A Digital Health App to Prevent Falls and Improve Well-being in People Living With Dementia

Launched by JAHEEDA GANGANNAGARIPALLI · Nov 20, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This is a small, early study to test a digital program called KOKU-LITE, aimed at helping people living with dementia stay stronger and steadier to try to prevent falls. The trial compares two groups over 6 weeks: one group uses the KOKU-LITE program on an iPad plus a dementia and falls prevention leaflet, and the other group gets the leaflet alone. Participants are randomly assigned to one of the groups, and researchers will check how easy it is to recruit people, keep them in the study, and have them use the program as planned.

Who can join? Adults aged 55 to 90 with dementia who live in the community, along with their carers. People must be able to consent (with help if needed), speak English, and use a tablet and read the app instructions, and they must be able to move indoors. Exclusions include serious medical conditions, recent surgery or heart problems, wheelchair use, or living in hospital or care homes. The study is based at The University of Manchester in the UK and hopes to enroll about 60 participants. If eligible, you’ll get a 60-minute training session, an iPad for the study, and be asked to use KOKU-LITE for 30 minutes, three times a week for six weeks, with assessments at the start and after 6 weeks that look at quality of life, daily activities, mobility, mood, falls risk, and confidence about falling. The trial is led by Dr. Jaheeda Gangannagaripalli.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• Participant inclusion criteria:
• • People living with dementia (PLwD) and carers of PLwD Participants will be selected purposively to derive a maximum variation sample including age, gender, diverse representation from different backgrounds and different levels of Dementia, early cognitive decline and different stages of disease progression thus, increase the external generalisability of the results.
• • PLwD and carers of PLwD aged ≥55 yrs
• • willing and able to give informed consent (assessed by the trained researchers and/or health and social care professionals (HSCPs)).
• • who lack capacity to consent themselves but can be supported by a carer or an advocate.
• • Carers of PLwD who lack capacity to consent themselves.
• • able to speak English.
• • able to see the tablet/iPad-based app and read instructions with or without glasses.
• • able to use tablet/iPad safely, as assessed by the trained research staff and/or HSCPs.
• • able to move indoors without help, and with or without a walking aid.
• • Professionals
• • • HSCPs caring for PLwD
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • PLwD
• * Participants with:
• • Acute/chronic or uncontrolled medical condition (e.g. severe congestive cardiac failure, uncontrolled hypertension, acute systemic illness, neurological problems, poorly controlled diabetes).
• • recent fracture or surgery (within 6 months)
• • orthopaedic surgery (such as hip/knee surgery) in the past six months or on a waiting list to have the surgery.
• • heart problems such as myocardial infarction or stroke in the past six months
• • conditions requiring a specialist/exercise programme (e.g., uncontrolled epilepsy, or uses a wheelchair to mobilise indoors).
• • severe hearing/visual impairment.
• • any other medical condition likely to compromise the ability to use/access the app.
• • Participants currently in hospital or care home,
• • Participants who have limited understanding or ability to speak English, and .
• • Persons with Dementia who do not have a carer who can provide assent.