Reablement Intervention for Older Adults in Day Care Centers

Summary

This study explores the effectiveness of reablement interventions for older adults with declining mobility in adult day care centers and compares them with traditional exercise interventions. In recent years, reablement has gained increasing attention. It is a person-centered approach that emphasizes goal-oriented training through activities of daily living, combined with interdisciplinary collaboration, to enhance individuals' self-care abilities and participation in daily life. In contrast, exercise interventions are typically structured programs focusing on improving muscle strength, balance, and endurance. While both approaches aim to enhance physical function, they differ in philosophy, implementation context, and motivational mechanisms. Reablement emphasizes meaningful, individualized, and context-based activities, which may enhance motivation and adherence, whereas exercise interventions are more standardized and efficient but may lack relevance to daily life, potentially affecting long-term engagement.

This study adopts a quasi-experimental design to compare the effects of reablement and exercise interventions on mobility, fear of falling, activities of daily living, and subjective well-being among older adults. It also evaluates the feasibility of implementing reablement in day care centers. Additionally, participants' preferences, attendance, and engagement in different intervention approaches are examined to address the current gap in comparative research.

Overall, the findings suggest that incorporating reablement into day care services-through individualized goal setting and interdisciplinary collaboration-can enhance functional performance, quality of life, and independence among older adults. The results also provide important evidence for future long-term care policy and practice, supporting a shift from a care-oriented model to a function-oriented approach, and ultimately promoting aging in place and independent living.

Conditions

• Reablement
• Elderly
• Activities of Daily Living

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Reablement

Based on the principles of reablement care and incorporating the Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) model, the intervention is designed according to older adults' individual preferences, life experiences, and functional needs. It consists of context-based, function-oriented activities embedded in daily life situations. The intervention is delivered in small groups (5-10 participants per group), where individualized reablement activities are implemented alongside shared tasks tailored to real-life contexts (e.g., community shopping, cooking, or environmental organization). A designated care staff member is responsible for facilitation, assistance, and documentation. The intervention is conducted 2 to 3 days per week, with multiple short activity sessions per day, each lasting approximately 5 to 60 minutes, over a period of 12 weeks, with a total intervention time of approximately 1,000 minutes.

BEHAVIORAL

Exercise

The Vivifrail exercise program was adopted, an evidence-based intervention model for older adults developed based on international research (Izquierdo, 2019). Through graded, structured exercise training, the program aims to improve lower-limb muscle strength, balance, and gait function. In this study, it was used as a standardized exercise intervention for comparison with the reablement intervention. The program was delivered in small groups (5-10 participants per group), led by designated care staff. Each participant received exercise training corresponding to their functional level. The intervention was conducted 2 to 3 days per week, with each session lasting 30 to 40 minutes, over a period of 12 weeks, with a total intervention time of approximately 1,000 minutes.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Taiwan University Hospital

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-12-04

Primary Completion

2026-03-25

Completion

2026-12-31

Countries

• Taiwan

Study Locations