Occupational Therapy Discharge Assessment of Elderly Patients from Acute Care Hospitals

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to identify effective discharge assessment tools, examine clinical reasoning skills and use of client-centered practice in discharge planning from acute care hospitals. Methodology included an ethnographic study with a mixed-method design using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The data were organized into main themes and subthemes, coded, and entered on an Excel spreadsheet for analysis. Results indicated that discharge assessment and decision making is a complex issue that is unique to each individual. Nonstandardized functional-based assessment is the most frequently used method in discharge assessment with inconsistency in the use of standardized assessments. Decision making regarding discharge involves the inclusion of multiple factors primarily safety, home support, and patients' performance in daily occupations. The results also indicated inconsistencies in following client-centered practice. Rehabilitation personnel should be offered education and training on the complexity and uniqueness of discharge assessment.

KEYWORDS. :

• Discharge assessment
• elderly patients
• occupational therapists

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.