Stand When You Can: Feasibility of a Multilevel, Multisite Sedentary Behavior Intervention in Assisted-Living Residences.

Abstract

Background/objectives: Prolonged sedentary time poses health risks for older adults, and residents in assisted living spend more time sedentary than peers who live independently. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of Stand When You Can, a sedentary behavior intervention designed to encourage residents of assisted living to stand and move throughout the day without requiring structured program delivery or additional staff time.

Methods: Five assisted-living residences in three provinces volunteered to use the Stand When You Can toolkit for 12 weeks. Feasibility outcomes included recruitment capability for ambassadors and participants, participant characteristics, and pre-post assessment of target outcome measures. Intervention fidelity was assessed at 6 weeks using on-site observations and informal interviews with staff and participants. Target outcomes included movement behaviors, physical function, and health status.

Results: Sixty-eight older adults volunteered to participate, and a staff ambassador volunteered from each site. Only one site demonstrated good intervention fidelity by implementing a variety of different strategies to reduce sedentary time. Assessment of target outcomes was feasible, although there was significant attrition and >50% of individual participants did not complete follow-up testing at 12 weeks.

Conclusion: While Stand When You Can was designed to be embedded in normal daily activities and require minimal staff time, it may not be feasible for most assisted-living residences to implement without additional staff.

Significance: To help residents maintain function and quality of life, assisted-living residences must invest in adequate staff with the time and tools to promote a culture of movement.