Preventing Loss of Independence Through Exercise in Community Living Centers

Approximately 40,000 older Veterans who have complex care needs (for example, a combination of severe cognitive, physical, and mental health conditions) receive long-term care in VA Community Living Centers (CLCs). However, CLC staff members rarely receive specialized training in how to best engage and interact with these Veterans, which can lead to poor care quality, worsening of symptoms, staff burnout, and low morale throughout a facility. The investigators have developed a unique, mind-body, group movement program for Veterans with cognitive impairment called Preventing Loss of Independence through Exercise (PLIÉ) and found that it has physical, cognitive, social and emotional benefits in CLC residents. The investigators recently taught 50 staff members from a variety of professions in 5 CLCs to lead PLIÉ classes. The study will enable us to test whether the PLIÉ,LC staff training program improves outcomes for residents and to learn about the success and sustainment of the training.

NCT Number	NCT06972004
Lead Sponsor	VA Office of Research and Development
Conditions	Dementia, Cognitive Dysfunction
Enrollment	288 participants
Start Date	2025-10-01
Primary Completion	2028-11-30 (estimated)
Study Completion	2029-06-30 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-10-22