Life-Space Mobility in Aged Care Residents: Frailty In Residential Sector over Time (FIRST) Study Findings
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 22, 2025
Methodology for Establishing a Community-Wide Life Laboratory for Capturing Unobtrusive and Continuous Remote Activity and Health Data
Published on: July 27, 2018
Agathe Daria Jadczak1, Suzanne Edwards2, Renuka Visvanathan3
1National Health and Medical Research Council Center of Research Excellence Frailty and Healthy Aging, Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Adelaide Geriatrics Training and Research with Aged Care (G-TRAC) Center, Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Objectives:
Life-space mobility is a measure of the extent and frequency of mobility in older adults reflecting not only physical function, but also cognitive, psychosocial, and environmental factors. This study aimed to (1) develop life-space mobility profiles for nursing home residents; (2) examine independent factors associated with these profiles; and (3) identify health outcomes [ie, mortality, quality of life (QoL) and falls] associated with the life-space mobility profiles at 1 year.
Design:
Prospective cohort study.
Setting And Participants:
Twelve nursing homes including 556 residents, mean age 87.73 ± 7.25 years, 73.0% female.
Methods:
Life-space mobility was measured using the Nursing Home Life-Space Diameter (NHLSD). Mortality and falls were extracted from residents' records. QoL was measured using the QoL in Alzheimer Disease (QoL-AD) scale.
Results:
NHLSD scores ranged from 0 to 50 with a mean score of 27.86 ± 10.12. Resident life-space mobility was mainly centered around their room (94.8%, n = 527) and wing (86.4%, n = 485). One-half of the residents left their wing daily (51.0%, n = 284), and over one-quarter (26.4%, n = 147) ventured outside their nursing home at least weekly. Significant associations (P < .05) with high life-space mobility, identified through multivariable analyses, included lower age [odds ratio (OR) 0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.51, 0.96]; lower frailty levels (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.50, 0.86); lower sarcopenia risk (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.65, 0.79); and a better nutritional status (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.05, 1.29). High life-space mobility was a predictor (P < .05) of lower mortality, lower falls rate, and higher QoL at 1 year when compared with moderate or low mobility.
Conclusions And Implications:
Given the independent association between high life-space mobility and lower frailty status, lower sarcopenia risk, and a better nutritional status, physical activity and nutritional interventions may be beneficial in leading to improved life-space use. This requires further investigation. Improved life-space mobility can lead to improved health outcomes, such as lower mortality, lower falls rate, and improved QoL.
More Related Videos
04:13Using a Real-Time Locating System to Measure Walking Activity Associated with Wandering Behaviors Among Institutionalized Older Adults
Published on: February 8, 2019
06:52Assessment of Dependence in Activities of Daily Living Among Older Patients in an Acute Care Unit
Published on: September 30, 2020
Related Concept Videos
01:29Documentation in Long-Term and Home Healthcare Setting
Long-Term Care Facilities
01:25Continuing Care
02:20Longitudinal Research
01:26Aging
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
01:19The Effect of Aging on Tissues
01:26Longitudinal Studies