FrAilty Care and wEll-funcTion in Community Dwelling Older Adults

Overview

This study is looking at whether older people could benefit from an online monitoring platform to support their individual ambitions to maintain or improve functional ability. It is hypothesized this will enable the individual to monitor themselves periodically, obtain feedback about their functional ability, receive recommended diet, exercise and physical activity interventions and record the adherence to any intervention. All information can be linked back to the health care professional for official support and intervene when a decline is noticed, in order to prevent frailty from developing. The aim of this study is to find out if providing more support and greater empowerment can help older people improve their functional ability by self-monitoring and personalised interventions.

Participants will be individually randomised using randomisation service on a 1:1 allocation ratio to either group. There will be 4 groups, with differences in the consultation design and online support available. Participant assessments consists of questionnaires and physical tasks completed during two visits at the university facilities. During the second visit, a one-hour consultation with a health care professional will take place to develop a twelve-week action plan to promote a healthier lifestyle. Frailty status will be defined from the Fried frailty phenotype criteria. Exercise status will be based on current physical activity levels and the Short Physical Performance Battery score derived from the chair-stands, gait speed and balance assessments. Participants in the experimental group will receive the assessment, and the consultation will aim to promote to empower them, plus access to the online support platform, termed 'FACET'. Participants in the empowerment groups are provided with a structured booklet prior to the consultation to help the participant actively contribute to their own intervention programme, whereas in the other groups,the professional will lead the consultation. Participants in the online support groups are provided with FACET, which will provide a diary of recommended activities to do, assessments to complete, as well as information about healthy lifestyles, diet and physical activity recommendations. Details on the recommended exercises and diet will be provided (including demonstrations and examples, also sourced from reputable websites) via FACET and will enable the participant to engage with them. The exercises require no special equipment and can be performed without professional supervision. Participants will be able to monitor themselves regularly and progress or amend recommendations to tailor their needs. Progress will also be monitored by the initial assessors and these can also amend the recommendations based on participant feedback. In short, FACET enables the participants in these groups to engage with their own intervention, amend it and set their own priorities, goals and targets, emphasising prudent health care principles. Participants in all groups are followed up after 12 weeks. Assessments will be completed face-to-face at the facilities, or at home, dependent upon the participant's needs.