TY - JOUR
AU - S. Isbel
AU - N. M. D'Cunha
AU - L. Wiseman
AU - P. Dawda
AU - S. Kosari
AU - C. Pearce
AU - A. Fearon
AU - F. Sabeti
AU - J. Hewitt
AU - J. Kellett
AU - M. Naunton
AU - H. Southwood
AU - P. Logan
AU - R. Subramanian
AU - N. H. Chadborn
AU - R. Davey
AU - K. Bail
AU - J. R. Goss
AU - A. Ambikairajah
AU - M. Lincoln
AU - H. Holloway
AU - D. Gibson
A1 - 
AB - BACKGROUND: Complications due to frailty and injury after falls are a significant problem for people living in residential aged care. This can lead to a range of negative outcomes including poor physical, social, and psychological well-being. The Australian Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety highlighted many aspects of care in residential aged care homes requiring improvement, leading to specific recommendations aimed at improving the outcomes in this area. This contributed to four recommendations calling for increased allied health interventions to meet the unmet needs in residential aged care. This intervention aims to implement and evaluate evidence-based allied health interventions for people living in residential aged care specifically relating to frailty, preventing falls, and maintaining engagement in everyday activities. METHOD: This is a pragmatic, non-randomised, pre-post design study where six groups of up to 10 residents of an aged care home will start the intervention at staggered times. The EAHOP intervention is an integrated application of a suite of allied health services (occupational therapy, physiotherapy, dietetics, speech pathology, pharmacy, and optometry), with general practitioner involvement, using allied health assistants in an integrated transdisciplinary model of care. The baseline period is 6 weeks, and intervention is a maximum of 36 weeks with follow-up at 12 and 24 weeks. Primary outcomes measure changes in falls, frailty, and quality of life. A qualitative program evaluation will be completed as well as an economic analysis. CONCLUSION: The results of the study will provide information about the clinical, implementation, and effectiveness outcomes of this integrated, transdisciplinary allied health service model for people living in residential aged care. The results will be used to develop evidence-informed guidelines for residential aged care providers on the delivery of allied health services.
AD - Centre for Ageing Research and Translation, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT 2617, Australia.; School of Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT 2617, Australia.; Next Practice Deakin, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia.; School of Rehabilitation Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT 2617, Australia.; University Centre for Rural Health, Lismore & University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.; School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK.; Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT 2617, Australia.; Health Research Institute, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT 2617, Australia.; School of Nursing, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT 2617, Australia.; Synergy Nursing and Midwifery Research Centre, ACT Health, Canberra, ACT 2605, Australia.; National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.; Discipline of Psychology, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT 2617, Australia.; School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia.; Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia.; University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT 2617, Australia.
AN - 39942530
BT - Healthcare (Basel)
C5 - Healthcare Disparities
CP - 3
DA - Feb 6
DO - 10.3390/healthcare13030341
DP - NLM
ET - 20250206
IS - 3
JF - Healthcare (Basel)
LA - eng
N2 - BACKGROUND: Complications due to frailty and injury after falls are a significant problem for people living in residential aged care. This can lead to a range of negative outcomes including poor physical, social, and psychological well-being. The Australian Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety highlighted many aspects of care in residential aged care homes requiring improvement, leading to specific recommendations aimed at improving the outcomes in this area. This contributed to four recommendations calling for increased allied health interventions to meet the unmet needs in residential aged care. This intervention aims to implement and evaluate evidence-based allied health interventions for people living in residential aged care specifically relating to frailty, preventing falls, and maintaining engagement in everyday activities. METHOD: This is a pragmatic, non-randomised, pre-post design study where six groups of up to 10 residents of an aged care home will start the intervention at staggered times. The EAHOP intervention is an integrated application of a suite of allied health services (occupational therapy, physiotherapy, dietetics, speech pathology, pharmacy, and optometry), with general practitioner involvement, using allied health assistants in an integrated transdisciplinary model of care. The baseline period is 6 weeks, and intervention is a maximum of 36 weeks with follow-up at 12 and 24 weeks. Primary outcomes measure changes in falls, frailty, and quality of life. A qualitative program evaluation will be completed as well as an economic analysis. CONCLUSION: The results of the study will provide information about the clinical, implementation, and effectiveness outcomes of this integrated, transdisciplinary allied health service model for people living in residential aged care. The results will be used to develop evidence-informed guidelines for residential aged care providers on the delivery of allied health services.
PY - 2025
SN - 2227-9032 (Print); 2227-9032
ST - A Protocol for Enhancing Allied Health Care for Older People in Residential Care: The EAHOP Intervention
T1 - A Protocol for Enhancing Allied Health Care for Older People in Residential Care: The EAHOP Intervention
T2 - Healthcare (Basel)
TI - A Protocol for Enhancing Allied Health Care for Older People in Residential Care: The EAHOP Intervention
U1 - Healthcare Disparities
U3 - 10.3390/healthcare13030341
VL - 13
VO - 2227-9032 (Print); 2227-9032
Y1 - 2025
ER -