Evaluation of an Older Adult-Continuing Care Aide Dyad Exercise Program within Home Care Networks
Description: This project is about helping Continuing Care Aides (CCAs) improve their own health while also supporting the older adults they care for. Many older adults receiving home care have health issues that increase their risk of falls and other injuries. They are also hard to reach because many are unable or choose not to leave their home. CCAs serve many clients every day, and the work is often physically demanding with the potential for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). In our study, groups of older adults together with their CCAs will complete the Home Support Exercise Program (HSEP) 5 days per week for 6 months. The older clients in the CCA's care will follow the proven HSEP version while the CCA may move to the intermediate and advanced versions. Two other comparison groups will be involved - older adults doing the HSEP alone and older adults not doing the HSEP. We will measure physical function and fall risk, and rates of MSDs. The outcome will be measured when the project starts and then at 3 and 6 months. The study will include 150 older adult participants (50 in each group) and 50 CCAs from two health regions in Saskatchewan. All participants in the two exercise groups will be taught the HSEP, and CCAs will be encouraged to do more difficult versions of it 5 days a week for 6 months. The participants in the non-HSEP group will receive usual care and will be treated as a comparison group with friendly visits to examine the stability in the outcome indicators. We think the older adults in the two HSEP groups will show more improvement or at least maintain their current health and that the older adult working together with the CCA will have the greatest benefit, followed by the older adults doing the HSEP alone, and then the no HSEP comparison group. We also think the CCAs participating in the exercise group will show improvement in their health and less MSDs. The dual focus on senior clients and health system staff makes this project innovative and unique.
Amount: CA$485,800
Funding type: research
Funder scheme: Project Grant
Start date: 2018-04-01
End date: 2021-03-31
Investigator: Shanthi Johnson
Institution: University of Windsor (Ontario)
Funded outputs count: 0
Funder award ID: 156005_1
OpenAlex ID: G7315925520