Improving mood through physical activity for carers and care recipients (IMPACCT): protocol for a randomised trial

Family carers play an important role in providing care for frail older Australians. Carers have increased rates of depression, burden and poor physical health compared with non-carers. Physical activity has been shown to improve outcomes; however there is limited research investigating outcomes in older carers and less on physical activity for both the carer and care recipient.

Does a home-based individualised physical activity intervention designed for both the carer and care recipient improve depression severity in older carers?

273 community-dwelling carers with depressive symptoms and their care recipients will be recruited for a randomised controlled trial. Baseline assessment will consist of functional, psychological, and physical measures and information about service use. INTERVENTION AND CONTROL: Participants will be randomised to receive either a physical activity program (intervention), a social support program (social control), or usual care (control). The intervention and social control groups will have five home visits over six months.

All participants will be re-assessed after completion of the program and then six months later to evaluate sustainability of outcomes. The primary outcome measure is the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale for carers. Secondary outcomes include physical measures for carers and care recipients, carer burden, carer satisfaction, care recipient depression, and cost-effectiveness. All assessors will be blind to group allocation.

This study has the potential to demonstrate that physical activity interventions can be delivered simultaneously to older carers and care recipients to improve mental and physical outcomes.