Exploring Older Adult Care Transitions From Hospital to Home: A Participatory Action Research Project

ABSTRACT

Using a participatory action research approach, community-based older adult service providers and university researchers partnered to explore older adult care transitions through the health care system, specifically from a hospital stay to home with rehabilitative services. Qualitative findings of transitioning home from both older adult and service provider perspective included three major themes: social support, communication, and adjusting to home and planning for the community. In addition, resources developed through the project are discussed with implications to practice.

KEYWORDS. :

• Care transitions
• participatory action research
• qualitative research

Andrea Gossett Zakrajsek, OTD, MS, OTRL, is Associate Professor, School of Health Sciences, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA. Elizabeth Schuster, PhD, is Professor, School of Social Work, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA. Deirdre Guenther, OTRL, and Kim Lorenz, OTRL, are graduates of the Masters of Occupational Therapy Program, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA.