1447 DELIVERY OF RESISTANCE EXERCISE FOR OLDER PEOPLE LIVING WITH PROBABLE SARCOPENIA OR FRAILTY – FINDINGS FROM THE BEPOP PROJECT

Abstract Introduction Resistance exercise is an effective intervention for older people at risk of, or living with, sarcopenia and frailty. Surveys of current UK practice in exercise prescription for these conditions found that resistance exercise was offered in only 9% of departments and was often not optimised for sarcopenia and frailty. The Benchmarking Exercise Programmes for Older People (BEPOP) project is a joint British Geriatrics Society and AGILE initiative to promote best practice in the prescription of resistance exercise for older people. Methods Using an online data collection tool, 10 services delivering exercise interventions to older people from across the UK submitted anonymized details of baseline assessment (including demographics), exercise prescription and progression, and outcomes, for up to 20 consecutive patients referred to their services with probable sarcopenia, frailty, falls, and reduced mobility. Descriptive data were reviewed and analysed by an expert panel comprising physiotherapists, geriatricians, and exercise specialists. Results Data were analysed for 188 patients with a mean age of 80 years (range 60-101). At the time of referral, 154 (83%) patients did not have a diagnosis of sarcopenia. At baseline, 115 (61%) patients received an objective assessment of muscle strength. The most common modality of resistance exercise prescribed was bodyweight exercises (n=173, 92%) followed by resistance bands (n=49, 26%). Progression of exercise programmes was predominantly through increased repetitions (n=163, 87%) rather than increased load. Forty-one (24%) patients did not undergo any review to inform progression of exercise dose. Fifty patients (30%) patients did not have re-assessment of the outcome measures recorded at baseline on completion of the prescribed exercise programme. Conclusion Multiple opportunities exist to improve both the diagnosis and assessment of sarcopenia, and the prescription, delivery, and monitoring of resistance exercise. BEPOP will provide individualized benchmarking reports to each site to facilitate quality improvement and local service development.