Walking Aids and Locomotion Training in the Emergency Department: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Mobility limitations are common in older adults and impact quality of life and social interaction. Walking aids can improve mobility and prevent falls but require oversight and training. Despite being recommended by geriatric emergency department (ED) guidelines, their effectiveness in this setting has not been studied to date.

Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness of training and provision of walking aids, with or without telemonitoring, on mobility, fear of falling, gait, functional capacity, quality of life, cognition, depression, and occurrence of falls in older adults after an ED visit compared with safe ambulation recommendations only.

Design, setting, and participants

This randomized clinical trial was conducted at the Geriatric ED of Hospital Síri

SUBMITTER: Polesel FS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12639483 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature