Background: There are few standardized and evaluated intervention programs for elderly people in need of care that consider motor, cognitive and social aspects. Therefore, the "Lübeck Worlds of Movement Model" was developed by the Lübeck Geriatrics Research Group as a multidimensional standardized intervention program for continuous use in the nursing home.
Objectives: The model was evaluated for its effects over the course of one year in the areas of self-care competence (primary endpoint), mobility, coordination, flexibility, strength, endurance, and cognition. The results are presented in this article.
Materials and methods: The sample recruitment took place in 6 nursing homes in Kiel (control group) and 10 in Lübeck (intervention group). Care-dependent senior citizens from the neighborhood were also allowed to participate. Inclusion criteria were the ability to walk at least 6 m independently and the cognitive and sensory capacities to follow the group training. The evaluation study had 255 subjects. To verify the effects of the intervention, various tests were performed at baseline and after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months: Barthel Index, Timed Up and Go, 4‑meter walk test, Romberg stand, one-leg stand, 20-Cents Test, 8‑Point Reach Test, hand force, 5‑Chair-Rise Test, 2‑Minute Step Test, and Six-Item Screener.
Results: Comparison of the control group with the subjects who had participated in at least half of the training sessions (per-protocol analysis) showed the highest effect size in the multivariate analysis of variance after one year for the Barthel index, followed by the Timed Up and Go, cumulated over all times for the Romberg stand and 5‑Chair-Rise Test. The maximum effect measured over the entire assessment occurred after 6 months (partial eta square ηp2 = 0.332).
Conclusions: The model developed preventive effects on all investigated dimensions over the course of a year, but with differences in intensity and time of maximum effect. The motivation for long-term participation was high.
Keywords: Assessment; Elderly persons; Nursing home; Prevention program; Promotion of physical activity.