Older adults in hospital experience functional decline that affects their independence, quality of life (QoL) and health outcomes. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of occupational therapy activities of daily living (ADL) retraining programmes on functional status, length of stay (LOS), self-efficacy and QoL in hospitalised older adults.
Methods:
A systematic review was conducted with three databases searched. Studies included older adults aged 65 years or above, in hospital where ADL retraining was explored. Meta-analyses of relevant studies were conducted with the random effect model at 95% confidence interval.
Results:
Seven studies were included. ADL retraining programmes were delivered in either an individual (n = 7) or group format (n = 3). Intervention protocols and intensity varied across studies. Meta-analysis included four studies, which showed statistically significant improvement in functional status (effect size (ES) = 0.75, p = 0.03), but were insignificant for LOS (ES = −0.03, p = 0.84), self-efficacy (ES = −0.34, p = 0.08) and QoL (ES = 0.04, p = 0.71).
Conclusion:
ADL retraining in hospital had significantly large effects on functional outcomes, with no significant effects on LOS, self-efficacy and QoL. Further rigorous, large-scale research is needed to explore the impact of ADL retraining on rehabilitation outcomes.
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