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Aim: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a comprehensive intervention program named SPRING, which utilizes a hot spring facility, in community-dwelling older adults in a randomized controlled trial., Methods: A total of 60 community-dwelling elderly people (mean age, 72.7±6.0 years) participated in this program. After baseline investigation, participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n=31) or a control group (n=29). The intervention group participated in a comprehensive intervention program (including exercise classes, nutrition classes and bathing) twice a week for 3 months. After 3 months and 6 months, we evaluated the effects of the intervention., Results: The attendance rate of the intervention group was 76%, and there were no accidents or injuries associated with this program. After 3 months, grip strength and one-leg standing with eyes-open scores significantly improved among the intervention group, compared with the control group (p=0.028; p=0.003, respectively). On follow-up, grip strength, one-leg standing with eyes-open scores and the World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) scores were statistically significantly maintained or had improved in the intervention group (p=0.001; p=0.024; p=0.027, respectively)., Conclusion: The comprehensive intervention program SPRING may improve physical function among community-dwelling older adults. In addition, SPRING may have long-term beneficial effects for older adults.

Purpose: The development of a device to enable the visually disabled to differentiate eye drops and their dose., Subjects and Methods: The new instrument is composed of a voice generator and a two-dimensional bar-code reader (LS9208). We designed voice outputs for the visually disabled to state when (number of times) and where (right, left, or both) to administer eye drops. We then determined the minimum bar-code size that can be recognized. After attaching bar-codes of the appropriate size to the lateral or bottom surface of the eye drops container, the readability of the bar-codes was compared., Results: The minimum discrimination bar-code size was 6 mm high x 8.5 mm long. Bar-codes on the bottom surface could be more easily recognized than bar-codes on the side., Conclusion: Our newly-developed device using bar-codes enables visually disabled persons to differentiate eye drops and their doses.