Experiences and motivations of older adults completing Age UK Strength and Balance training in North Tyneside

Introduction: Approximately a third of community dwelling adults over the age of 65 fall each year, with around half experiencing more than one fall per year. Currently within North Tyneside older adults who have had a fall, or are at risk of falling, may be invited to attend a specialist falls clinic; if appropriate they may be referred to Age UK North Tyneside’s Strength and Balance Class. Improving strength and balance in those at risk is an established intervention, yet adherence to programmes, and the subsequent adoption of exercise post-intervention varies. This work aims to explore why participants attended (or did not attend) the classes, whether they felt benefit from the classes and if they had adopted any new behaviours into their day to day routines. Method: 18 users of the Age UK Strength and Balance users were recruited from the quantitative arm of our mixed methods project, having been attenders of both the North Tyneside Community Falls Prevention Service (NTCFPS) and Age UK classes. Participants were interviewed in the NTCFPS over a 9 month period in 2023. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, with an inductive thematic analysis approach selected for analysis. Results: Findings revealed a broadly positive experience of the classes, with participants particularly engaging with the shared background that the classes’ social support offered. Participants that were previously active were more likely to engage with further strength and balance training or resources, often wishing to continue with classes provided by Age UK. Conclusions: Users of the classes enjoyed the programme, regardless of if they felt they received benefit from them. Addressing common barriers requires better communication of logistical aids available to them. Further work is required to understand preferences of facilitators and barriers of completing further classes or training, either independently or in a group environment.