Strength-based Tailored-Exercise Program at Home for Geriatric Patients

Launched by THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG · Feb 5, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The clinical trial titled "Strength-based Tailored-Exercise Program at Home for Geriatric Patients" is designed to help older adults who are at risk of losing their strength and mobility after being hospitalized. The program, called STEP@Home, focuses on personalized exercises that patients can do at home to improve their health and prevent further decline. Researchers will look at both numbers (like how much strength improves) and personal stories (like how participants feel about their progress) to understand the program's effectiveness.

To participate, individuals need to be 60 years old or older, have been hospitalized for at least two days, and be at risk of functional decline after leaving the hospital. Participants should also have a smartphone for video calls and have not been referred to an exercise program after their hospital stay. Those with certain health issues, like severe disabilities or who have been very inactive, won’t be eligible. If selected, participants can expect to engage in a supportive exercise program from the comfort of their homes, guided through virtual sessions. This study is not yet recruiting participants, but it aims to provide valuable insights into how tailored exercise can benefit older adults after hospitalization.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • i) aged 60 or above
• • ii) has an acute hospitalization and the length of hospital stay is of ≥ 2 days2,
• • iii) has risk of functional decline in 3 months following hospitalization as measured by the Screening for High-Risk Patients (SHERPA) score of \>4.5. SHERPA is a brief measure to identify the high risk by screening for the risk factors, including old age, poor health perception, IADL dysfunction, mild cognitive impairment and fall in the previous year.
• • iv) discharged home without any referral for exercise-based rehabilitation
• • v) has a Smartphone to access video calls
• • vi) consented to participate.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • i) admitted with a disabling condition leading to significant functional loss such as stroke,)
• • ii) bed-bound or chair bound
• • iii) with conditions contradictory to exercise training (e.g., acute muscular-skeletal problem, acute and unstable cardio-respiratory disease, etc),
• • iv) engaging in moderate or vigorous exercise (\>60min/week) in the past 6 months.