Thesis Format
Monograph
Degree
Master of Science
Program
Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Supervisor
Zecevic, Aleksandra
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.
Summary for Lay Audience
Cycling Without Age is a biking program offered in long-term care homes around the world. The program allows residents to experience the feeling of a bike ride in the three-wheeled trishaw as a volunteer pedals the electrical bike. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an existing Cycling Without Age program in a Canadian long-term care home on the happiness, quality of life, pain and functional status (using Resident-Assessment Instrument Minimum Data Set 2.0) of residents. A sample of 39 residents participated in two groups, a biking group (n=23) and a strolls group (n=16) over a period of 12 weeks. Findings show that the biking program immediately and temporarily improved the happiness of residents, did not cause more pain, and was associated with maintaining quality of life. This study provides long-term care homes with evidence of the impact of the Cycling Without Age program on residents, which encourages future program implementation.
Recommended Citation
Cotnam, Victoria, "Exploring the Effects of the Cycling Without Age Program on Older Adults Living in Long-Term Care" (2020). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 7374.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/7374
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Included in
Geriatric Nursing Commons, Other Mental and Social Health Commons, Recreational Therapy Commons