Healthy aging demonstration project: Nurse coaching for behavior change in older adults

The Healthy Aging Project (HAP) tested nurse coaching as a method to support healthy behavior change in older adults. The sample included 111 individuals randomized to a nurse coaching group or usual-care Control group. Participants in the intervention group chose the health behaviors they wanted to change and received coaching by nurses in a single in-person session followed by telephone calls or email contact for 6 months. Nurses were trained in motivational interviewing (MI). The intervention group had significantly less illness intrusiveness and health distress than the control group at 6 months, although it is not known whether these health outcomes resulted from behavior changes. This clinical demonstration project showed that nurse-delivered MI, primarily using the telephone and email, is a feasible method to discuss behavioral change with older adults. However, future clinical trials will be needed to evaluate the efficacy of nurse delivered MI on actual behavioral changes in older adults. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.