New research from Dr Kylee Lockwood is helping older adults to live independently and safely following hospitalisation after a fall.
Her study, published in Clinical Rehabilitation, found that pre-discharge home assessments conducted by occupational therapists not only improve patient outcomes, but are also cost effective.
“Older adults hospitalised after hip fracture who received a home visit had significantly fewer hospital readmissions within 30 days, increased functional independence at six months, and possibly fewer falls compared to those who received usual care.”
She says this is important because older adults are particularly vulnerable.
“They experience higher rates of fall-related injuries, complications and hospitalisations. Following discharge, recovery is often prolonged and complex, with many older adults
experiencing significant functional decline.”
“This is why improving outcomes during this critical post-discharge period is essential,” she adds.
As part of the study, Dr Lockwood conducted a process evaluation which revealed that home visits resulted in more tailored and actionable recommendations, with higher adherence rates to assistive technology and task modification advice.
“We also found that the visit facilitated collaborative decision-making between patients and therapists, which proved to be a critical mechanism for improving patient engagement and outcomes.”
On top of improved patient outcomes, the economic evaluation confirmed that the intervention is likely to be cost saving from a health service perspective, particularly in preventing outcomes such as falls and hospital readmissions.
“The results show that incorporating a structured, occupational therapist-led home visit prior to discharge is an effective and economically sustainable way to support older adults returning home after a hip fracture,” Dr Lockwood says.
“Ultimately, my goal is to embed effective, patient-centred and scalable home assessment interventions into routine care to better support older adults transitioning home from hospital regardless of their location or service context.”
