None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Most older people with disabilities live in the community with support from informal carers. Whilst carers are generally willing to take on the caring role, it often has an adverse impact on their physical and emotional health, particularly depression. There is evidence that the lower the care recipient’s function, the more their carer experiences these problems. Whilst the effectiveness of exercise interventions for older individuals has been demonstrated, to our knowledge this is the first RCT that targets both the care recipient and the carer. This study will address the question of whether an individualised physical activity program for care recipient/carer dyads (that they can do together) can improve both the physical and psychological wellbeing of the care recipient and their carer. It will also examine whether the intervention is cost effective.
Interventions
Six month physical activity program -
An individualised home based strength, balance and walking programme (based on the Otago programme) for care recipient/carer dyads (that they can do together). It will be prescribed by the intervention physiotherapist for both the carer and the care recipient during a home visit within two weeks of baseline assessment. Although the functional levels are likely to vary, the intervention physiotherapist will aim to select several common exercises for the carer
Six month physical activity program - An individualised home based strength, balance and walking programme (based on the Otago programme) for care recipient/carer dyads (that they can do together). It will be prescribed by the intervention physiotherapist for both the carer and the care recipient during a home visit within two weeks of baseline assessment. Although the functional levels are likely to vary, the intervention physiotherapist will aim to select several common exercises for the carer and care recipient with variation in elements to modify the specific difficulty of the exercise to the individual. In this way the carer/care recipient dyad will be able to have some common elements to share as they exercise together. Each participant will receive 4-8 exercises, to be performed at least five days each week at home (average duration around 20 minutes), and a walking program (where possible, the carer and care recipient will walk together). The intervention physiotherapist will perform a further four home visits over the 6-month duration of the exercise program, to review exercises, change exercises if indicated, and to encourage and support ongoing participation and adherence to the program.
Sponsors
National Ageing Research Institute
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Primary purpose
Treatment
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
55 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Carer aged over 55 years Care Recipient aged over 60 years Both live at home Care recipient is dependent in at least one activity of daily living Carer has 5 or more depressive symptoms as measured on the GDS
Exclusion criteria
Carer less than 55 years Care recipient less than 60 years Care recipients who do not have an informal co-resident carer Carers who do not live with the care recipient Carers who do not have 5 or more depressive symptoms Either declining consent to participate Carers who do not have the cognitive capacity to give informed consent
Outcome results
None listed