Extended home rehabilitation showed no clear physical quality-of-life advantage
A randomized trial in older adults with frailty found no clear improvement in its main outcome after an extended home exercise programme.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
For older adults with frailty returning home after an acute hospital admission, this extended exercise programme did not show better physical quality of life than usual care. There was a possible difference in hospitalisation rates, but other outcomes did not clearly differ. The result concerns this rehabilitation programme in this population.
Many participants did not complete follow-up or the full programme. Significant cognitive impairment and residence in a care home were exclusion criteria, which limits how broadly these results apply.
What researchers found
Physical quality-of-life score difference
Adjusted mean difference in physical component score, home exercise versus usual care at 12 months; P = 0.73.
What was tested
Therapists delivered progressive exercise at home after discharge. The main outcome was a questionnaire score describing physical health-related quality of life. Researchers also tracked independence, hospitalisations, deaths and care home admissions.
Reading the result
The main estimate was close to no difference, and its confidence interval crossed zero. That does not establish equivalence. The hospitalisation signal was a secondary result and does not overturn the main finding.
The original publication
Home-based extended rehabilitation for older people with frailty (HERO): a multicentre randomised controlled trial with health economic analysis and process evaluation.
Prescott M, Collinson M, Hall AJ et al.
Health Technol Assess · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41557460
- Record checked
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