A survey of nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists in mobility care and gait aid use for hospital patients with dementia

Den Ching A. Lee; Claudia Meyer; Elissa Burton; Su Kitchen; Cylie Williams; Susan W. Hunter; Plaiwan Suttanon; Keith D. Hill

doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2022.02.017

A survey of nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists in mobility care and gait aid use for hospital patients with dementia

Den Ching A. Lee, Claudia Meyer, Elissa Burton, Su Kitchen, Cylie Williams, Susan W. Hunter, Plaiwan Suttanon, Keith D. Hill

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study described mobility care practice of nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists and gait aid use for hospital patients with dementia. Two surveys, tailored to staff mobility care roles were distributed in Australian hospitals. Physiotherapists and occupational therapists were asked additional questions regarding assessments and factors for prescribing gait aids to patients with dementia. Descriptive statistics for closed-ended and summative content analyses for open-ended questions were undertaken. Nurses (n=56), physiotherapists (n=11) and occupational therapists (n=23) used various practices to ensure ambulation safety for patients with dementia. Nurses and occupational therapists commonly referred patients with dementia to physiotherapists for mobility and gait aid assessments. Therapists predominantly considered the severity of dementia, the person's learning ability and mobility history in deciding about gait aid use. Exploring ways to strengthen nursing and health professional education, and inter-professional practice for safe mobility in patients with dementia, with and without gait aids, could be helpful.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	221-228
Number of pages	8
Journal	Geriatric Nursing
Volume	44
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2022.02.017
Publication status	Published - Mar 2022

Keywords

Dementia
Gait aid
Hospital
Mobility
Nurses
Occupational therapists
Physiotherapists

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.gerinurse.2022.02.017

Cite this

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title = "A survey of nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists in mobility care and gait aid use for hospital patients with dementia",

abstract = "This study described mobility care practice of nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists and gait aid use for hospital patients with dementia. Two surveys, tailored to staff mobility care roles were distributed in Australian hospitals. Physiotherapists and occupational therapists were asked additional questions regarding assessments and factors for prescribing gait aids to patients with dementia. Descriptive statistics for closed-ended and summative content analyses for open-ended questions were undertaken. Nurses (n=56), physiotherapists (n=11) and occupational therapists (n=23) used various practices to ensure ambulation safety for patients with dementia. Nurses and occupational therapists commonly referred patients with dementia to physiotherapists for mobility and gait aid assessments. Therapists predominantly considered the severity of dementia, the person's learning ability and mobility history in deciding about gait aid use. Exploring ways to strengthen nursing and health professional education, and inter-professional practice for safe mobility in patients with dementia, with and without gait aids, could be helpful.",

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author = "Lee, {Den Ching A.} and Claudia Meyer and Elissa Burton and Su Kitchen and Cylie Williams and Hunter, {Susan W.} and Plaiwan Suttanon and Hill, {Keith D.}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by the Dementia Australia Research Foundation. The funding body had no involvement in the study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the article for publication. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 Elsevier Inc.",

year = "2022",

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doi = "10.1016/j.gerinurse.2022.02.017",

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AU - Williams, Cylie

AU - Hunter, Susan W.

AU - Suttanon, Plaiwan

AU - Hill, Keith D.

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by the Dementia Australia Research Foundation. The funding body had no involvement in the study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the article for publication. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Elsevier Inc.

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AB - This study described mobility care practice of nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists and gait aid use for hospital patients with dementia. Two surveys, tailored to staff mobility care roles were distributed in Australian hospitals. Physiotherapists and occupational therapists were asked additional questions regarding assessments and factors for prescribing gait aids to patients with dementia. Descriptive statistics for closed-ended and summative content analyses for open-ended questions were undertaken. Nurses (n=56), physiotherapists (n=11) and occupational therapists (n=23) used various practices to ensure ambulation safety for patients with dementia. Nurses and occupational therapists commonly referred patients with dementia to physiotherapists for mobility and gait aid assessments. Therapists predominantly considered the severity of dementia, the person's learning ability and mobility history in deciding about gait aid use. Exploring ways to strengthen nursing and health professional education, and inter-professional practice for safe mobility in patients with dementia, with and without gait aids, could be helpful.

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A survey of nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists in mobility care and gait aid use for hospital patients with dementia

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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