Elisabeth Boulton

• BA (Hons), MA, PhD
• Health & Care Policy Manager at Age UK

Background The present study aimed to understand the experiences of older adult participants and service deliverers involved in a UK‐based physical activity programme, developed using participatory approaches. Methods Focus groups and one‐to‐one interviews were conducted with 34 older adults (aged 55+ years) and 13 service providers. Inductive the...

BACKGROUND There is a public health need to reduce falls in older people residing in care homes, due to high associated morbidity, mortality and costs. There is a lack of research exploring effective education in falls prevention in care homes. Virtual reality education is emerging as a viable teaching strategy to improve knowledge acquisition but...

Background Around one‐third of older adults aged 65 years or older who live in the community fall each year. Interventions to prevent falls can be designed to target the whole community, rather than selected individuals. These population‐level interventions may be facilitated by different healthcare, social care, and community‐level agencies. They...

Background The Active Connected Engaged [ACE] study is a multi-centre, pragmatic, two-arm, parallel-group randomised controlled trial [RCT] with an internal pilot phase. The ACE study incorporates a multi-level mixed methods process evaluation including a systems mapping approach and an economic evaluation. ACE aims to test the effectiveness and co...

Background Social isolation and loneliness are more common in older adults and are associated with a serious impact on their well‐being, mental health, physical health, and longevity. They are a public health concern highlighted by the COVID‐19 pandemic restrictions, hence the need for digital technology tools to enable remotely delivered intervent...

Background: Social isolation and loneliness are more common in older adults and are associated with a serious impact on their well-being, mental health, physical health, and longevity. They are a public health concern highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, hence the need for digital technology tools to enable remotely delivered interven...

Context Long-term adherence to physical activity (PA) interventions is challenging. The Lifestyle-integrated Functional Exercise programmes were adapted Lifestyle-integrated Functional Exercise (aLiFE) to include more challenging activities and a behavioural change framework, and then enhanced Lifestyle-integrated Functional Exercise (eLiFE) to be...

This is the protocol for a Campbell evidence and gap map. The objectives are as follows: the aim is to map available evidence on the effects of digital interventions to mitigate social isolation and/or loneliness in older adults in all settings except hospital settings.

Background: Mobile health (mHealth) is widely used as an innovative approach to delivering physical activity (PA) programs. Users' adherence to mHealth programs is important to ensure the effectiveness of mHealth-based programs. Objective: Our primary aim was to review the literature on the methods used to assess adherence, factors that could af...

The European Commission Horizon 2020 project—PreventIT—evaluated two approaches to delivering Lifestyle-Integrated Functional Exercise (LiFE) programs for maintaining older adults’ physical function: the paper-based adapted LiFE and mobile health device delivered enhanced LiFE. A self-reported method was used to measure users’ monthly adherence ove...

Background The number of people living with multiple long-term conditions is increasing worldwide. This presents challenges for health and care systems, which must adapt to meet the needs of this population. This study drew on existing data to understand what matters to people living with multiple long-term conditions and identify priorities for fu...

Background: The number of people living with multiple long-term conditions is increasing worldwide. This presents challenges for health and care systems, which must adapt to meet the needs of this population. This study drew on existing data to understand what matters to people living with multiple long-term conditions and identify priorities for...

Background People with frailty may have specific needs for end-of-life care, but there is no consensus on how to identify these people in a timely way, or whether they will benefit from intervention. Aim To synthesise evidence on identification of older people with frailty approaching end-of-life, and whether associated intervention improves outco...

BACKGROUND Mobile health (mHealth) is widely used as an innovative approach to delivering physical activity (PA) programs. Users’ adherence to mHealth programs is important to ensure the effectiveness of mHealth-based programs. OBJECTIVE Our primary aim was to review the literature on the methods used to assess adherence, factors that could affect...

Background : During the COVID-19 pandemic ‘social distancing’ has highlighted the need to minimise loneliness and isolation among older adults (aged 50+). We wanted to know what remotely delivered befriending, social support and low intensity psychosocial interventions may help to alleviate social isolation and loneliness and how they work. Methods...

Objectives Frailty is typically assessed in older populations. Identifying frailty in adults aged under 60 years may also have value, if it supports the delivery of timely care. We sought to identify how frailty is measured in younger populations, including evidence of the impact on patient outcomes and care. Design A rapid review of primary studi...

Background: Physical activity has numerous health and well-being benefits for older adults, but many older adults are inactive. Interventions designed to increase physical activity in older adults have typically only produced small effects and have not achieved long-term changes. There is increasing interest in participatory approaches to promoting...

Background: Physical activity has numerous health and well-being benefits for older adults, but many older adults are inactive. Interventions designed to increase physical activity in older adults have typically only produced small effects and have not achieved long-term changes. There is increasing interest in participatory approaches to promotin...

Background : During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, millions of older adults are advised to avoid contact with those outside their household. ‘Social distancing’ has highlighted the need to minimise loneliness and isolation through the provision of remotely delivered befriending, social support and low intensity psychosocial interventions. We wanted to...

BACKGROUND The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic prompted rapid implementation of new and existing digital technologies to facilitate access to health and care services during physical distancing. Older people may be disadvantaged, if they are unable to use smartphones, tablets, computers or other technologies. OBJECTIVE In this study, we synthesise evidence...

Background The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic prompted the rapid implementation of new and existing digital technologies to facilitate access to health and care services during physical distancing. Older people may be disadvantaged in that regard if they are unable to use or have access to smartphones, tablets, computers, or other technologies. Objective...

Background Exercise interventions, particularly those targeting strength and balance, are effective in preventing falls in older people. Activity levels are generally below recommended levels and reduce with age. There is concern that exercise levels may be further reduced in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital approaches may offer a mean...

Physical activity (PA) is associated with health benefits, with policy across the world focussing on increasing participation. Yet uptake and adherence to PA amongst older adults remains below the recommended 150 min/week. This review aims to identify how older adults have been involved in the design, delivery, implementation and promotion of inter...

Background: Exercise interventions, particularly those targeting strength and balance, are effective in preventing falls in older people. Activity levels are generally below recommended levels and reduce with age. There is concern that exercise levels may be further reduced in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital approaches may offer a mea...

Background: Existing group exercise programmes, or other services offered to maintain physical activity levels, are typically not developed specifically for older adults with dementia. The aim of this study was to gain knowledge about perceptions of a newly developed volunteer supported group exercise programme for older adults with dementia, and...

Background: Behavioral change is the key to alter individuals' lifestyle from sedentary to active. The aim was to assess the feasibility of delivering a Lifestyle-integrated Functional Exercise programme and evaluate the delivery of the intervention by use of digital technology (eLiFE) to prevent functional decline in 61–70 year-old adults. Methods...

Background Falls are the leading cause of injuries in older adults in Thailand. Exercise appears to be a strategy to reduce falls. There is a need to develop a fall prevention exercise programme to encourage participation and adherence. The adapted Lifestyle-integrated Functional Exercise (aLiFE) programme may be suitable by integrating exercise in...

Introduction Falls are the leading cause of injuries in older Thai adults. There is a need to develop a fall prevention exercise programme to encourage participation and adherence. The adapted Lifestyle-integrated Functional Exercise (aLiFE) programme may be suitable by integrating exercise into daily routines as opposed to attending an exercise cl...

Background: Time commitments, limited access, or unwillingness to join a group are some of the many reasons for low adherence to structured exercise in older adults. A promising alternative approach is integrating exercise into daily routines. Objective: This study tested whether an adapted Lifestyle-integrated Functional Exercise (aLiFE) progra...

BACKGROUND: The Lifestyle-integrated Functional Exercise (LiFE) program is an intervention integrating balance and strength activities into daily life, effective at reducing falls in at-risk people ≥70 years. There is potential for LiFE to be adapted to young seniors in order to prevent age-related functional decline. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to (1) d...

Background To explore informal caregivers’ perspectives and perceived needs related to health care services/activities for older adults with dementia, in order to understand barriers and facilitators to participation. The study represents a first step, and explores challenges to overcome, in order to design new activities and services adapted to ol...

The health and wellbeing benefits of engaging in physical activity (PA), and of improving strength and balance, are well documented. The World Health Organization's recommendations of 150 min per week of moderate intensity physical activity have been adopted across the world in policy and practice recommendations. However, the number of older adult...

Introduction The European population is rapidly ageing. In order to handle substantial future challenges in the healthcare system, we need to shift focus from treatment towards health promotion. The PreventIT project has adapted the Lifestyle-integrated Exercise (LiFE) programme and developed an intervention for healthy young older adults at risk o...

Purpose: Hip fractures are an important public health issue. Ninety-five percent of hip fractures are caused by falls, with those at greatest risk including residents of long-term care facilities. Hip protectors can be effective in preventing hip fractures, but levels of acceptance and adherence may be low. We report on work to develop research int...

The emerging mHealth applications, incorporating wearable sensors, enables continuous monitoring of physical activity (PA). This study aimed at analyzing the relevance of a multivariate complexity metric in assessment of functional change in younger older adults. Thirty individuals (60⁻70 years old) participated in a 4-week home-based exercise inte...

Background: Traditionally, exercise programmes for improving functional performance and reducing falls are organised as structured sessions. An alternative approach of integrating functional exercises into everyday tasks has emerged in recent years. Objectives: Summarising the current evidence for the feasibility and effectiveness of interventio...

Background: Evidence of the benefits of engaging in physical activity (PA) is strong, yet the number of older adults meeting the recommended 150 min/wk is low. Policy to increase uptake and adherence has focussed on the health benefits of PA, but may not be the most successful approach. Objective: This qualitative study sought to ask older adult...

Serious games (exergames) have the potential to be effective for postural balance and increasing muscle strength. Several games have been developed to increase physical fitness and balance among older adults. However, it is unclear to which degree usability and acceptability of exergames for older adults have been evaluated. The aim of this study w...

Background: Recent Cochrane reviews on falls and fall prevention have shown that it is possible to prevent falls in older adults living in the community and in care facilities. Technologies aimed at fall detection, assessment, prediction and prevention are emerging, yet there has been no consistency in describing or reporting on interventions usin...

Over recent years a number of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have emerged aiming at falls prevention, falls detection and alarms for use in case of fall. There are also a range of ICT interventions, which have been created or adapted to be pro-active in preventing falls, such as those which provide strength and balance training t...