Exploring the Effects of the Cycling Without Age Program on Older Adults Living in Long-Term Care
Abstract
The Cycling Without Age program, offered in long-term care homes around the world, allows residents to experience the feeling of a bike ride in the trishaw as a volunteer pedals the electrical bike. The purpose of this pragmatic observational study was to measure the effects of an existing program in a Canadian long-term care home on residents’ happiness, quality of life, pain and functional status (using Resident-Assessment Instrument Minimum Data Set 2.0). A convenience sample of 39 residents participated in two groups, a biking group (n=23) and a strolls group (n=16) over the period of 12 weeks. Findings show that biking significantly improved participants’ happiness, did not cause pain, and was associated with maintenance of quality of life. These findings are encouraging for further implementation of the program and provide guidance for future research.