NCT06603610

Adaptation and Implementation of an Intensive Geriatric Service Worker (IGSW) Model of Care for Socially Isolated Older Adults

Adaptation and Implementation of an Intensive Geriatric Service Worker (IGSW) Model of Care for Socially Isolated Older Adults: a Pilot Randomized Trial

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 60 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Unity Health Toronto · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

In this study, participants will be randomly assigned to receive either the intervention or control treatment for up to 6 months. Participants in the intervention group will receive care from an intensive geriatric service worker (IGSW), who will help the participant: (i) Coordinate community resources and actively support participants' instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) (e.g., linking participants with Meals-on-Wheels, taking participants to appointments) (ii) Advocate for support from home care for completing activities of daily living (ADLs) (iii) Implement patients' prioritized treatment recommendations made by healthcare professionals (e.g., supporting patients to purchase and install home safety equipment because this aligns with their values and preferences). Participants in the control group will receive their usual care, along with a booklet containing information about locally available resources, such as those related to meal preparation, grocery delivery, housekeeping, pharmacies that deliver medicines, home care, and Wheel-Trans. We are interested in learning about the number and demographic characteristics of participants we will be able to recruit to the study, who will remain in the study and who will be adherent to their prioritized treatment recommendations. We are also interested in learning about changes in participants' quality of life, proportion of IADLs being completed independently or with support, emergency department visit rate, and hospitalization rate at 3 and 6 months.

Conditions

• Older Adults
• Social Isolation

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Intensive geriatric service worker model of care	Participants in the intervention group will receive care from an intensive geriatric service worker (IGSW), who will help the participant: (i) Coordinate community resources and actively support participants' instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) (e.g., linking participants with Meals-on-Wheels, taking participants to appointments) (ii) Advocate for support from home care for completing activities of daily living (ADLs) (iii) Implement patients' prioritized treatment recommendations made by healthcare professionals (e.g., supporting patients to purchase and install home safety equipment because this aligns with their values and preferences).
OTHER	Information brochure and telephone follow-up support	Participants will be e-mailed or mailed a booklet containing information about locally available resources including (1) meal preparation, (2) grocery delivery, (3) housekeeping, (4) pharmacies that deliver medications, (5) home care, and (6) Wheel-Trans. Participants will receive a scripted phone call from the study research coordinator one and three months after study enrolment to see if they have questions about the booklet material.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-10-01
• Primary completion: 2026-03-01
• Completion: 2026-03-01
• First posted: 2024-09-19
• Last updated: 2024-09-19