement). Candidates successfully completing PSI course are recognised by CIMSPA as Fellow of the Chartered Institute and the title, Senior Activity and Health Practitioner.
Above all, this training course is practical, evidence-based and inter-disciplinary in nature, and aims to prepare candidates to promote independence and reduce falls among older people through the delivery of safe, effective, specialised exercise programmes.
The PSI (FaME) intervention has also been shown to work in a primary prevention trial. After a 6 month intervention, those in the FaME group significantly increased their moderate physical activity by 15 minutes a day and reduced their chances of falling by 26% compared to Otago and Usual Care Groups, even a year after the intervention finished. Click here to read more. Finally, you can download a FaME Implementation Toolkit to support service provision and fidelity here.
Original Development Team
The Training Curriculum, first developed in 1999, is supported by a National Advisory Group consisting of key personnel from Age Concern England, Ageing Well Active Age Unit; BHF National Centre For Physical Activity and Health, Loughborough University; Extend; Health Development Agency; Help The Aged; National Association for Providers of Activities for Older People; Research Into Ageing; Department of Primary Care & Population Science, Old Age Psychiatry & Health Services for Elderly People, University College School of Medicine & Royal Free Hospital NHS Trust, London; Department of Geriatric Medicine, King’s College London: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Edinburgh University; Department of Geriatric Medicine, Nottingham City Hospital; Departments of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy, St. George’s Hospital NHS Trust and Medical School. For more information on the development of the PSI training, see our history. The curriculum and learning journey is reviewed annually and new research added.
Evaluation
New Guidelines for Exercise Programming for the Frail Elderly have been published by the Better Ageing Collaborative based on the results of the European Commission Framework V Better Ageing Project. The project used the FaME programme as the basis of the exercise intervention and the original protocol for the FaME exercise intervention is cited. Click here to view.
The Wiltshire Health promotion services works with PSIs to ensure good practice in evidence based exercise provision in their falls service, Click here. In 2012, Aberystwyth University and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board performed a favourable evaluation on the “Functional and Psychological Changes During a Community Based 32 Week Postural Stability Training Programme: Recommendations for Future Practice“. A lovely brief video about the benefits that older people have felt from the classes is available to view here.
Evaluations from students on the course can be seen on the right in the testimonials section of the page. Finally, some published research papers (with PSIs as instructors) can be viewed in the Resources section and some new research (with PSI instructors) can be viewed in the News section.