title: Convalescence care for seniors of lower Manhattan: an interdisciplinary outreach, rehabilitation, and education model.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of an interdisciplinary geriatric outreach, rehabilitation, and education program for seniors. Community-dwelling Chinese seniors in lower Manhattan were recruited through outreach activities (17 educational workshops, three community health fairs, media interviews) and community physician referrals to offer rehabilitation services. The instrument administered at entry and exit included questions about pain intensity, quality of life, activities of daily living (ADLs), and an assessment of a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic barriers to life participation. The sample included 70 seniors (53 women) with a mean age of 70.5 +/- 7.48 years (range 60-93 years old) of whom 86% were Cantonese-speaking Chinese. The barriers-to-life participation assessment revealed cultural, communication, transportation, and physical environmental barriers as well as insufficient financial resources. Thirty-four patients who completed the program showed a significant improvement in quality of life. Patients' reports reflected a high degree of satisfaction with the program. Interdisciplinary team-oriented patient care, including a physiatrist, social worker, and rehabilitation staff, may result in good outcomes and high patient satisfaction in ambulatory community seniors.
authors.affiliation: Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine at NYU Downtown Hospital, New York, NY, USA. alex.moroz@med.nyu.edu
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moroz
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schoeb
authors.forename: Grace
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.forename: Mathew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001213:Asian; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003289:Convalescence; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life