Optimising INtrinsic Capacity for Functional INdependence and to Impede FrailTY in Older Adults: Adaptation of the World Health Organization Integrated Care for Older People (WHO ICOPE) for Healthy Ageing in Singapore (INFINITY-ICOPE)

GERI's Role: GERI leads the implementation research for this study, focusing on adoption, implementation, sustainability and scaling of the INFINITY-ICOPE programme.

Lead: Dr Grace Sum Chi-En (Research Fellow, GERI)

Age Well SG strand: Strengthen support for seniors with care needs in the community

Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Laura Tay (Lead Scientist, GERI; Head and Senior Consultant, Geriatric Medicine, Sengkang General Hospital)

Gap: With the potential rise in disability prevalence of activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living in Singapore’s ageing population, it is important to maintain functional independence in older adults in the community. There is a need to optimise efforts in assessing and preventing declines in intrinsic capacity, to facilitate the proactive diagnosis and management of frailty.

Planned Solution: The INFINITY-ICOPE programme integrates concepts of frailty and intrinsic capacity to facilitate entry to comprehensive geriatric assessment for frail seniors, while monitoring intrinsic capacity trajectories for the early detection of frailty. GERI is evaluating INFINITY-ICOPE’s implementation outcomes of fidelity, penetration and sustainability within the community, alongside the development and operationalisation of the programme’s implementation strategies.

Anticipated Impact: INFINITY-ICOPE seeks to reorient health and social services towards personcentred care to optimise the functional ability of older adults in the community. GERI’s research will inform implementation strategies and potential future scaling of the programme, with findings-to-date published in a journal publication and presented at the 24th International Conference on Integrated Care 2024 and the 2024 Society for Implementation Research Collaboration Conference.

Funding: National Innovation Challenge on Active and Confident Ageing Grant Call on Frailty

Duration: Jan 2023 to Jan 2028