Residents living in the City of Charles Sturt are invited to join a study that aims to promote avoiding frailty and ageing well. One in five older people are frail, but the good news is that frailty can be avoided or postponed.

The intervention that is being tested is called AVOID Frailty – Program for Healthy Ageing intervention. AVOID Frailty, focuses on improving A - activity, V - vaccination, O - optimising medication, I - interaction and socialisation, and D - healthy Diet and nutrition.

AVOID Frailty is delivered through a web-platform, which supports individuals to adopt healthy actions. Through this web platform, participants gain an understanding of their personal health and access tailored education targeting risk factors for frailty. Additionally, there is a library of resources highlighting local community programs and services aimed at promoting healthy ageing. Participants are encouraged to set goals, take action and monitor their progress.

Professor Renuka Visvanathan of the Adelaide Geriatrics Training and Research with Aged Care Centre, a research group within the University of Adelaide and Head of Unit of the Aged & Extended Care Services at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital said, “We are looking to recruit 60 people living in the City of Charles Sturt aged 60 years and over to help us investigate if using this web platform helps individuals steer clear of frailty and to age well. This will be done through a randomised control trial.”

This is the first time that AVOID Frailty will be used outside of Canada. Citizen scientists living in the City of Charles Sturt have provided a lot of input to adapt AVOID Frailty for use in South Australia.

People living in the City of Charles Sturt, aged 60 years and older are invited to participate. Interested people will also need to be:

• Living in the community (independent living unit included) and not a nursing home,
• Able to use technology like a website program,
• Have regular access to the Internet and a computer/tablet or assistance from someone who does,
• Have not been a previous participant in the AVOID Frailty study as a Citizen Scientist, and
• Willing to complete health surveys at the start (telephone and face-to-face), at 3 months and at 6 months (with telephone support available from research staff).

Individuals who complete the study will receive a $50 gift card.

For more information about the study or to express your interest in participating, please contact Dr Joanne Dollard at 8222 7349 or via email at avoidfrailty@adelaide.edu.au.

This study is made possible through funding by The Hospital Research Foundation, awarded to Professor Renuka Visvanathan (University of Adelaide), Dr Helen Barrie (University of South Australia) and Professor John Muscedere (Canadian Frailty Network). The study is conducted in partnership with the City of Charles Sturt, Adelaide Primary Health Network and Canadian Frailty Network.