Finding Your Feet GB, and Safe Fall Azerbaijan

Abstract

This presentation outlines the work done on three projects across two nations. The adaptation of Yawara-chan-taiso to a UK cohort, the development of the British Judo Finding your Feet, Coach Education Programme and the delivery of the Safe Falls Azerbaijan Coach Education programme. A pilot study was conducted in the UK to evaluate the Yawara-chan taiso (YCT) with an elderly cohort to investigate the effect on their fear of falling to see if the programme could be culturally exported. An intervention group (mean age of 76.43 years), took part in YCT for a maximum of four sessions, these were delivered by experienced judo coaches. A control group (mean age of 72.29 years) attended a talk about fear of falling and were passive throughout. Data was collected using the Fear of Falling Questionnaire Revised (FFQ-R). The intervention group reported a statistically significant reduced fear of falling compared to the control. Thus, demonstrating that UK elderly participants completing YCT intervention reduced their fear of falling significantly. The British Judo Association commissioned an adapted version of YCT. This was taught to the coach educator team in the Federation. A course handbook and supporting learning materials were developed. The coach education programme is now live – ‘Finding your feet, safer falls for the elderly’. The Azerbaijan Judo Federation programme ‘Safe Falls for older people’ (Yaşlı insanlar üçün təhlükəsiz şəlalələr) was created. The techniques were taught to a group of experienced coaches. Over the following days the coaches delivered safe fall seminars under supervision at the Baku Clinic to older employees of the National Railway Company.