Abstract
BackgroundPain and fatigue are common chronic conditions faced by older adults. Integrated interventions to address pain and fatigue may therefore be particularly useful for older adults, especially those interventions that target mobility and psychosocial well-being. The present study describes feasibility and participant satisfaction for an integrated eHealth treatment to address pain and fatigue in a sample of older adults living in a low-income independent residence facility and their own homes in the community.MethodsThree treatment combinations were compared in a randomized repeated measures design to determine if adding components of breathing retraining and behavioral activation to the existing Otago program (for strength and balance) affected feasibility and patient satisfaction. Specifically, 30 older adults were randomly allocated to: Arm1: the Otago alone (n = 10); Arm 2: Otago + Gentle Yoga and Yogic Breathing (n = 10); or Arm 3: Otago + Gentle Yoga and Yogic Breathing + Behavioral Activation (combination was named ‘Activate for Life’ n = 10). Feasibility measures included recruitment rate, session completion characteristics, and satisfaction with the program.ConclusionData from this study provide support for the feasibility of an integrated program to address physical and mental well-being of older adults. Future fully powered studies should now focus on assessment of clinical outcomes and refinement of individual components.Trial registrationRegistered in clinicaltrials.gov with the identifier: NCT03853148.
Highlights
Pain and fatigue are common chronic conditions faced by older adults
What are the implications of the feasibility findings for the design of the main study? This study demonstrates that combining three different components into one treatment is possible, and that it is possible to implement such an inte
Procedures Feasibility outcomes and criteria for success We focused feasibility on four main areas: recruitment, enrollment, retention, and patient satisfaction with treatment
Summary
Pain and fatigue are common chronic conditions faced by older adults. Integrated interventions to address pain and fatigue may be useful for older adults, especially those interventions that target mobility and psychosocial well-being. “Aging in Place” is an increasingly popular concept that reflects the overwhelming preference of older adults to live out their lives in their own homes as opposed to a structured, typically healthcare focused (and almost universally more expensive) institutionalized setting [6]. This along with the potential social and economic burden of expanding institutionalized care for millions of older individuals is driving research and community efforts that will enable older people to remain in their homes rather than transitioning to care facilities.
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