Promoting Increased Physical Activity in Hospitalised Older Adults

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON · Aug 24, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The PIVOT study is looking at how effective it is to train volunteers to help older adults in the hospital stay active and prevent loss of strength and mobility, which is a common problem for patients aged 65 and older. When older people are in the hospital, they often become less active, which can lead to a decline in their physical abilities and overall quality of life. The study aims to involve 180 older patients in three hospitals, where some will receive regular exercise sessions led by trained volunteers, while others will continue to receive standard care. The exercises will vary based on each patient's mobility, with some doing walking exercises and others participating in bedside exercises.

To be part of the study, older adults must be at least 65 years old and able to give consent for themselves. Volunteers who want to help must be at least 18 years old and complete specific training provided by the hospital. The study will also gather feedback from everyone involved to see how well the program works and whether it could be adopted in other hospitals. This research is important because it could lead to better support for older patients during their hospital stays, helping them maintain their health and independence.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Patients
• • Adults aged 65 years and above
• • Able to provide written informed consent
• • Volunteers
• • Adults aged 18 years and above
• • Completed the generic clearance and training with the hospital voluntary services
• • Able to provide written informed consent
• • Able to communicate fluently enough in English. Fluent English is required to ensure the intervention content can be delivered clearly and thus safely to participants.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Patients
• • Anyone with a severe cognitive impairment (MoCA less than 10)
• • Patients isolated for infection control reasons
• • Patients receiving end of life care
• • Volunteers
• • Volunteers that are unable to safely complete the exercises included in the intervention will be excluded from the study.