A Meal Delivery and Exercise Intervention to Increase Resilience in Homebound Older Adults
The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
Summary
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of a home-based exercise program administered through Meals on wheels (MOW) on gait speed and frailty status and to assess the association between novel serum biomarkers (70 kilodalton heat shock proteins (HSP70),Macrophage Inflammatory Proteins(MIP1b), soluble IL-6 receptor alpha-chain (sIL-6R)) and established but non-specific frailty biomarkers (Interleukin 6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), Tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α)) in frail and prefrail homebound older adults before and after the exercise intervention.
Eligibility
- Age range
- 60+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * homebound (normally unable to leave the home unassisted) * frail or prefrail by The Fried Frailty Phenotype (FFP) * medically stable Exclusion Criteria: * robust by FFP * have Mini-Cog score \<3 and/or are unable to follow instructions * have a pre-diagnosed terminal illness * unable to ambulate * unable to use their upper extremities, and/or are already participating in physician-prescribed physical therapy or occupational therapy.
Interventions
- BehavioralMeals plus exercise
Participants will receive 12 weeks of a MOW delivery service that will include 2 meals per day during the weekdays with 4 shelf-stable meals at the end of the week. The MOW driver will visit the participants in-person to ask a series of 5 questions about change in health status, joint/muscle injuries, new pain, falls, and poor appetite twice a week. Participants will also will receive an exercise kit from the MOW driver with their first meal delivery which will contain 2 tennis balls, 2 1-pound hand weights, and one towel. Every week, the driver will give the participants a handout containing 3 exercises from the NIA Go4Life Workout-to-Go book that are designed to help with strength/endurance, balance, and flexibility20. The participants will be asked to do the 3 exercises every day, if possible, on their own. Every 4 weeks during the 12-week study period and at 6 months follow up patients will have blood drawn for frailty and inflammatory biomarkers.
- BehavioralMeals only
Participants will receive 12 weeks of a MOW delivery service that will include 2 meals per day during the weekdays with 4 shelf-stable meals at the end of the week. The MOW driver will visit the participants in-person to ask a series of 5 questions about change in health status, joint/muscle injuries, new pain, falls, and poor appetite twice a week. they will be asked to continue their usual level of activity.Every 4 weeks during the 12-week study period and at 6 months follow up patients will have blood drawn for frailty and inflammatory biomarkers.
Location
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonHouston, Texas