This pilot clinical trial studies how well Walking for Recovery from Surgery works in improving quality of life in older adults with lung or gastrointestinal cancer and their family caregivers. A walking program, such as Walking for Recovery from Surgery may help support overall well-being as a caregiver, and may help improve family member or friend's recovery from surgery.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To examine whether the intervention and telehealth approach would be feasible and acceptable.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To examine patient outcome patterns suggesting the potential efficacy of the intervention on self-efficacy, functional status (daily steps, 6-minute walk time, timed up and go), psychological distress, symptoms, and global health status.

OUTLINE:

Patients and caregivers receive Walking for Recovery from Surgery prehabilitation intervention in 4 sessions 3-7 days before surgery, before discharge, and at 2 and 7 days post-discharge.

After completion of study, patients and caregivers are followed up for 2 months.

-Inclusion:

• PATIENT: Diagnosis of lung or GI (colorectal, pancreas, liver) cancers
• PATIENT: Scheduled to undergo surgery
• PATIENT: >= 65 years
• PATIENT: Able to read and understand English
• CAREGIVER: Family member/friend identified by the patient as the primary caregiver before and after surgery
• CAREGIVER: >= 21 years
• CAREGIVER: Able to read and understand English
• This study will be conducted in patients and family caregivers who are scheduled to undergo lung or GI cancer surgery treatment
• There are no restrictions related to performance status or life expectancy
• All subjects must have the ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent

Exclusion

• Subjects, who in the opinion of the investigator, may not be able to comply with the safety monitoring requirements of the study