Promoting Safe Mobility

Abstract

This article is the fifth in a series, Supporting Family Caregivers in the 4Ms of an Age-Friendly Health System, published in collaboration with the AARP Public Policy Institute as part of the ongoing Supporting Family Caregivers: No Longer Home Alone series. The 4Ms of an Age-Friendly Health System (What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility) is an evidence-based framework for assessing and acting on critical issues in the care of older adults across settings and transitions of care. Engaging the health care team, including older adults and their family caregivers, with the 4Ms framework can help to ensure that every older adult gets the best care possible, is not harmed by health care, and is satisfied with the care they receive.The articles in this series present considerations for implementing the 4Ms framework in the inpatient hospital setting and incorporating family caregivers in doing so. Resources for both nurses and family caregivers, including a series of accompanying videos developed by AARP and the Rush Center for Excellence in Aging and funded by The John A. Hartford Foundation, are also provided. Nurses should read the articles first, so they understand how best to help family caregivers. Then they can refer caregivers to the informational tear sheet—Information for Family Caregivers—and instructional videos, encouraging them to ask questions. For additional information, see Resources for Nurses.

Public Perceptions of Mobility and Exercise in the Hospital and Intensive Care Unit

“…It was anticipated that status as a health care worker would lead to more positive opinions regarding exercise and mobility due to increased exposure, but this was not observed in the survey. Mobility for patients in acute care hospitals and ICU settings has been widely promoted 5,19,21–24. This was not reflected in the results of our survey.…”

“…Mobility for patients in acute care hospitals and ICU settings has been widely promoted. 5,19,[21][22][23][24] This was not reflected in the results of our survey. However, only 41 (22%) of…”

Nursing Interventions to Empower Family Caregivers to Manage the Risk of Falling in Older Adults: A Scoping Review

“…The included studies spanned publications from 2016 to 2022. Among these studies, five were conducted in the United States of America [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ], one in Canada [ 29 ], one in the United Kingdom [ 30 ], one in Brazil [ 31 ], and another in Turkey [ 32 ] ( Table 2 ).…”

“…Furthermore, practitioners also considered cultivating a positive relationship with the patient’s family to be vital. Family caregivers were considered potential facilitators in the patient’s rehabilitation journey [ 25 ]. Practitioners emphasized the importance of effective communication with the patient’s family, believing that patients who received consistent support and assistance from family members had better rehabilitation outcomes [ 30 ].…”

“…Montero et al [ 29 ] recommend that healthcare professionals should inquire about the goals, independence, domestic activities, and priorities of families and older adults. Additionally, Olson et al [ 25 ] emphasize the importance of nurses taking into account the valuable insights that family caregivers can provide regarding the home environment and the desired mobility levels for essential activities of their relatives. This can help them design more effective interventions.…”