title: Functional Assessment and Intervention by Nursing Assistants in Hospice and Palliative Care Inpatient Care Settings: A Quality Improvement Pilot Study.
abstract: This study assessed the impact of a nursing assistant-led functional intervention in an urban hospice. Thirty-three patients participated. A physical therapist trained 4 nursing assistants to assess 4 basic functional activities at admission and discharge and to provide daily activity training to intervention group participants. Control group participants were assessed at admission and discharge and received the usual standard of care. Both groups improved. The intervention group participants demonstrated significant improvement in the Timed up and Go test as well as their self-reported ability to achieve goals on the Patient-Specific Functional Scale. Control group participants made significant improvements in the ability to move from supine to sit in bed. These findings suggest that nursing assistants can provide activity-based assessment and intervention leading to improved function among patients in hospice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA Karen.Mueller@nau.edu.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.affiliation: Department of physical therapy and athletic training, Hospice of the Valley, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.affiliation: Department of physical therapy and athletic training, Hospice of the Valley, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
authors.forename: Betheny
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rodden
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA.
authors.forename: Hendrick D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: DeHeer
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006738:Hospices / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D007318:Inservice Training; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009728:Nursing Assistants / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011788:Quality of Life
keywords: hospice and palliative care; nurses; outcomes assessment; patient care team; physical therapists; quality improvement