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Virtual GERAS DANcing for Cognition Exercise (DANCE) for older adults at home: a randomized feasibility trial
Patricia Hewston1,2,3, Caroline Marr4, Ali Dashti4
1Geras Centre for Aging Research, Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, ON, Canada. hewstonp@hhsc.ca.
Background:
Background GERAS DANcing for Cognition and Exercise (DANCE) was developed with rehabilitation and geriatric medicine expertise for older adults (age 60 +) looking to improve brain health or mobility. This trial aimed to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of delivering virtual GERAS DANCE to older adults in a home-based setting.
Methods:
A single-center, prospective, parallel-group randomized feasibility trial was conducted to assess the feasibility of virtual GERAS DANCE. Fifty older adults were randomized to the virtual GERAS DANCE intervention group or a control group receiving usual care. The progressive dance curriculum was live-streamed with videoconference by a certified GERAS DANCE instructor in 1-h sessions held twice weekly for 6 weeks. Participants used their personal tablets, desktop computers, and laptops. Feasibility was evaluated based on predefined criteria, including process measures (e.g., recruitment and retention rates), outcome measures, resource utilization, and the acceptability of the intervention to participants.
Results:
One hundred ninety three of 206 individuals met the eligibility criteria, indicating that the inclusion criteria were well-defined and suitable for the target population. The enrollment-to-screening ratio was 25:103, with recruitment completed in 8 weeks. Fifty older adults were randomized, and 46 completed baseline assessments (mean age = 75.02(5.89) years, range 63-92, 92% female). Twelve percent of participants (6 out of 50) required phone support to access the virtual GERAS DANCE classes due to device or Zoom navigation issues. The retention rate was 84%, with participants attending an average of 78% of the virtual classes. Ninety percent of participants rated the program as good to excellent, and 93% felt it provided the right level of challenge. The program was delivered with high fidelity, maintaining consistent, high-quality sessions and adhering to the standardized curriculum. Outcome assessments were completed by 46/50 (92%) participants, with an average duration of 41 min, well below the 60-min target. There were no adverse events related to the program.
Conclusions:
Pre-determined thresholds for feasibility were met for all outcomes. This study demonstrates that virtual GERAS DANCE is feasible, well accepted, and safe for older adults, laying the groundwork for a future definitive trial.
Trial Registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05202522.
