Post Discharge Use of Bathing Equipment Prescribed by Occupational Therapists

Abstract

Prescription of adaptive equipment is a core component of occupational therapy practice. Adaptive equipment can help people with physical limitations to optimize their independence during the completion of activities of daily living. In this paper, we report the results of an audit of patients' use of eight pieces of prescribed bathing equipment eight weeks after discharge from hospital, and analyze the reasons for their patterns of use. Participants were 64 patients (mean age = 70.7 years, 62.5% female), discharged from a metropolitan hospital after treatment for a general medical condition or undergoing a surgical procedure, who had been prescribed one or more pieces of bathing equipment by an occupational therapist. The types of bathing equipment included in this study were shower stools, shower chairs, bath boards, hand held shower hoses, toe wipers, soap bags, nonslip mats, and long handled back brushes. of 90 pieces of bathing equipment prescribed, an overall utilization rate of 71.1% was found. This ranged from 0.0% for long handled back brushes to 100% for shower stools. Patients' perception of the benefit of the equipment, their involvement in its selection, whether they had received training in its use, and whether family members were present during this training were associated with equipment use. The need for a more patient-centred approach in the process of prescribing adaptive equipment is highlighted.

Key Words:

• Equipment use
• bathing equipment
• occupational therapy

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jenny Strong

Jennifer R. Johnson was a graduate student in the School of Occupational Therapy, Texas Woman's University, Houston, TX at the time of this study. She is currently employed as an Occupational Therapist at Touro Infirmary in New Orleans, LA

Debra Stewart is Lecturer, School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University and staff therapist at Erinoak Centre, Missis-sauga, Ontario. She is currently completing a MSc (Design, Measurement and Evaluation) at McMaster University.

Ronald L. Mace (deceased, June 29, 1998) was also affiliated with The Center for Universal Design, School of Design, North Carolina University.

Lois Rosage and Geraldine Shaw are Occupational Therapist Consultants who provide evaluations for the housing programs at the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging.

Debbie Rand is Occupational Therapist, Beit Rivka Geriatric Rehabilitation Hospital, Petach Tikva, Israel. She completed this study in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy, School of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her mailing address is 50 Heh B'Eyar Street, Apartment 5, Rosh Ha'Ayin, Israel, 48056.

Maureen McKenna is a Licensed Physical Therapist and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California. Her Current position is: Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy, Wheeling Jesuit University, 316 Washington Avenue, Wheeling, WV 26003.

Heather Lambert was funded in part by a Health Canada NHRDP Fellowship, a REPAR Fellowship, a doctoral bursary from the Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du Quebec, and a Canadian Occupational Therapy Foundation-Royal Canadian Legion Fellowship in Gerontology.

Trish Wielandt was supported by a University of Queensland Postgraduate Research Scholarship (UQPRS).

Dr. Leigh Tooth was supported by a NHMRC Fellowship (#997032) while some of this research was undertaken.