Effects of Reablement on the Independence of Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Mild Disability: A Randomized Controlled Trial

We aimed to assess the efficacy of a reablement program in improving the independence from long-term care services of older adults with mild disability. This parallel, two-arm, randomized controlled, superiority trial was conducted in Neyagawa, a local government area in Osaka, Japan. Eligible participants were community-dwelling individuals aged ≥65 years certified as support-required level. They were assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either a community-based, multicomponent, multidisciplinary, individualized goal-directed, and time-limited intervention (the CoMMIT program) plus standard care or standard care alone. The primary outcome was independence, that is, the nonuse of long-term care services during the three-month follow-up period. The study was terminated early due to slow enrollment. A total of 375 participants were enrolled and randomized to either the intervention ( n = 190) or control ( n = 185) group. The proportions of independence were 11.1% and 3.8% in the intervention and control groups, respectively (absolute difference: 7.3; 95% confidence interval: 2.0–12.5). There was no difference in the risk of serious adverse events between the groups. The CoMMIT program plus standard care was found superior to standard care alone in enhancing the independence from long-term care services of older adults with mild disability.