Do self management programs work for older seniors?

Self-management programs are an effective means of improving the ability of older adults to carry out daily activities according to a study by van Het Bolscher-Niehuis MJ, den Ouden ME, de Vocht HM, Francke AL. Effects of self-management support programmes on activities of daily living of older adults: A systematic review published in the International Journal of Nursing Studies.

The researchers asked the following question, What are the effects of self-management support programs on the ability of older adults to perform important daily activities?

The reason for the study is that older adults living in the community often face health challenges that impair their ability to carry out important daily activities (e.g., eating, bathing, dressing). In addition, older adults living in the community are seldom given specific instruction on how to manage their own daily activities when dealing with chronic conditions and other health problems. So, a review was done to assess the effectiveness of self-management programs in improving the ability of older adults to carry out daily activities.

The researchers completed a detailed search of five electronic databases was conducted for studies published up to and including February 2016. Studies that focused on community-dwelling adults aged 65 years or older, self-management support programs, and outcomes relating to the performance of daily activities were included in the review.  They reviewed a total of 5,220 studies were identified in searches and decided to include 10 in the review after assessments for eligibility.

What the researchers found that self-management support programs may prevent or delay the decline the ability of older adults to perform daily activities. The authors reinforced the idea that effective self-management support interventions had a multi-component structure, contained disease-specific information, and included personalized instruction and feedback for older adults.

Conclusion

This review found that self-management support programs improve the ability of older adults to perform important daily tasks, such as eating and bathing. More evidence is required to identify whether self-management support programs should be taught in group or individual settings and whether they should be delivered with or without usual care programs.