When More Than Exercise Is Needed to Increase Chances of Aging in Place: Qualitative Analysis of a Telehealth Physical Activity Program to Improve Mobility in Low-Income Older Adults.

Content Provider	Europe PMC
Author	VanRavenstein, Kathy Davis, Boyd H
Editor	Wang, Jing
Copyright Year	2018
Abstract	BackgroundA telehealth-delivered physical activity program was implemented within two low-income older adult housing properties utilizing the Otago exercise program, a physical therapy program endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to improve balance and strengthening in community dwelling older adults and by the National Council on Aging as the highest level of evidence for fall prevention programs. Participants were also given Fitbit activity monitors to help track their activity.ObjectiveThe goal of this project was to increase older adults’ daily physical activity in hopes of decreasing chronic disease morbidity, disability, and falls, and decrease social isolation.MethodsThe Otago exercise program was conducted via telehealth twice weekly for 12 weeks. Participants also wore Fitbit activity trackers to encourage physical activity outside of the group classes. Postintervention qualitative interviews were conducted, recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using discourse analysis.ResultsTwenty-one older adult participants from two low-income properties in Charleston, SC, participated in the 12-week telehealth physical therapy program. Postintervention qualitative interviews revealed that the two sites were very different in their participation in the program and their main concerns surrounding aging in place. One site had a community-oriented outlook and enjoyed participating in physical activity together; whereas, the other site had very few participants and referenced depression and social isolation as main concerns.ConclusionsA telehealth physical therapy-led intervention to increase physical activity in low-income older adults aging in place was successfully implemented and attended; however, it became clear in postintervention qualitative interviews that social isolation and depression were prevalent and mental health needs to be addressed along with physical health to encourage successful aging in place.
Related Links	https://europepmc.org/backend/ptpmcrender.fcgi?accid=PMC6715103&blobtype=pdf
Journal	JMIR Aging
Volume Number	1
DOI	10.2196/11955
PubMed Central reference number	PMC6715103
Issue Number	2
PubMed reference number	31518250
e-ISSN	25617605
Language	English
Publisher	JMIR Publications
Publisher Date	2018-12-21
Publisher Place	Toronto, Canada
Access Restriction	Open
Rights License	This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in JMIR Aging, is properly cited. The complete bibliographic information, a link to the original publication on http://aging.jmir.org, as well as this copyright and license information must be included. ©Kathy VanRavenstein, Boyd H Davis. Originally published in JMIR Aging (http://aging.jmir.org), 21.12.2018.
Subject Keyword	older adults low income physical activity aging in place social isolation qualitative research
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Geriatrics and Gerontology Health (social science) Health Informatics Gerontology