Dance therapy results in positive functional trends, suggesting that further study using dance-based therapy will be useful to decrease fall risks in older persons.
Caregivers play important roles in managing the physical functioning (PF) needs of older adults transitioning home after a hospitalization. Training and support of caregivers in the post-acute home health care (HHC) setting should incorporate caregivers' perspectives. To explore caregivers' experiences managing PF needs in the post-acute HHC setting, we conducted semistructured, telephone interviews of 20 caregivers. Conventional content analysis revealed patient-, caregiving-task, caregiver, and home environment-related themes consistent with the Theory of Dependent Care. Caregivers highlighted the dynamics and contributors of PF needs for older patients in the post-acute HHC setting; and depicted the enormity of caregiving tasks needed to manage older patients' PF needs. Caregivers also described their perceived roles and challenges in managing PF deficits, including a sense of isolation when they were the sole caregiver. Findings from this research can guide nursing efforts to target caregiver training and support during this critical care transition.
Falls are a significant cause of injury and accidental death among persons over the age of 65. Gait velocity is one of the parameters which have been correlated to the risk of falling. We aim to build a system which monitors gait in seniors and reports any changes to caregivers, who can then perform a clinical assessment and perform corrective and preventative actions to reduce the likelihood of falls. In this paper, we deploy a Doppler radar-based gait measurement system into the apartments of thirteen seniors. In scripted walks, we show the system measures gait velocity with a mean error of 14.5% compared to the time recorded by a clinician. With a calibration factor, the mean error is reduced to 10.5%. The radar is a promising sensing technology for gait velocity in a day-to-day senior living environment.
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