The ultimate goal of this research is to develop a communication system that will be used to create a tele-exercise program for those elders who are home-bound, at risk for falls or fall-related injuries. The communication system will require minimal user-interaction and technical management at the client end, will be affordable by middle or low income elders, and will allow real time interaction (both visual and audio) with the exercise director/supervisor during the exercise time. It is hoped that this innovative tele-exercise program will be able to attract more elders who use to have sedentary life style, inactive, or home-bound that prevent them from participating in community based group exercise programs, to retain higher levels of participation, and to promote better health and quality of life, than the traditional, community-based group exercise programs. For this Phase I study, we will explore the feasibility of building and using the telecommunication system for home-based elderly exercise program. There are three specific aims: 1) We will develop a functional prototype that allows one-to-multiple real time audio and video communications. The primary focus of the prototype development will be on its functional performance, instead of its appearance, physical dimension, and cost. 2) We will test this prototype in a laboratory-based simulated environment to assess the quality of the communication and the ease of use. We will make modifications based on the test results, and will produce a final prototype for field testing. 3) We will install the prototype system in the home of a group of elders who are at risk for falls, and start a tele-exercise program. We will assess the quality of the communication, the level of acceptance and satisfaction by the targeted elderly users, the amount of technical support provided, and the effectiveness of the exercise program.
