Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment Doing Sit to Stands, Walking in Transitional Care Programs: A Feasibility Study

Overview

The goal of this intervention study is to test the effects of a nurse-led mobility intervention (known as the OASIS Walking Intervention (Older Adults performing Sit to Stands and Walking Intervention)) in older adults with cognitive impairment, such as dementia, in transitional care programs. The main questions this study aims to answer are: * Is the study doable and are older adults satisfied with the intervention? * Does the intervention improve older adults' muscle strength, mobility, functional status and quality of life? Participants will be asked to do the following: 1. Be interviewed once so that a patient-centred communication care plan can be made 2. Do sit to stand activity 3. Walk as part of a walking program.

The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of and satisfaction of participants with a novel intervention - the OASIS Walking Intervention (that is, the Older Adults with cognitive impairment performing Sit to Stands and Walking Intervention) in a facility-based TCPs. The second aim is to determine the efficacy of the OASIS Walking intervention on muscle strength, mobility, functional status, quality of life, and discharge destination. A feasibility study will be undertaken for this three-component intervention project. In terms of study design, a quasi-experimental one group time series design will be used. A sample size of 26 patient participants and their substitute decision makers will participate in the study. Participants will be older adults ≥65 years admitted to a facility-based transitional care unit in Ontario. The Older Adults with cognitive impairment performing the Sit to Stands and Walking Intervention is a nurse-led intervention that consists of three components: 1) Patient-Centered Communication Care Plan (informed by interviews with the participant and their care partner); 2) Sit to Stand Activity; and 3) Walking program. This intervention is grounded using a patient centered approach. For patients in the Long-Term Care Stream or Rehab Stream Arm, the dose of the intervention is: up to 45 minutes per session, five sessions per week, for six weeks. Approximately up to 30 minutes will be spent walking with the participant and up to 15 minutes will be spent performing the sit-to-stand activity. For patients in the Reactivation Stream Intervention Arm, the dose of the intervention is: up to 45 minutes per session, five sessions per week, for three weeks. Approximately up to 30 minutes will be spent walking with the participant and up to 15 minutes will be spent performing the sit-to-stand activity.