Cardiac rehabilitation in the elderly: improving effectiveness.
Heart disease is a major cause of mortality and morbidity among adults who are older than 65 years of age. One-third of cardiac operations on adults in the United States are performed on patients who are more than 65 years old, and almost half of the hospitalized candidates for an outpatient cardiac rehabilitation programs are in the older patient population. Structured educational program that include exercise and modification of risk factors have been shown to reduce the risk of subsequent coronary events; however, studies show that older adults enroll in these programs at a significantly lower rate than do patients in other age groups. Nurses and other healthcare professionals must eliminate barriers to participation and adapt their programs to meet the needs of older adults with cardiac disease to reduce morbidity, enhance functioning, and improve quality of life. In this article, the authors describe current knowledge about the efficacy and use of cardiac education and rehabilitation in elderly patients and suggest implications for future practice and research.
Allen
J K
JK
Redman
B K
BK
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012046:Rehabilitation / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016896:Treatment Outcome