Older people’s experiences of acute hospitalisation:
An investigation of how occupations are affected

Abstract

Occupational therapists have a unique contribution to make in encouraging meaningful occupation on hospital wards. Identifying the manner by which occupational therapists can most effectively implement the assessment of occupational performance in the acute care setting should constitute a research priority for future investigations.

Facilitating early activities of daily living retraining to prevent functional decline in older adults

“…Patients reported appreciation of the opportunity to engage in activities with time and focus given to maintaining their independence that otherwise would not have been afforded to them. This further supports the notion that focussing on and engaging in meaningful occupation on the hospital wards can be fundamental in decreasing functional decline during an acute admission (Cheah & Presnell, 2011).…”

“…It is acknowledged that this may provide an incomplete picture as comments were not gathered from the control group nor was formal feedback sought from the intervention group to enable opportunity for participants to express both positive and negative opinions, the authors believe that comments expressed by the intervention group provide some important insights into the patient's perspective of their acute care journey. Patients within this study reported that they can feel uncomfortable within the ‘foreign’ environment of a hospital as ‘things are not like they are at home’ (Cheah & Presnell, ). This combined with the perception that staff are too busy prevents older people from seeking assistance when needed or from being as independent as they could be with simple tasks, such as toileting and showering (e.g., ‘Them (sic) nurses are always so busy, I don't want to bother them.…”

Lack of meaningful activity on acute physical hospital wards: Older people’s experiences

“…Most said they were bored, despite the provision of a range of electronic bedside devices for entertainment. In an occupational therapy study similar to the current study, Cheah and Presnell (2011) interviewed six older patients on Australian hospital wards and identified a contrast between perceived meaningful occupations pre-hospitalisation and the unfamiliar occupations in hospital. They highlighted how the foreign nature of the ward environment resulted in previously meaningful occupations losing their sense of meaning, the lack of activity taking place on wards and time spent waiting.…”

Improving allied health professionals’ research implementation behaviours for children with cerebral palsy: protocol for a before-after study

“…This will involve taking part in training and cross-organisational knowledge broker support groups to develop the knowledge brokering role, identifying facilitators and ameliorating context-specific barriers, contributing to the delivery of education packages and providing day-to-day support to AHPs as they engage in project activities and outcomes. Provision of a customised e-evidence library —‘ CP Decision ’ [ 36 ]—to enable AHPs rapid and real-time access to synthesised and critiqued cerebral palsy research evidence. This library employs a traffic light system corresponding to evidence levels [ 21 ] and will be updated on an ongoing basis to accommodate new evidence as it emerges.…”

“…Provision of a customised e-evidence library —‘ CP Decision ’ [ 36 ]—to enable AHPs rapid and real-time access to synthesised and critiqued cerebral palsy research evidence. This library employs a traffic light system corresponding to evidence levels [ 21 ] and will be updated on an ongoing basis to accommodate new evidence as it emerges.…”