Joint self-care by older adults.
Self-care actions used for joint symptoms were studied among independently living older adults. Fifty-three of 100 older adults interviewed reported 65 joint problems. Medication use was the most common self-care action reported (56%), followed by heat application (23%), exercise (13%), and rest (10%). Several self-care actions suggested in the professional literature were notably absent or infrequently used in this sample. Twenty percent of the reported joint problems were not treated with self-care actions. The need for joint rehabilitation education in this sample of older adults is well documented.
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D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000451:nursing / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012648:Self Care