Decreasing Falls in Older Adults: Is Tai Chi a Solution?

As the population ages, there is a growing need to identify initiatives to increase quality of life while also reducing the number of healthcare dollars spent. Per the Centers for Disease Control, falls in the older adult population are both debilitating and costly, thus methods to reduce falls and the risk of falls have been researched including the practice of tai chi. The purpose of this project was to complete a literature review of randomized control trials, systematic reviews, and meta analyses to discover if the practice of tai chi decreases the risk or fear of falling in the older adult population. Results of the review demonstrated that tai chi does provides protective benefits within this population. Due to the cost-effectiveness of tai chi and its protective nature, it is believed that its practice will lead to increased mobility in this population in the years to come. (Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Susan Chrostowski)