Older adults immobilized with bedrest, and tethered with foley catheters, IVs, and other devices that restrict mobility, can begin to lose functional capacity (a process known as deconditioning) within 48 hours. Deconditioning lengthens the recovery process, puts patients at risk for complications, and may require discharge to an intermediate care facility rather than a return to home--factors affecting quality and cost of care, and patient and staff satisfaction.
Listen to the science and see how one facility is changing its policies and practices to create an elder-friendly environment that puts function first! This 30-minute video, based on the January 2006 American Journal of Nursing article Functional Decline in Hospitalized Older Adults by Carla Graf MS, RN, APRN, BC, will help all healthcare professionals look at their practices with a fresh eye and identify simple changes that prevent complex problems. Managers and administrators will also appreciate the perspectives presented in this program.
This program and all others in the New Look at the Old series will remain available, on demand, through 2007.
This is the 11th in a series of 18 Webcasts and is a collaborative effort among the American Journal of Nursing (AJN), the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and Trinity Healthforce Learning, sponsored in part through grants from both Atlantic Philanthropies. The broadcast series is designed to provide information and skills to improve the care and well-being of older adults. If you have any questions about the broadcast (or the associated print series), please contact Katherine Kany, Project Manager, at 703-729-6050 or katherinekany@adelphia.net.
Follow this link anytime to access the 30-minute webcast: www.NursingCenter.com/AJNolderadults