Effects of a Community Care Station Program With Structured Exercise Intervention on Physical Performance and Balance in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Prospective 2-Year Observational Study

Abstract

The Taiwanese government has developed community care stations (CCSs) for community-based older adult care. We investigated the effects of a structured exercise intervention, applied at CCS for 6 months, on physical performance and balance in community-dwelling older adults, including a 2-year reassessment. Fifty-eight participants (aged 76.9 ± 6.3 years) participated in the study. The Elderly Mobility Scale, Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), Timed Up and Go (TUG), gait speed, functional reach, one-leg-stance (OLS), and flexibility were evaluated at baseline, 6 months, and 2 years. Compared with baseline, the participants improved significantly in the SPPB (0.93 points), TUG (1.94 s), gait speed (0.13 m/s), and right and left OLS (2.56 and 3.12 s) at 6 months. Furthermore, these significant effects, except for OLS, were maintained at the 2-year reassessment according to repeated-measures ANOVA (p < .01). Our preliminary data suggest that adding a structured exercise program can benefit older adults participating in Taiwanese CCSs.

Physical Inactivity and Possible Sarcopenia in Rural Community Daycare Stations of Taiwan: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…This was a cross-sectional study conducted at rural community daycare stations in Northern Hualien, a region located on the east coast of Taiwan. In these areas, there were a total of 11 daycare stations that provided integrated LTC services 5 days a week, including shuttle bus transportation, congregational meal services, public health education, leisure activities, and simple physical and cognitive activities, all of which were conducted under the assistance of trained volunteers from the community [ 2 , 3 ]. People who are frail or have mild disabilities are eligible for availability of these LTC services at community care stations [ 27 ].…”

“…In Taiwan, the pace of population aging is faster than in Japan, Europe, and the US [ 1 ]. In response to the long-term care (LTC) needs of a fast-growing older population, the Taiwanese government has been developing community daycare stations which put aging-in-place values into practice by delivering an integrated community-based primary healthcare and preventive service [ 2 , 3 ]. Community daycare stations have been suggested by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia in 2019 (AWGS 2019) to be amenable to implementing an integrated LTC service to prevent or delay disability, especially for people who are physically inactive or at risk of sarcopenia [ 4 ].…”

Effects of Physical Activity Governmental Programs on Health Status in Independent Older Adults: A Systematic Review

“…However, after checking the full texts of these studies, 39 of them were excluded since twelve were not PA governmental programs (Aoki et al, 2015;Brach, Nieder, Nieder, & Mechling, 2009;Burton, Lewin, Clemson, & Boldy, 2013;Etkin, Prohaska, Harris, Latham, & Jette, 2006;Filiatrault et al, 2008;Nguyen et al, 2007;Gawler et al, 2016;Liang et al, 2017;Matsudo et al, "Effects of Physical Activity Governmental Programs on Health Status in Independent Older Adults: A Systematic Review" by Valdés-Badilla P et al Journal of Aging andPhysical Activity © 2018 Human Kinetics, Inc. 2003;Quehenberger, Cichocki, & Krajic, 2014;Robitaille et al, 2012;Zgibor et al, 2016), five included participants younger than 60 years old in their samples (Ablah et al, 2015;Cameron, Chahine, Selig, & Newton, 2008;Hetherington et al, 2015;Martinson et al, 2010;Wilcox, Dowda, Wegley, & Ory, 2009), nine did not respond to the object of study of the present review (Babazono, Kuwabara, Hagiihara, Nagano, & Ishihara, 2011;Cheadle, Egger, LoGerfo, Walwick, & Schwartz, 2010a;Dangour et al, 2007;Filiatrault et al, 2007;Goodman, Davies, Tai, Dinan, & Iliffe, 2007;Griffin et al, 2010;Hayashi, Kondo, Suzuki, Yamada, & Matsumoto, 2014;Kanamori et al, 2012;Stewart et al, 2006), six just collected results from only one assessment (post-evaluation) of the participants (Benedetti, Schwingel, Gomez, & Chodzko-Zajko, 2012;Cheadle, Egger, LoGerfo, Schwartz, & Harris, 2010b;da Fonte et al, 2016;Figueira et al, 2009;Valdés-Badilla et al, 2017;…”

The Effects of Using a Low-Cost and Easily Accessible Exercise Toolkit Incorporated to the Governmental Health Program on Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Quasi-Experimental Study

“…Furthermore, older adults either with self-irregular exercise, low physical activity level or a sedentary lifestyle could regress in their physical performance and strength with age, which is strongly related to increased chances for frailty, the risks of falling, disability, institutionalization and mortality [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]. Therefore, to delay the age-related declination of strength and physical mobility and prevent the disability among the community’s older adults, official or non-official institutions in these countries have developed various community-based service and health promotion programs, such as Enhance ® Fitness program, Feeling Fit Club in the USA [ 13 , 14 ], community-based integrated care in Japan [ 15 , 16 ], and community care center (station) in Taiwan [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. However, owing to the diverse culture and lifestyle of older populations, different social welfare and healthcare policies, and the contents of these health programs among these various countries [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ], there could be no “one size fits all” to deal with the “aging” problem.…”

“…The Community Care Station (CCS) service is one of the most prominent strategies under the “Taiwan Healthy Community 6-Star Plan,” which was a public health and senior welfare policy launched in 2005 by the Taiwanese government in response to the rapid and massive aging society [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. By using unused local community centers, churches, temples, etc., CCSs provide social and eldercare services for community older adults.…”