Forestalling older adults’ physical decline is a major concern in long-term care facilities, and a lot of research is geared toward developing rehabilitation programs.
Although several factors may affect seniors’ resilience to frailty — from free weights to apples — one important variable may not make a difference: whether the program is conducted in-person or virtually.
Older adults showed strong adherence to a virtual exercise program, according to a recent pilot study conducted by researchers at the Geras Centre for Aging Research at McMaster University in Canada.
More than 80% of the seniors stayed in the program over a 12-week period, which involved twice-weekly live-streamed sessions and medical consultations.
Frailty is a clinical term for a complex set of symptoms including weakness, slowness and other forms of decreased physical activity. Symptoms can include weight loss and increased risk of age-related diseases.
An overwhelming majority — 90% — of nursing home residents are either dealing with frailty or are in a prefrail state, one study found.
“Healthcare needs to develop new, innovative models that support older adults being able to live in their own homes,” Alexandra Papaioannou, a McMaster professor and the study’s principal researcher, said in a statement.
The virtual rehab helped frail patients make physical improvements such as crossing the street or rising from a chair without needing assistance, Papaioannou added.
Despite the optimistic results, the viability of virtual care options for frail seniors would need to be affirmed in future studies with a larger scope, the authors acknowledge.
Although not virtual per se, self-managed, hospital-to-home nutrition and exercise programs recently have been shown to help older adults with frailty, provided the residents/patients stick with the routine.
On the opposite end of the care spectrum, long-term care providers who provide their residents with ample opportunities for socialization can help prevent frail seniors from developing further disabilities or dying, the McKnight’s Clinical Daily reported this year.
