Implementation of a Tai Chi Program for Community-Dwelling Older Women

Older adult falls are a significant global and national public health concern. Research substantiates Tai Chi as effective exercise for improving balance thus reducing the fear and risk of falling and number of falls. Despite the evidence that Tai Chi is clinically and cost effective, it is not widely translated into community fall prevention programs, specifically not in programs offered by health systems. This quality improvement project evaluated a community-based implementation of a Tai Chi exercise program for older women at a healthcare system. A 12-week Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance (TCMBB) program was implemented with community-dwelling women age 55 and greater. Participants attended a 60-minute Tai Chi exercise class twice a week for 12 weeks. A quasi-experimental pre- and post-test design was used to measure the effect of Tai Chi exercise in individual’s perceived balance confidence in performing 16 functional tasks at baseline and at 12-weeks following the Tai Chi intervention. Findings demonstrate an overall 7% improvement in perceived balance scores indicating a reduction in fall risk. The feasibility and successful translation of a TCMBB for community based older women was also demonstrated within a large, urban health system. Furthermore, the program was evaluated highly by the women who participated in the study. These findings demonstrate translation of research on Tia Chi and fall reduction to an effective, low cost, community-based fall prevention program for reductions in fall risks.