Adaptation and Implementation of an Intensive Geriatric Service Worker (IGSW) Model of Care for Socially Isolated Older Adults

Launched by UNITY HEALTH TORONTO · Sep 16, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying a special program designed to help older adults who feel socially isolated and may have difficulty with daily tasks. Participants will be randomly placed into two groups: one group will receive support from an Intensive Geriatric Service Worker (IGSW) for up to six months, while the other group will receive their usual care along with a booklet of local resources. The IGSW will assist with things like arranging community services, helping with errands, and advocating for home care support, all based on what the participant values and needs.

To be eligible for the study, participants must be at least 65 years old, live alone, and have some difficulties with daily activities as identified by a healthcare team. They should also be able to understand and communicate in English. Throughout the study, researchers will look at how well participants are doing in terms of their quality of life, how many daily tasks they can complete on their own, and whether they need to visit the emergency room or be hospitalized. This study aims to find out how effective the IGSW model is in improving the lives of older adults living alone.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • (i) adults aged ≥65 years old (ii) socially isolated, defined as living alone (iii) identified by the multidisciplinary Acute Care of the Elderly team, Internal Consultation Team, or Elders' Clinic as having one or more instrumental activity of daily living (IADL) impairments (defined as per the Lawton IADL scale) that could be supported by the intensive geriatric service worker (iv) capable of consenting to study participation or have a substitute decision-maker who can provide consent on their behalf (v) able to understand and communicate in English (e.g., if a participant is hearing impaired, but they can lip read or hear sufficiently with a hearing aid, they will be included) or know someone who can help with translation (vi) living in a private dwelling (e.g., apartment, house, condominium) within a geographical catchment area (i.e., boundaries will be Bloor St, Don Valley Parkway, Lakeshore Blvd, and Yonge St) (vii) a patient of a family physician or nurse practitioner (or be willing to become a patient of a family physician or nurse practitioner).
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • (i) live in a retirement home, long-term care home or shelter (because there is varying availability of resources to support patients' activities of daily living (ADLs) and IADLs in these settings and we want to implement the IGSW care model where we hypothesize that it will have the greatest impact (ii) do not have a fixed address (iii) are participating in another study (iv) are being transferred to a rehabilitation facility other than Providence Healthcare prior to discharge home (Providence Healthcare is a collaborating study site; our team has an ongoing research collaboration with the medical rehabilitation unit at Providence Healthcare \[where ACE and ICT medical consultation patients are transferred\]