SUNBEAM: The Falls Evidence Behind Targeted Reablement Groups
When we say our targeted reablement groups are evidence-based, this is the evidence: SUNBEAM (Strength and Balance Exercise in Aged Care), a randomised controlled trial across Australian residential facilities that reduced falls by 55% among participating residents (Hewitt et al, 2018). In a sector where falls drive hospitalisations, ambulance costs and premature decline, it remains the strongest exercise result we have in residential care.
What the trial actually did
SUNBEAM tested a structured progressive resistance and balance program: two sessions a week for 25 weeks, delivered in small groups, followed by a maintenance phase. Sessions combined progressive strength work - properly loaded, not token - with balance training that got genuinely challenging as residents improved. The 55% reduction in falls came with improved mobility and physical performance measures.
The signal for providers: meaningful exercise dosage works for aged care residents. Gentle-exercise-for-everyone classes have social value, but they are not a falls prevention program.
What it looks like week to week
Translated into a running facility program:
- Small groups of 4 to 6 residents, selected against eligibility criteria - cognition and mobility levels where progressive training is safe and effective
- Two sessions weekly, prescribed and progressed by a physiotherapist, with physiotherapy assistants extending delivery under supervision
- Real equipment - progressive resistance needs adjustable load, which is why gym setup and equipment selection matter (pin-loaded, hydraulic or pneumatic each have a place)
- Measured outcomes - baseline and repeat testing so progress is documented, not assumed
Who is eligible - and who isn’t
Not every resident fits a targeted group, and pretending otherwise dilutes the program. Inclusion criteria cover residents who can follow instructions and participate in progressive exercise safely; residents outside criteria are better served by individual therapy or general classes. Defining those boundaries - and the pathway between program tiers - is program design work, and it’s where most in-house attempts stall.
The supporting evidence
SUNBEAM doesn’t stand alone. Rosendahl et al (2013), Hassan et al (2016) and Fien et al (2019) all support structured exercise for function and falls outcomes in older adults in care. Together they justify a program structure of general group classes for engagement, targeted evidence-based groups for eligible residents, and individual therapy for complex needs.
Running it in your facility
We design and deliver SUNBEAM-based targeted groups across the 50+ facilities we service in NSW, QLD and Victoria. Program design - eligibility criteria, staffing model, gym and equipment planning, outcome measures - is a core deliverable of our Reablement Workshop, and delivery is the backbone of our residential aged care service.
Want a falls program with a number behind it? Call 1300 871 249 or book a discovery call.
Read next: The StewartBrown physio benchmark explained · Falls prevention in aged care