Elderly persons with disabilities in Sweden: their experiences of everyday life

The aim of this study was to describe the everyday life experiences of 22 elderly persons with physical disabilities in Sweden. The participants were aged between 65 and 91 years. Interviews were conducted and analysed according to a qualitative research approach. Disengagement in activities and social contacts resulted in feelings of resignation and dejection for some participants, while others delegated tasks as a satisfactory alternative. Participants also described how activities and social contacts continued, albeit in a different way, and being active and socializing gave feelings of pleasure and a sense of belonging. While receiving help was experienced as valuable, it also increased the fear of becoming dependent. Occupational therapy intervention should be directed at increasing social contacts and engagements in meaningful activities, as well as strengthening the individual's autonomy. The transferability of the study can be questioned as the sample only included elderly persons with physical disabilities from urban areas. Further research is needed to address the impact of occupational therapy interventions on life satisfaction.     

Effects of occupational therapy intervention on activities of daily living and awareness of disability in persons with intellectual disabilities

Aim:  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of an occupational therapy intervention program on activities of daily living (ADL) ability and awareness of disability.
Methods:  Six persons with intellectual disabilities participated in the study, which was based on a single-case design. Assessment of Motor and Process Skills and Assessment of Awareness of Disability were used as evaluation tools.
Results:  Activities of daily living performance improved in five of the six participants after implementation of the program, with improvement across both motor and process skills. However, no clear improvement in awareness of disability was found following implementation of the program.
Conclusion:  It may be concluded from this study that persons with intellectual disabilities can benefit from occupational therapy interventions to improve ADL ability, even in the absence of any change in their awareness of disability.     

脑卒中患者社会支持与日常生活能力和焦虑关系

目的 探讨社会支持在日常生活能力与焦虑关系中调节作用,为社区脑卒中患者管理、降低脑卒中患者焦虑水平提供依据.方法 采用便利抽样法在辽宁省5个城市选择22个社区以其中800例脑卒中患者作为调查对象,采用自制人口特征问卷、焦虑自评量表、日常生活评定量表、领悟社会支持量表对调查对象进行问卷调查,运用SPSS统计软件分析脑卒中患者日常生活能力与焦虑关系及社会支持的调节作用.结果 社区脑卒中患者日常生活能力得分为(67.69±24.37)分,领悟社会支持得分为(60.05±13.58)分,焦虑得分为(55.70±11.06)分.相关分析结果显示,脑卒中患者日常生活能力和领悟社会支持分别与焦虑呈负相关(r=-0.29、-0.22,P <0.05);多元分层回归分析结果显示,领悟社会支持与日常生活能力在焦虑上存在显著的交互作用(β=-0.11,P <0.05).结论 脑卒中患者日常生活能力和社会支持对焦虑有很好的预测作用,社会支持在日常生活能力与焦虑关系中具有一定调节作用.     

Agreement Between Occupational Therapists and Clients with Stroke on Three Outcome Measures

In recent years, the occupational therapy profession has been under increased pressure to document the outcomes of interventions in order 10 improve the quality of client care and to provide evidence of the effectiveness and efficiency of services to recipients and sponsors. The literature to date has focused primarily on establishing therapy outcomes from a therapist perspective. However, attention must also be paid to the views of our consumers regarding the outcomes of therapy. The purpose of this study was to determine whether clients and therapists agree regarding client scores on three outcome measures. The study included 4 occupational therapists and 20 clients with stroke who rated clients' status in terms of personal activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living and quality of life, at admission of clients as well as discharge from rehabilitation. The results indicated that there was generally only moderate agreement between therapists' and clients' ratings at both admission and discharge. These findings suggest that therapists should continue to spend time exploring client status with their clients so that both parties have the best possible understanding of the clients' capabilities, and the outcome of therapy. The findings also suggest the need to administer client outcome assessments as well as to utilize client self-reports.     

Relationship between upper limb motor function and activities of daily living after removing the influence of lower limb motor function in subacute patients with stroke: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundPrevious studies have reported a relationship between upper limb motor function and activities of daily living. However, their relationship after removing the influence of lower limb motor function has not been clarified.ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the relationship between Fugl-Meyer assessment upper limb and total Functional Independence Measure motor score and between Fugl-Meyer assessment upper limb and each item contained in Functional Independence Measure motor score after eliminating the influence of the motor function of the affected lower limb.MethodsThis retrospective cross-sectional study included 58 subacute stroke patients. To investigate the relationship between the Fugl-Meyer assessment upper limb and total Functional Independence Measure motor score before and after removing the influence of Fugl-Meyer assessment lower limb, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient and partial correlation analysis were used. Additionally, the relationship between Fugl-Meyer assessment upper limb and each item of Functional Independence Measure motor score after removing the influence was assessed.ResultsBefore removing the influence of Fugl-Meyer assessment lower limb, Fugl-Meyer assessment upper limb was strongly correlated with total Functional Independence Measure motor score (r = 0.74, p < 0.001). However, it became weak after removing the influence (r = 0.27, p = 0.04). Regarding each item of Functional Independence Measure motor score, Fugl-Meyer assessment upper limb was correlated with grooming (r = 0.27, p = 0.04), bathing (r = 0.28, p = 0.03), dressing upper body (r = 0.33, p = 0.01), dressing lower body (r = 0.31, p = 0.02), and stair-climbing (r = 0.31, p = 0.02) after removing the influence.ConclusionThese findings suggest that the relationship between the upper limb motor function and activities of daily living is strongly influenced by lower limb motor function.     

Effect of Improvement in Sarcopenia on Functional and Discharge Outcomes in Stroke Rehabilitation Patients

This cross-sectional study investigated the proportion of patients’ recovery from sarcopenia status and the relationship between improvement in sarcopenia (IS) and function and discharge outcome in hospitalized patients with stroke. This study included patients with stroke, aged 65 years or more, with a diagnosis of sarcopenia, who were admitted to a convalescent rehabilitation ward. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 criteria. Patients were divided according to the presence or absence of sarcopenia at discharge: IS group and non-improvement in sarcopenia (NIS) group. Among the 227 participants (mean age: 80.5 years; 125 females), 30% (69/227) of the patients were in the IS group, while 70% (158/227) were in the NIS group. The IS group showed a higher Functional Independence Measure (FIM) than the NIS group (median 112 vs. 101, p = 0.003). The results demonstrated that IS was independently associated with higher FIM (partial regression coefficient, 5.378; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.709–10.047). The IS group had higher odds of home discharge than the NIS group (odds ratio, 2.560; 95% CI, 0.912–7.170). In conclusion, recovery from sarcopenia may be associated with better function in patients with stroke.     

Examination of the change in Assessment of Motor and Process Skills performance in patients with acquired brain injury between the hospital and home environment

Aim: The Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS) is a standardised, valid, reliable, observational assessment that is sensitive to change over time. This research aimed to examine the change in AMPS performance in patients discharged from a neurosurgical rehabilitation ward to a home‐based therapy programme over a four‐week time frame. Methods: A total of 15 individuals with acquired brain injury who were participating in rehabilitation were recruited to the study. The AMPS was conducted with each individual during the participant’s inpatient rehabilitation and again approximately four weeks later, while participating in home‐based rehabilitation. Assessment results were collated using the AMPS computer programme and entered into a statistics package from which data were analysed. Results: As a group, no statistically significant change in function was identified between the home and hospital environments; however, individual results did indicate a change in occupational performance for many of the participants. Conclusions: The AMPS was shown to reflect a change in occupational performance for many of the research participants. This research supports previous studies which indicate that some individuals’ motor and process skill abilities appear to be affected by the environment in which they perform. This suggests that occupational therapists wishing to know how an individual will perform activities of daily living should evaluate the individual’s performance in the environment in which they will be functioning.     

Activities of daily living in persons with intellectual disability: Strengths and limitations in specific motor and process skills

As there is a wide range of abilities among clients with intellectual disability, occupational therapists should use assessments of activities of daily living that specify clients' strengths and limitations to guide and target interventions. The aim of the present study was to examine if activities of daily living performance skills differ between adults with mild and moderate intellectual disability. Three hundred and forty-eight participants with either mild intellectual disability ( n  = 178) or moderate intellectual disability ( n  = 170) were assessed using the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills to examine the quality of their activities of daily living skills. The overall activities of daily living motor and activities of daily living process hierarchies of skill item difficulties remained stable between groups. Although participants with moderate intellectual disability had more difficulty overall with activities of daily living motor and activities of daily living process skills, they were able to carry out some of these activities equally as well as participants with mild intellectual disability. The findings are discussed in relation to the planning of specific interventions to improve the ability of clients with intellectual disability to carry out activities of daily living.     

社区脑卒中患者的日常生活能力与长期照料需求研究

目的了解脑卒中患者的日常生活能力与长期照料需求．为进一步在社区开展脑卒中患者的长期照料提供理论依据．方法选取经医院确诊为脑卒中、虹口区户籍的脑卒中存活患者作为对象,采用问卷调查的方法收集资料。结果共调查脑卒中患者1300名,17．08％的患者完全依赖,6．62％的患者严重依赖,8．08％的患者显著依赖。8．62％的患者功能有限独立,59．60％的患者功能完全独立。日常生活能力越好的患者对生活越满意,完全独立的患者39．19％对生活表示满意．有限独立的患者19．59％表示满意,显著依赖的患者15．22％表示满意,严重依赖的患者8．79％表示满意．生活完全依赖的患者5．67％对生活表示满意。日常生活能力情况和长期照料需求情况密切相关,生活能力独立情况越差,长期照料需求越高。结论脑卒中患者对生活满意度较低,长期照料需求与日常生活能力有关。应当根据患者生活能力情况提供相应的生活服务。     

Outcomes after stroke: Basic and instrumental activities of daily living, community reintegration and generic health status

This study describes the discharge destination, basic and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL), community reintegration and generic health status of people after stroke, and explored whether sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were associated with these outcomes. Participants were 51 people, with an initial stroke, admitted to an acute hospital and discharged to the community. Admission and discharge data were obtained by chart review. Follow-up status was determined by telephone interview using the Modified Barthel Index, the Assessment of Living Skills and Resources, the Reintegration to Normal Living Index, and the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). At follow up, 57% of participants were independent in basic ADL, 84% had a low risk of experiencing instrumental ADL difficulties, most had few concerns with community reintegration, and SF-36 physical functioning and vitality scores were lower than normative values. At follow up, poorer discharge basic ADL status was associated with poorer instrumental ADL and community reintegration status, and older participants had poorer instrumental ADL, community reintegration and physical functioning. Occupational therapists need to consider these outcomes when planning inpatient and post-discharge intervention for people after stroke.     

The Relationship Between Cognition and Daily Activities in Cases of Mild Alzheimer's Disease

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between cognitive functions, assessed by neuropsychological tests, and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) ability, assessed by the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS) in persons with mild Alzheimer's disease. Fifty-two participants were included in the study. We found significant relationships between the AMPS IADL process ability and Factors 1 (perceptual speed, visuoconstructive ability) and 4 (secondary memory). The AMPS IADL motor ability showed a significant relationship to Factors 1 and 3 (logical memory). The cognitive factors explained 24 26% of the variability in AMPS IADL ability. The results indicate that cognitive functions had a significant impact on IADL ability in this population. However, as 74–76% of the variability in the IADL ability was left unaccounted for by the cognitive functions, it is important to assess both cognitive functions and IADL ability when investigating persons with mild dementia. Further study of the complex interaction between a variety of influencing factors is needed to better understand the consequences of dementia on everyday life functioning.     

Interrater reliability of the Personal Care Participation Assessment and Resource Tool (PC-PART) in a rehabilitation setting

Background:  The Personal Care Participation Assessment and Resource Tool (PC-PART), formerly the Handicap Assessment and Resource Tool (HART), assesses the domains of clothing, hygiene, nutrition, mobility, safety, residence and supports.
Aim:  To examine the interrater reliability of the PC-PART in a rehabilitation setting.
Methods:  Assessments made by the researcher were compared to the interdisciplinary rehabilitation team. The research and standard assessments occurred within three working days. Raters were blind to each other's scores. Sample participants were a consecutive case-series of rehabilitation clients with varied diagnoses, activity limitations and participation restrictions. Of 66 consecutive patients seen during the a priori determined enrolment period, 25 were included in the study (nine males and 16 females, aged 44–85 years). The remaining 41 patients did not meet the inclusion criteria.
Conclusion:  The PC-PART has good interrater reliability. Clinicians, administrators and researchers can be reassured about this aspect of the validity of the tool.     

Nutritional status and functional capacity of community-dwelling elderly in southern Laos

Objectives

The aim of this study was to assess the nutritional status and functional capacity of 144 community-dwelling elderly in three rural ethnic groups, namely, the Oy, the Brau and the Lao, of southern Laos.

Methods

The Mini nutritional assessment (MNA) questionnaire and Determine Your Nutritional Health checklist were used to assess nutritional status. The Barthel Activities of Daily Living questionnaire and Lawton and Brody’s Instrumental Activities of Daily Living questionnaire were used to assess the functional capacity of the respondents.

Results

The MNA score results indicated that 92.5 % of Oy respondents, 85.4 % of Brau respondents and 60 % of Lao respondents were malnourished. Analysis of variance tests showed that the MNA scores of the Oy and Lao ethnic groups and of the Brau and Lao ethnic groups were significantly different ( both p < 0.01), but that there was no significant difference between the MNA scores of the Oy and Brau ethnic groups (p > 0.05). In terms of functional capacity, 47.2 % of Oy respondents, 43.9 % of Brau respondents and 20 % of Lao respondents had limitations in their activities of daily living, whereas 98.1 % of Oy respondents, 97.6 % of Brau respondents and 86 % of Lao respondents had limitations in their instrumental activities of daily living. Body mass index, reduced appetite, number of meals consumed daily and presence of common diseases predicted nutritional status in all three ethnic groups; the remaining factors differed by ethnicity. This result implies that ethnic differences and other factors, such as location of the village, services, resources within the village and respondents’ lifestyles, can affect nutritional status.

Conclusions

Because predictors of nutritional status varied by ethnicity, there is a need for area-specific interventions aimed at improving the quality of life of the elderly in these areas.     

The ADL taxonomy for persons with mental disorders – adaptation and evaluation

Background: There is a lack of occupation-focused instruments to assess Activities of Daily Living (ADL) that are intended for persons with mental disorders. The ADL Taxonomy is an instrument that is widely-used within clinical practice for persons with physical impairment. The aim of this study was to adapt the ADL Taxonomy for persons with mental disorders and evaluate its validity.

Methods: An expert group of Occupational Therapists (OTs) from psychiatric care adapted the ADL Taxonomy to fit the client group, including creating three new items. OTs in psychiatric care collected client data and evaluated the instrument for usability. Rasch analysis was used to evaluate the contruct validity of 16 activities separately.

Results: The OTs collected 123 assessments from clients with various mental disorders. Ten activities had excellent, and four had acceptable, psychometric properties with regard to item and person fit and unidimensionality. The activity managing the day/time gave complex results and would benefit from further development. The OTs found the test version intelligible, relevant and easy to use.

Conclusions: The ADL Taxonomy for persons with mental disorders has 16 activities with three to six actions each, and is now ready for clinical use.     

高血压性脑卒中患者日常生活活动能力与生存质量的关系

目的探讨高血压性脑卒中患者日常生活活动能力与生存质量的关系。方法选取2016年6月至2018年10月在本院门诊或住院部就诊的原发性高血压合并脑卒中患者232例。收集患者人口学特征,使用Barthel指数评定量表评估患者的日常生活活动能力,使用简明健康状况调查表(SF-36)评估患者的生存质量。结果年龄<60岁的患者日常生活活动能力得分为(80.93±17.11),明显高于M60岁患者的(72.76±15.08),差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);不同受教育程度和月收入患者的日常生活活动能力和总体健康水平之间比较差异均有统计学意义(均P<0.05)。脑力劳动者和医保患者的日常生活活动能力和总体健康水平明显高于体力劳动者和自费患者,差异均有统计学意义(均P<0.05)。Pearson相关性分析显示,日常生活活动能力与总体健康、生理功能、情感功能、生理职能、躯体疼痛、精神健康及活力呈正相关(均P<0.05),与社会功能无明显相关性(P>0.05)。多元逐步回归分析显示,受教育程度、职业类型、医保类型、月收入是患者日常生活活动能力和总体健康水平的独立影响因素(均P<0.05)。结论髙血压性脑卒中患者日常生活活动能力和生存质量均偏低,应针对受教育程度、职业类型、医保类型及月收入不同的患者制订针对性干预措施。     

中国社会经济状况与老年人工具性日常生活能力关系的研究

在中国老年人口规模快速增长的同时,残疾人老年化和老年人残疾化的问题突显~([1]).社会经济状况(SES)是研究健康的重要视角,国外文献也总结出了两者之间的梯度关系,即SES越好,健康状况越好,反之亦然~([2,3]).