PhD Scientific Days 2026

Health Sciences 3.

Feasibility and Efficacy of the Backward Chaining Method for Floor-Recovery Training in Long-Term Care Residents

Name of the presenter

Kubik, Anna Zsófia

Institute/workplace of the presenter

Doctoral College of Semmelweis University, Health Sciences Division

Authors

Anna Zsófia Kubik¹, Zsigmond, Gyombolai², Dr. Simon, András³, Dr. Kovács Éva²
1: Doctoral College of Semmelweis University, Health Sciences Division
2: Semmelweis University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Morphology and Physiology
3: Semmelweis University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy

Text of the abstract

Introduction: Fear of being unable to stand up from the floor after a fall often leads older adults to reduce their physical activity, inadvertently increasing their future fall risk. The Backward Chaining Method (BCM) was developed specifically for this population to safely teach and practice the movement sequence required for floor-to-stand transitions.

Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the BCM in teaching long-term care residents how to stand up from the floor and to determine the training’s impact on functional mobility, muscle strength, fear of falling, and life-space mobility.

Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 26 residents of a long-term care facility were allocated to an intervention group (IG, n=13) or a control group (CG, n=13). The IG participated in a seven-week BCM training program in addition to the standard care typically provided in long-term care facilities, while the CG received the standard care alone. The primary outcome measure was functional mobility, assessed by the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Secondary outcome measures included functional lower limb strength, grip strength, fear of falling, and life-space mobility. Outcomes were measured at baseline and after the conclusion of the intervention.

Results: Following the seven-week training program, no significant between-group differences were observed in functional mobility, lower limb strength, or grip strength. However, the IG demonstrated significantly lower fear of falling scores (p = 0.01) and significantly higher life-space mobility (p = 0.004) and independent life-space mobility scores (p = 0.015) compared to the CG. The BCM training program showed high acceptability among long-term care residents, with a mean attendance rate of 94%, and the majority (11 out of 13) of IG participants successfully mastered the movement sequence required to get up from the floor without adverse events.

Conclusion: The Backward Chaining Method is a feasible and well-tolerated intervention in long-term care settings. While it may not significantly improve objective physical strength in the short term, it provides meaningful benefits by reducing fear of falling and increasing life-space mobility. These results suggest BCM may be a valuable addition to standard geriatric physiotherapy interventions.

Funding: This research received no external funding.