The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether an 8-week online program called VOCALE can improve quality of life and reduce frailty in adults age 65 and older who live independently in retirement communities and have mild to moderate frailty.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
* Does participating in VOCALE improve participants' quality of life? * Does participating in VOCALE reduce frailty? * Do changes in problem-solving skills, self-confidence in managing health, and social support help explain how VOCALE may affect quality of life and frailty?
Researchers will compare participants in retirement communities assigned to the VOCALE program with participants in communities assigned to usual care and educational resources to see whether VOCALE improves quality of life and frailty.
Participants will:
* Complete assessments of their health, quality of life, frailty, and related measures at the beginning of the study, after 8 weeks, and one month later. * Complete physical performance assessments. * If assigned to VOCALE, receive training on the online platform and participate in moderated online discussions about healthy aging, health challenges, and problem-solving for 8 weeks. * If assigned to the comparison group, continue with usual care and receive educational materials and healthy aging resources.
Age 65 years and older
Evidence of mild to moderate frailty based on scores of 4-6 according to the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS)
Resident in a retirement community in Seattle area
Having difficulty with basic activities of daily living such as eating and getting out of bed
Having a Memory Impairment Screen for Telephone (MIS-T) score of <3
Parallel
VOCALE Healthy Aging Online Program
BehavioralVOCALE Healthy Aging is an 8-week, group-based online behavioral intervention designed to support older adults with mild to moderate frailty. The intervention is delivered through a private, moderated online discussion platform and combines peer interaction with structured problem-solving training. Participants discuss common health and aging challenges and learn and practice the ADAPT problem-solving approach: adopting a positive attitude, defining the problem, brainstorming alternatives, predicting consequences, and trying out a chosen solution. Participants can access the platform asynchronously and receive training and technical support as needed.
Health-related quality of life measured by the RAND 36-Item Health Survey (RAND-36)
The RAND 36-Item Health Survey assesses health-related quality of life across eight domains, including physical functioning, bodily pain, role limitations, emotional well-being, social functioning, energy/fatigue, and general health. Scores are transformed to a 0-100 scale, with higher scores indicating better health-related quality of life.
Frailty measured by the Fried Frailty Phenotype
The Fried Frailty Phenotype assesses five criteria: unintentional weight loss, weakness (grip strength), exhaustion, slow walking speed, and low physical activity. The total score ranges from 0 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater frailty. A score of 0 indicates robustness, 1-2 indicates pre-frailty, and 3-5 indicates frailty.
Physical performance measured by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB)
The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) assesses lower-extremity function using three components: balance, gait speed, and chair stands. Component scores are combined for a total score ranging from 0 to 12, with higher scores indicating better physical performance.
Loneliness measured by the 3-item Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale
The 3-item Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale assesses subjective feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Total scores range from 0 to 6, with higher scores indicating greater loneliness.
Depressive symptoms measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)
The 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) assesses the frequency of depressive symptoms experienced during the past week. Total scores range from 0 to 60, with higher scores indicating more severe depressive symptoms.
Problem-solving skills measured by the Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised: Short Form (SPSI-R:S)
The 25-item SPSI-R:S assesses five dimensions of problem solving: Positive Problem Orientation, Negative Problem Orientation, Rational Problem Solving, Impulsivity/Carelessness Style, and Avoidance Style. Each subscale ranges from 0 to 20. Higher Positive Problem Orientation and Rational Problem Solving scores and lower Negative Problem Orientation, Impulsivity/Carelessness, and Avoidance scores indicate more effective problem solving. An overall score can also be calculated, with higher scores indicating better problem-solving ability.
Social support measured by the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Social Support Survey
The 19-item Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Social Support Survey assesses perceived availability of social support across emotional/informational, tangible, affectionate, and positive social interaction domains. Scores are transformed to a 0-100 scale, with higher scores indicating greater perceived social support.
Self-efficacy measured by the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES)
The 10-item General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) assesses confidence in one's ability to cope with difficult or challenging situations. Total scores range from 10 to 40, with higher scores indicating greater self-efficacy.
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
University of Washington
Lead sponsor
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Collaborator
This trial is not recruiting at the moment. You can still explore other options:
