Implementing Resistance Exercise to Reduce Frailty for Older Adult

Implementing Resistance Exercise to Reduce Frailty for Older Adult Medicaid Waiver Recipients

To develop an intervention specifically targeted for these clients who have the frailty syndrome. The Investigators propose to develop an exercise intervention that can reduce frailty in older adults to facilitate their ability to age-in-place. The long-term objective of this work is to develop a package of interventions that can be administered within the existing Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waiver programs. The specific goal of this proposal is to develop a resistance exercise intervention to reduce frailty in older adults receiving long term care services in their home through the Illinois Community Care Program, a HCBS Waiver Program.

Inclusion criteria for Home Care Aides:

- Employees of Help at Home, with one eligible client

Inclusion criteria for clients:

• aged 65+ years
• receive HCA services two or more days per week
• English-speaking
• not currently participating in regular exercise as defined as 30 minutes three or more days per week, - - no health problems that contraindicate participation in exercise based on the EASY: Exercise Assessment and Screening for You
• Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status score > 26

Exclusion criteria for HCAs:

- no clients who enroll in the study

Exclusion criteria for clients:

• legally blind, no voluntary extremity movement
• physician does not provide clearance for participation
• classified as non-frail based on the SHARE-FI frailty testing
• Telephone Cognitive Status score < 25.