Steady as she goes

Tai chi retains its status as exercise regime of choice for a range of health conditions. A recent trial of a tailored Tai chi programme to improve postural stability with people with Parkinson's disease found benefit amongst mild to moderate Parkinson's sufferers. Research in Sports Medicine offers another review of this form of exercise for falls prevention. Elsewhere, Tai chi is described as a "promising intervention" for reducing fracture risk amongst older osteopenic women. Exercise of any kind is recommended for people with chronic illness and depressive symptoms in a systematic review.

Halcyon daze

Healthy Ageing Across the Life Course, or HALCyon is an interdisciplinary study looking at the factors that contribute to healthy ageing. A survey of early findings from five of the eight workstreams appears in the journal Public Health. The Department of Work and Pensions has released its final report on the Active at 60 pilot into the scope for using smart technology for delivering services to older people. The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health publishes an evaluation study of a "worksite vitality intervention" for older hospital workers.

Handle with care

Community based screening for frailty in older people is attracting a degree of attention in the literature. A review of how frailty is recognised and managed in primary care is a timely addition. The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society publishes a panel review of screening older people for particular conditions, as represented in a raft of guidelines. They find that screening for insufficient physical activity, cardiovascular risk factors and smoking are appropriate in aiming to prevent functional decline. A systematic review of screening tools for use in primary health care identifies the Tilburg Frailty Indicator and the SHARE Frailty Index as the most appropriate. A prospective study in a community context looks at Tilburg alongside the Gronigen Frailty Indicator and the Sherbrooke Postal Questionnaire.

Cancer survival rates

Improvements in cancer survival rates over the past 40 years in the UK are charted by Macmillan Cancer Support in a study undertaken by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Huge improvements for some cancers are contrasted with an absence of change for others, particularly lung, brain and pancreatic cancers. NHS Information Centre has published data on bowel cancer care that highlights the continuing problem with late diagnosis. A policy briefing from Breast Cancer Care takes a look at inequalities in care, especially amongst older women.

Risk assessments are the key

Not a popular position to take, but this is exactly what a clinical review in the BMJ proposes, as regards falls prevention. Falls risk screening, as recommended by NICE and the American British Geriatric Society guidelines, really works. The review also includes some video footage of assessments. A study from King's College London's Institute of Gerontology considers the possibility of a community partnership with the fire and rescue services.