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Fall is defined as an abrupt, unexpected event where one comes to rest on the ground or floors. This is one of the major causes of disability among adults and elders, inducing reduced mobility and low quality of life. The elderlies living alone were in high-risk of frequent falls, thus, various rehabilitation interventions for them were needed including exercise programs, which was found to be useful. In this study, an alternative, which is virtual reality, was used as a viable intervention for fall prevention. Specifically, it used the Nintendo Wii, a small and cheap personal game console, on the exercise physicomental playing. The aims of present studies were to define through quantitative measuring the effect of virtual reality programs in Wii sports games on the balance of elderly people who are living alone and at the risk of falling. Computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) was applied as the data collection procedure to quantitatively measure the effect of virtual reality programs in Wii sports games on the balance of elderly people. The study included 30 patients over 65 years of age who lived alone and had a self-reported balance deficit or fall history before the evaluation. The participants were casted at random to empirical (n=15) or control group (n=15). The empirical group kept three Wii balance exercises composed by forty minutes per week totalizing for 12 weeks. The control group have not performed any empirical program other than conventional recreational therapy. This study used a CDP to evaluate all patients at the starting and termination point of the study. In addition, all subjects were assessed by the Short Form of Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) to screen their depression level and to measure the therapeutic effects. A statistical significance was verified among patients about treatments utilizing t-test. After 36 experimental times, the sensory organization test showed significant differences in the fifth and sixth conditions and a vestibular ratio of the empirical group from the basis to the after-test. In opposition, littile statistically compelling discrepancy was detected in control groups. The empirical group revealed a compelling betterment in the GDS following the program compared to the control group. This study demonstrated quantitatively that a virtual reality exercise program, such as in Wii, may improve the balancing ability of older people who live alone and at high risk of falls. The Wii program, which does not take up much space, is inexpensive, easy to move and install, and can be widely applied to physical therapy for elderly patients who live alone and at high risk of falling.
