Piloting a multicomponent frailty management program for community-dwelling older adults in Singapore

A non-randomised controlled trial involving a 12-week intervention, 1-month and 3-month post-intervention follow-ups were conducted at two community sites. Participants were allocated to either an experimental group (EG) or a control group (CG) at different sites according to their personal preferences without randomisation. Participants in the experimental group underwent a multicomponent frailty management program (mFMP) facilitated by a programme leader who is an allied health professional. The program consisted of 12 weekly sessions and was conducted in a small group setting (n=10-14). Each weekly session consisted of a 1-hour sharing session on topics relating to frailty (e.g. energy conservation technique, healthy diet, medication, chronic disease management, fall prevention and community participation) by different healthcare professionals, such as the dietician, pharmacist, physiotherapist and occupational therapist. This was followed by 15 minutes tea break and another 45 minutes of physical exercises targeting balance (e.g. sit-to-stand, tandem stand), strength (e.g. arm strengthening, leg raise, heel raise, side hip strengthening) and endurance (e.g. daily walking) conducted by the program leader. Homework including strength and balance exercises and various content topics were assigned to participants. Weekly homework sheets including the individualized sets of exercises were given to each participant and checked by the program leader weekly. All exercises were mild intensity adapted from the Otago Exercise Program and ViviFrail.com. Participants were recommended to do the strength exercises 3-4 times per week and balance exercises daily. The exercise specialist and program facilitator will upgrade the intensity level when individual participants progress during the 12-week intervention. Individual goals were explored and discussed at the start of the program and reviewed upon completion of the program by the program leader. A 2-hour booster session was conducted to recap the program contents (including exercises) at 1-month post-intervention. During the booster session, participants shared their goal achievements, their strategy implementation and challenges. Professional advice and relevant community resources were provided to the participants by the program leader. A 20-minute phone call follow-up was conducted at 3-month post-intervention. Similar to the booster session, participants shared their goal achievements, strategy implementation and challenges and future plans. As part of the feasibility study, participants’ weekly attendance will be recorded and homework were checked by the program leader to assess their compliances.