Examining the effects of an Educational Person-centered Intervention on Compensatory Strategies (EPICS) in older adults living with frailty: A mixed-methods pilot trial

This study aimed to explore effects of a two-session Educational Person-centered Intervention on Compensatory Strategies (EPICS) designed to increase knowledge of strategies, reduce barriers, and improve accomplishment of meaningful leisure activities (MLA) and well-being in older adults living with frailty. Using a double-blind concurrent mixed-methods design, 36 community-dwelling older adults were assigned to the experimental (EPICS) or control (friendly visits) group through a covariate adaptive randomization. Questionnaires were administered prior to the intervention and +/- two months post-intervention. Individual semi-structured interviews conducted at the end of the study furthered the authors' understanding of the effects of the intervention. Quantitative analysis revealed significant increase in knowledge of compensatory strategies and reduction of barriers for the experimental group only. Qualitative analysis (purposive sample, n = 8) showed enhanced well-being and self-activation. Discussions about barriers to accomplishment may be sufficient to trigger self-activation in someolder adults living with frailty to improve participation in MLA and well-being.