Community Choirs To Promote Healthy Aging; Community of Voices Chorus

Community Choirs To Promote Healthy Aging And Independence Of Older Adults

The investigators will recruit 450 older adults and will utilize 12 Administration on Aging (AoA)-supported senior centers to implement a multisite, cluster randomized (by center), wait-list clinical trial. Centers will be randomized to receive the choir program immediately (intervention group) or after a 6-month delayed intervention phase (control group). The community choirs will be led by professional music directors. The investigators will assess both primary and secondary outcomes at baseline, 6 and 12 months, with the main intervention group comparison being at 6 months. The investigators will also evaluate the start-up and ongoing program costs for senior centers, including cost/person served and determine quality adjusted life years.

The hypotheses are:

1. Compared to delayed intervention controls, participation in a community choir program will be associated with improvements/maintenance on the primary outcomes of physical function (balance, walking speed, strength), depressive symptoms, and cognition (executive function and memory) at 6 months. The investigators also predict within-group improvements on these primary outcomes at 12 months.
2. Compared to delayed intervention controls, participation in a community choir program will be associated with improvements in the secondary outcomes of well-being (depressive symptoms, loneliness, resilience, social participation, health-related quality of life, shortness of breath, functional status, falls, and health services use) at 6 months. The investigators also predict within-group improvements on these secondary outcomes at 12 months.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 60 and older
• Living independently
• Have adequate visual and auditory acuity (with correction) to complete testing
• Speak English or Spanish (including both bilingual and monolingual Spanish speakers)

Exclusion Criteria:

• A baseline diagnosis of dementia, determined by the screening tool or self-report of diagnosis
• Have an unstable or serious medical condition that would limit participation in the weekly choir sessions or assessments, including current (but not prior) severe psychiatric disorder
• Currently singing in a choir, within the last 6 months
• Plans to move out of the area within 12 months