NCT06079762

AGE SELF CARE: Promoting Healthy Aging Through a Group Visit Program

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 11 (actual)
• Sponsor: Brigham and Women's Hospital · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 65 Years – 110 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Aim 1: To assess the feasibility and acceptability of delivering AGE SELF CARE through virtual medical group visits by measuring recruitment rate, adherence, and participant satisfaction. Hypothesis 1: It will be feasible to recruit 12 older adults who are pre-frail. Hypothesis 2: At least 70% of participants will attend 6 of 8 group visit sessions. Hypothesis 3: At least 70% of participants will report satisfaction with the program. Aim 2: Determine the feasibility and burden of measuring frailty in this study by different instruments. Hypothesis 1: At least 70% of participants will complete portions of all frailty assessments. Hypothesis 2: Participants will not find testing to be burdensome and measures may be completed in 60 minutes or less. Hypothesis 3: Mean gait speed and frailty index will improve from baseline to post-intervention.

Detailed description

Study Design: pilot study Setting: BWH Osher Clinical Center for Integrative Medicine, or "OCC", is a collaboration between BWH and Harvard Medical School (HMS), focused on enhancing human health, resilience, and quality of life through translational research, clinical practice, and education in integrative medicine. The OCC is comprised of an interdisciplinary team of physicians, chiropractors, acupuncturists, massage therapists, coaches, nutritionists, craniosacral therapists, and other practitioners who treat patients with a variety of conditions. Patients across New England regularly access the OCC through self-referral or referral from primary care or subspecialty practices. Participants: Community-dwelling adults aged 65 years and older who are pre-frail (based on FRAIL) during the initial study visit (n=12). Intervention: AGE SELF CARE consists of 8 weekly 90-minute virtual group visits, with approximately 12 participants in each group. Sessions focus on chronic disease management; healthy lifestyle education, including nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, and socialization; home adaptation to optimize the home environment for usability and safety with aging; and anticipatory guidance. Educational materials include a library of handouts and pre-recorded videos from interdisciplinary team members about a topic. The group applies learning to their own lives, develops personal goals, and reports back about brief home activities or practices. Sessions will be modified and targeted toward frailty prevention according to existing data and published guidelines. For example, the Mediterranean diet will be discussed as a nutritional approach that can reduce frailty progression. Physical activity guidelines will focus on resistance training to simulate daily activities, power training, balance exercise, and mind-body movement. Finally, sessions will include information on home safety modification and polypharmacy.

Conditions

• Frailty
• Aging
• Frailty Syndrome
• Frail Elderly Syndrome

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	AGE SELF CARE group visit program	AGE SELF CARE: "Adaptation, Growth, and Engagement; Socialization, Empowerment, Learning, and Function; and Community Activation for Resilience in Elderhood," is a virtual group visit program. It includes education and behavioral change elements in the broad areas of self/health, home environment, and community. There are 8 weekly 90-minute virtual sessions facilitated by an aging expert (e.g., geriatrician). Examples of topics include "Aging Well: The Power of Movement," "People Can Change, Homes Can Too," and "Social World."

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-10-01
• Primary completion: 2024-03-29
• Completion: 2024-08-05
• First posted: 2023-10-12
• Last updated: 2024-08-06

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States