The effect of a nurse-led intervention on number of falls and acceptance of disability in patients with Parkinsonʼs disease

Falling is one of the possible complications of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Also, Parkinson’s patients become disabled due to the gradual progression of the disease; however, acceptance of the disability (AOD) can help in managing the illness. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a nurse-led intervention on the prevention of falls and AOD in patients with PD.

In this study 240 patients over 60 years of age were selected from specialized clinics and randomly divided into 2 experimental and control groups. Both groups received their usual care; however, the experimental group also received a separate nurse-led intervention twice a month for 6 months. The number of falls and the AOD were measured (using a modified Chinese version of the AOD scale).

During the 6‑month follow-up, falls in the control group were more than the experimental group (165 vs. 92 falls). The AOD of the experimental group had increased significantly in the postintervention period and the 6‑month follow-up compared to the preintervention (from 60.4 ± 19.25 preintervention to 65.125 ± 18.52 postintervention and 65.433 ± 18.30 in follow-up, p < 0.05). Also, the AOD of the experimental group was significantly higher than the control group in the two time periods of postintervention and follow-up (postintervention: 65.125 ± 18.52 in experimental group and 58.78 ± 19.32 in control group; follow up: 65.433 ± 18.30 in experimental group and 57.52 ± 18.97 in control group, p < 0.05).

The nurse-led intervention can be an effective noninvasive method to reduce the number of falls and increase the AOD in patients with PD.