Older adults experiences with ambulation during a hospital stay: A qualitative study.
Barbara King, Jillian Bodden, Linsey Steege and 1 others
PMID 32861430WHAT IT FOUND
Older inpatients said unclear walking permission, fall warnings, alarms, lines, cramped rooms, poor seating, and fear of burdening nurses kept them from moving.
They wanted daily activity orders and help handling equipment.
Key findings
01Participants said they did not know if, when, or where they could walk, and that providers rarely encouraged walking.
02Bed and chair alarms, motion sensors, and attached lines or catheters were described as barriers to walking.
03Participants avoided asking nurses for walking help because they did not want to bother them.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The final sample was 11 older adults from one Midwest US city, so the themes may not fit patients elsewhere. One of 12 recruited participants dropped out before the focus groups. Participants recalled hospital stays from the past year, and interviews were not done during or right after discharge. Focus groups may have limited some people's willingness to share, although the authors reported all participants engaged. The study did not test whether any barrier caused reduced walking or whether changing it improves outcomes. It was conducted before COVID-19.
Declared interests
The authors declared no competing financial interests or personal relationships.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as proof that changing nurse messaging or room design improves older adults' walking. The study reported experiences from 11 participants and tested no intervention.