Post Discharge Use of Bathing Equipment Prescribed by Occupational Therapists

Abstract

Prescription of adaptive equipment is a core component of occupational therapy practice. Adaptive equipment can help people with physical limitations to optimize their independence during the completion of activities of daily living. In this paper, we report the results of an audit of patients' use of eight pieces of prescribed bathing equipment eight weeks after discharge from hospital, and analyze the reasons for their patterns of use. Participants were 64 patients (mean age = 70.7 years, 62.5% female), discharged from a metropolitan hospital after treatment for a general medical condition or undergoing a surgical procedure, who had been prescribed one or more pieces of bathing equipment by an occupational therapist. The types of bathing equipment included in this study were shower stools, shower chairs, bath boards, hand held shower hoses, toe wipers, soap bags, nonslip mats, and long handled back brushes. Of 90 pieces of bathing equipment prescribed, an over-Trish Wielandt is a Doctoral student and Kryss McKenna is Senior Lecturer,

The Reasons for Noncompliance with Adaptive Equipment in Patients Returning Home After a Total Hip Replacement

“…This study speaks of assistive devices, which includes adaptive and mobility aids such as a walker, cane, wheelchair, or crutches. Another study found that the patients' perceptions of the benefit of using pieces of adaptive equipment appear to influence compliance (Wielandt, McKenna, Tooth, & Strong, 2001). One study conducted an audit of past total hip replacement patients in order to determine the cost-effectiveness of providing hip packs.…”