Keeping older Veterans independent with a six-week activity program
Official title: Development and Feasibility of a Behavioral Activation Intervention to Support Independence in Older Veterans at Risk for Functional Decline
Funded at Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital · NIH-11222654 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A six-week telehealth program helps Veterans 65+ use meaningful physical, mental, and social activities to stay independent and reduce decline in daily function.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bedford, United States) |
| Project start | November 1, 2022 |
| Project end | October 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 5IK2RX003930-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11222654 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are Veterans age 65 or older enrolled in VA primary care who score 3 or higher on the Vulnerable Elders Survey (VES-13), indicating risk for functional decline.
✕Less likely to help
People younger than 65, non-Veterans, those not enrolled in VA primary care, or Veterans with severe cognitive impairment or who cannot use telehealth are unlikely to benefit from this program.
What this research studies
You would take part in a brief, six-week program delivered by phone or video that teaches ways to increase activities that matter to you. The program adapts behavioral activation (a therapy that boosts activity and engagement) to focus on physical, cognitive, and social functioning. Participants are older Veterans enrolled in VA primary care who show early signs of risk for losing day-to-day abilities. The team will first adapt the program for Veterans and then pilot it to see if it is practical and acceptable before wider testing.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could help older Veterans keep doing everyday tasks, stay in the community longer, and lower the risk of worsening health or hospital stays.
How similar studies have gone: Behavioral activation is proven helpful for depression and increasing activity, but using a short telehealth behavioral activation program specifically to prevent functional decline in older Veterans is a new, pilot approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital
Bedford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kennedy, Meaghan a. — Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital
- Study coordinator: Kennedy, Meaghan a.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.