Objectives To determine effect size and acceptability of a multi-component behavior and home repair intervention with low-income, disabled older adults Design Prospective randomized controlled pilot trial Setting Participants’ homes Participants 40 low income older adults with difficulties in at least 1 Activity of Daily Living (ADL) or 2 Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL). Intervention Coordinated occupational therapy (OT), nursing (RN), and handyman (HM) visits compared to attention-control visits. The intervention consisted of up to 6 visits with an OT, up to 4 visits with an RN and an average of $1,300 in HM repairs and modifications. Each intervention participant received all components of the intervention clinically tailored to risk profile and goals. Each attention-control participant received the same number of visits as the intervention participants, involving sedentary activities of their choice. Measurement Primary Outcome: difficulty in performing ADL and IADLs. Secondary outcomes: Health related quality of life and falls–efficacy. Results Thirty five of 40 adults (87%) completed the 6-month trial and 93% and 100% of the control and intervention group, respectively, stated the study benefited them. The intervention group improved on all outcomes. When comparing the mean change in the intervention group compared to the mean change in the control group from baseline to follow up, the CAPABLE intervention had an effect size of 0.63 for reducing difficulty in ADLs, 0.62 for reducing difficulty in IADLs, 0.89 for Quality of Life, and 0.55 for Falls-efficacy. Conclusion The multi-component CAPABLE intervention was acceptable to participants, feasible to provide, and showed promising results, suggesting that this multi-component intervention to reduce disability should be evaluated in a larger trial.

IMPORTANCE Disability among older adults is a strong predictor of health outcomes, health service use, and health care costs. Few interventions have reduced disability among older adults. OBJECTIVE To determine whether a 10-session, home-based, multidisciplinary program reduces disability. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In this randomized clinical trial of 300 low-income community-dwelling adults with a disability in Baltimore, Maryland, between March 18, 2012, and April 29, 2016, 65 years or older, cognitively intact, and with self-reported difficulty with 1 or more activities of daily living (ADLs) or 2 or more instrumental ADLs (IADLs), participants were interviewed in their home at baseline, 5 months (end point), and 12 months (follow-up) by trained research assistants who were masked to the group allocation. Participants were randomized to either the intervention (CAPABLE) group (n = 152) or the attention control group (n = 148) through a computer-based assignment scheme, stratified by sex in randomized blocks. Intention-to-treat analysis was used to assess the intervention. Data were analyzed from September 2017 through August 2018. INTERVENTIONS The CAPABLE group received up to 10 home visits over 5 months by occupational therapists, registered nurses, and home modifiers to address self-identified functional goals by enhancing individual capacity and the home environment. The control group received 10 social home visits by a research assistant. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Disability with ADLs or IADLs at 5 months. Each ADL and IADL task was self-scored from 0 to 2 according to whether in the previous month the person did not have difficulty and did not need help (0), did not need help but had difficulty (1), or needed help regardless of difficulty (2). The overall score ranged from 0 to 16 points. RESULTS Of the 300 people randomized to either the CAPABLE group (n = 152) or the control group (n = 148), 133 of the CAPABLE participants (87.5%) were women with a mean (SD) age of 75.7 (7.6) years; 126 (82.9%) self-identified as black. Of the controls, 129 (87.2%) were women with a mean (SD) age of 75.4 (7.4) years; 133 (89.9%) self-identified as black. CAPABLE participation resulted in 30% reduction in ADL disability scores at 5 months (relative risk [RR], 0.70; 95% CI, 0.54-0.93; P = .01) vs control participation. CAPABLE participation resulted in a statistically nonsignificant 17% reduction in IADL disability scores (RR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.65-1.06; P = .13) vs control participation. Participants in the CAPABLE group vs those in the control group were more likely to report that the program made their life easier (82.3% vs 43.1%; P < .001), helped them take care of themselves (79.8% vs 35.5%; P < .001), and helped them gain confidence in managing daily challenges (79.9% vs 37.7%; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Low-income community-dwelling older adults who received the CAPABLE intervention experienced substantial decrease in disability; disability may be modifiable through addressing both the person and t...

Background As the population ages, it is increasingly important to test new models of care that improve life quality and decrease health costs. This paper presents the rationale and design for a randomized clinical trial of a novel interdisciplinary program to reduce disability among low income older adults based on a previous pilot trial of the same design showing strong effect. Methods The CAPABLE (Community Aging in Place, Advancing Better Living for Elders) trial is a randomized controlled trial in which low income older adults with self-care disability are assigned to one of two groups: an interdisciplinary team of a nurse, occupational therapist, and handyman to address both personal and environmental risk factors for disability based on participants’ functional goals, or an attention control of sedentary activities of choice. Both groups receive up to 10 home visits over 4 months. Outcomes The primary outcome is decreased disability in self-care (ADL). Secondary outcomes are sustained decrease in self care disability as well as improvement in instrumental ADLS, strength, balance, walking speed, and health care utilization. Careful cost tracking and analysis using intervention data and claims data will enable direct measurement of the cost impact of the CAPABLE approach. CAPABLE has the potential to leverage current health care spending in Medicaid waivers, Accountable Care Organizations and other capitated systems to save the health care system costs as well as improving low income older adults’ ability to age at home with improved life quality.