Reablement in Residential Aged Care (Re-RAC): study protocol for a multi-center pragmatic randomized controlled...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Geriatric Rehabilitation
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Residential aged care (RAC) can negatively impact older adults' well-being and quality of life.
• A growing older adult population in RAC facilities necessitates improved care strategies.
• Person-centered reablement shows promise in home settings but requires evaluation in RAC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Reablement Intervention in Residential Aged Care (Re-RAC) for older adults.
• To assess the intervention's impact on activity performance, satisfaction, participation, quality of life, and well-being.
• To explore the health-economic effects and experiences of participants and staff.

Main Methods:

• Multi-center prospective pragmatic randomized controlled trial with two parallel groups.
• 8-week Re-RAC intervention compared to usual care, with 86 planned participants.
• Mixed-methods evaluation including quantitative (e.g., Canadian Occupational Performance Measure), qualitative (interviews), and health-economic assessments.

Main Results:

• The study will provide data on the effectiveness of the Re-RAC intervention.
• Outcomes include changes in activity performance, satisfaction, quality of life, and well-being.
• Health-economic analysis will determine the cost-effectiveness of the intervention.

Conclusions:

• The Re-RAC intervention is evaluated in a real-world pragmatic trial for older adults in RAC.
• The study examines activity performance, satisfaction, quality of life, well-being, and health outcomes.
• Results will inform future implementation and assessment of reablement in RAC settings.