Effectiveness of a nursing consultation intervention for older people with functional mobility impairments: a prospective, longitudinal study.
BACKGROUND
There is a need for prevention strategies in elderly individuals with mobility impairments.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine the effects of nursing consultations on the functional abilities and quality of life of elderly individuals with mobility impairments after discharge from a rehabilitation facility.


METHODS
A single-site, prospective, longitudinal study with a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design was conducted in a geriatric rehabilitation facility and in the living environments of the patients after discharge. The intervention consisted of nurse-delivered consulting home visits and follow-up telephone calls. Patient quality of life and functional status were the primary outcomes, and self-efficacy was the secondary outcome. Data were collected at admission, at discharge, and at a 6-month follow-up visit.


RESULTS
A cohort of 124 patients participated in the study. The intervention group showed a nonsignificant improvement in functional status compared with the control group. The intervention did not affect quality of life, except for a trend toward significance in the social domain (p = .060).


CONCLUSIONS
The findings of this study suggest that nursing consultations do not significantly improve functional status and have almost no effect on quality of life.
1MScN, RN, PhD Student, Center for the Humanities and Health Sciences, Department of Nursing Science, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and Research Associate, Faculty of Public Health, Department of Life Sciences, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences 2PhD, Professor, Department of Nursing Science, the Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences 3MScN, Research Associate, Faculty of Public Health, Department of Life Sciences, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences 4PhD, Professor, Center for the Humanities and Health Sciences, Department of Nursing Science, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin.
Steve
S
Strupeit
Karin
K
Wolf-Ostermann
Arne
A
Bu
Theo
T
Dassen
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005851:Geriatric Nursing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012017:Referral and Consultation