Health Outcomes of Tai Chi in Subsidized Senior Housing
| Status: | Terminated |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Healthy Studies |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Other |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 60 - Any |
| Updated: | 4/17/2018 |
| Start Date: | July 2015 |
| End Date: | January 26, 2018 |
The proposed study will determine whether Tai Chi is an effective and practical intervention
to improve overall function and lower health care utilization in an expensive, vulnerable
population of seniors that is more representative of many US communities than those
previously studied. If the results are favorable, our study will also provide the necessary
training and protocol manuals to replicate Tai Chi programs in senior housing facilities
across the nation to help prevent, better manage, and overcome frailty among seniors.
to improve overall function and lower health care utilization in an expensive, vulnerable
population of seniors that is more representative of many US communities than those
previously studied. If the results are favorable, our study will also provide the necessary
training and protocol manuals to replicate Tai Chi programs in senior housing facilities
across the nation to help prevent, better manage, and overcome frailty among seniors.
Elderly people living in low-income housing facilities represent one of our nation's largest,
most functionally impaired, economically disadvantaged, and understudied populations that
account for a disproportionate share of Medicare spending. This revised competitive renewal
application aims to improve the health and reduce the health care utilization of this
population by conducting a cluster randomized controlled trial of Tai Chi exercises vs.
health education and social calls in 16 housing facilities in cities surrounding Boston. The
proposal builds upon previously successful studies by Drs. Lipsitz, Wayne, and others showing
multiple benefits of Tai Chi exercises in elderly people with a variety of diseases and
disabilities. A randomized, controlled pilot study supported by the current R37 grant that
this application seeks to renew, showed that 12 weeks of Tai Chi exercises tailored to the
abilities of frail seniors living in supportive housing facilities can improve balance, gait,
and physical function. The proposed study aims are to determine the effects of Tai Chi
exercises conducted at least twice weekly over a 1 year period on 1) functional performance
measured by the Short Physical Performance Battery and 2) health care utilization determined
from self-reported emergency room visits and hospitalizations in poor, multiethnic, elderly
residents of low income housing facilities. Secondary outcomes will include person-centered
measures such as physical function, cognition, psychological well-being, falls,
self-efficacy, and satisfaction. We hypothesize that compared to the control intervention,
Tai Chi will significantly improve physical function and reduce health care utilization. This
study will prepare the necessary training and protocol manuals for widespread dissemination
of Tai Chi programs in housing facilities across the nation. It will also provide estimates
of potential Medicare cost savings that can be used to justify future health insurance
payments for this intervention. The previous experience of the Co-Principal Investigators and
their colleagues at Harvard Medical School and Brandeis University in aging research,
clinical trials, functional assessment, Medicare claims analyses, and Tai Chi interventions
will help assure the project's success.
most functionally impaired, economically disadvantaged, and understudied populations that
account for a disproportionate share of Medicare spending. This revised competitive renewal
application aims to improve the health and reduce the health care utilization of this
population by conducting a cluster randomized controlled trial of Tai Chi exercises vs.
health education and social calls in 16 housing facilities in cities surrounding Boston. The
proposal builds upon previously successful studies by Drs. Lipsitz, Wayne, and others showing
multiple benefits of Tai Chi exercises in elderly people with a variety of diseases and
disabilities. A randomized, controlled pilot study supported by the current R37 grant that
this application seeks to renew, showed that 12 weeks of Tai Chi exercises tailored to the
abilities of frail seniors living in supportive housing facilities can improve balance, gait,
and physical function. The proposed study aims are to determine the effects of Tai Chi
exercises conducted at least twice weekly over a 1 year period on 1) functional performance
measured by the Short Physical Performance Battery and 2) health care utilization determined
from self-reported emergency room visits and hospitalizations in poor, multiethnic, elderly
residents of low income housing facilities. Secondary outcomes will include person-centered
measures such as physical function, cognition, psychological well-being, falls,
self-efficacy, and satisfaction. We hypothesize that compared to the control intervention,
Tai Chi will significantly improve physical function and reduce health care utilization. This
study will prepare the necessary training and protocol manuals for widespread dissemination
of Tai Chi programs in housing facilities across the nation. It will also provide estimates
of potential Medicare cost savings that can be used to justify future health insurance
payments for this intervention. The previous experience of the Co-Principal Investigators and
their colleagues at Harvard Medical School and Brandeis University in aging research,
clinical trials, functional assessment, Medicare claims analyses, and Tai Chi interventions
will help assure the project's success.
Inclusion Criteria:
- able to understand instructions in English
- able to participate safely in Tai Chi exercises at least twice a week
- expected to remain in the facility for 1 year
- are fee-for-service Medicare Beneficiaries for the 3 study years
- Able to stand/walk independently, without the help of another person
Exclusion Criteria:
- enrolled in a PACE, or a Special Needs Plan, since this would make it difficult to
isolate the effects of Tai Chi on health care utilization.
- Practice of Tai Chi for >3 years over lifetime, or more than weekly in prior 6 months
- any unstable or terminal illness (e.g., unstable cardiovascular disease, active
cancer, unstable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), advanced dementia,
psychosis)
- inability to maintain posture sitting or standing
- inability to hear, see, or understand Tai Chi instructions and assessment questions.
We found this trial at
1
site
Roslindale, Massachusetts 02131
Principal Investigator: Lewis Lipsitz, MD
Phone: 617-632-8884
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