A road map for the recruitment and retention of older adult participants for longitudinal studies.

Cost-effective recruitment of older adult study participants is essential to geriatric research. Because this age group is particularly challenging to recruit, careful planning and ongoing evaluation is important for successful participant recruitment and retention. Experienced recruitment staff should be involved in a study from the earliest planning stages through the active recruitment phase to the last randomization or enrollment visit. A number of participant burdens are unique to the elderly population. Recruitment staff should be trained to understand and assist with the needs of older research volunteers. Addressing these unique participant burdens can ensure successful study participant recruitment and retention in ongoing and future longitudinal studies on aging.