Impact of a Bedside Activity Device on the Functional Status of Hospitalized Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Older adults may have difficulty maintaining their functional capabilities during hospitalization. This pilot study aimed to investigate the impact of a bedside activity device on the functional status of hospitalized older adults. METHODS: For this single-site randomized controlled trial, 48 participants were recruited between July 2019 and March 2021. Participants were randomized into one of two groups: the intervention group, which was given the use of a bedside activity device plus standard care, and the control group, which received standard care. Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (Katz ADL) scores and Timed Up and Go (TUG) test times were used as indicators of functional status and were collected on admission (baseline) and at discharge.Mann-Whitney U and χ 2 tests were used to test for baseline similarities between groups. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to determine within-group pre-post changes in TUG and Katz ADL scores. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine between-group differences in TUG and Katz ADL change scores. RESULTS: Within-group pre-post analysis showed significant increases in Katz ADL scores in the intervention group and no significant changes in the control group. TUG times decreased significantly in the intervention group and increased significantly in the control group. Between-group analyses showed significant differences in both TUG and Katz ADL change scores. CONCLUSION: The use of the bedside activity device in addition to standard care may prevent functional decline and increase independence in performing basic ADLs.

Effectiveness of an integrated three-mode bed exit alarm system in reducing inpatient falls within an acute care setting.

AIM: To examine the effectiveness of an integrated three-mode bed exit alarm system in reducing inpatient falls within an acute care hospital setting in Singapore. METHOD: A retrospective before-and-after study design was adopted. RESULTS: Our results revealed that the use of bed exit alarms are associated with a reduction in falls incidence. CONCLUSION: Bed exit alarm systems are associated with reduced fall incidence. Nonetheless, for an institution to benefit from the technology, there will be a need to take into account the effects of "alarm fatigue", ability of nurses to respond in time to alarms, and selection of right alarm mode/limits based on the patient's profile.

Disparity between perceived and physiological risks of falling among older patients in an acute care hospital.

BACKGROUND: Falls are the most frequent adverse events among hospitalised older adults. Previous studies highlighted that older adults might not understand the risk factors associated with falls and may have an altered perception of their actual risk. AIM: To describe differences between perceived and actual physiological risk of falling among older adults and to explore factors associated with the differences. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was done. Older adults (age 65 years and above) were interviewed one-to-one at bedside. Morse Fall Scale (MFS) and other risk factors for falls were used to identify the patients' physiological fall risks. Patients' perceived risk of falls were assessed using the Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I). RESULTS: Three hundred patients were recruited. Patients' mean age was 75.3 (SD = ±â€¯6.2). Majority were males (51.7%), lived with others (91.7%), and had received primary school education (35.3%). Based on the MFS, most patients had moderate fall risk (59.7%). Using the FES-I, more than half the patients (59%) interviewed had high concerns about falling. About one-third of the patients' (31.3%) perceived risk matched with their physiological fall risk (Risk-Aware). Half of the patients' perceived risks was higher than their physiological fall risk (50.7%) (Risk-Anxious), while the remaining patients' perceived risks was reported to be lower than their physiological fall risk (18%) (Risk-Taker). CONCLUSION: Older patients are poor at recognizing their fall risks. Both patients' perceived and actual fall risks should be evaluated in the inpatient setting in order to inform individualized fall prevention education and strategies.