None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Meals on Wheels services provide a key avenue to access some of the most vulnerable and in need members of our community, and is a key strategy to enhance the quality of life for the individual, through supporting and maintaining independent living at home. Ensuring adequate nutrition and preventing unintentional weight loss regardless of starting body weight, diets appropriate for individual medical conditions, and promoting physical activity within community dwelling older individuals, have the potential to be significant factors in maintaining independence, as well as reducing highcost health care services. However, despite all being strongly related to adequate nutritional intake, research regarding how Meals on Wheels services could be best utilised to decrease risk of a decline in physical and mental health, cognitive functioning, functional disability and health care utilisation is missing to date. This project will aim to investigate the consumption patterns of clients in terms of Meals on Wheels meals and other meals, as well as physical activity levels to enable a better understanding of the current recipients of Meals on Wheels. It will also aim to investigate whether a short term intervention focused on assisting the clients with meal ordering and food provision improves the client’s physical and mental health.
Interventions
This project will aim to investigate the consumption patterns of clients in terms of Meals on Wheels meals and other meals, as well as physical activity levels to enable a better understanding of the current recipients of Meals on Wheels. It will also aim to investigate whether a short term intervention focused on assisting the clients with meal ordering and food provision improves the client’s physical and mental health. This intervention/support will be provided via a graduate of a health scie
This project will aim to investigate the consumption patterns of clients in terms of Meals on Wheels meals and other meals, as well as physical activity levels to enable a better understanding of the current recipients of Meals on Wheels. It will also aim to investigate whether a short term intervention focused on assisting the clients with meal ordering and food provision improves the client’s physical and mental health. This intervention/support will be provided via a graduate of a health sciences course (non-expert in nutrition) through visiting the client's home for no longer than 30mins. There are 3 intervention groups, Group 1 will not receive any additional visits outside of usual care and Meal deliveries; Group 2 will receive a visit every 2 weeks for 12 weeks; Group 3 will a visit every month for 6 months. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the three groups with 30 participants per group.
Sponsors
Victoria University
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Prevention
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Clients who are receiving Meals on Wheels in the Macedon Ranges and North Western Melbourne Medicare Local region
Exclusion criteria
Participants who are unable to speak English would be excluded as would clients with cognitive issues that would make it difficult to respond to the questions, as well as provide informed consent.
Outcome results
None listed