Effectiveness of Educational Nursing Home Visits in Older Adults

Purpose: The loss of physical functional status is a major risk factor for loss of independence, hospital stays, and for admittance into long-term nursing home care in vulnerable elderly populations. Facilitating and maintain functional ability and quality of life is and will increasingly become a major task of nursing. Home visits may have positive effects on functional ability and quality of life in elderly people. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of educational home visits on the functional status, quality of life, and care dependency in older adults with mobility impairments.

Methods: We performed a randomized controlled trial. The study was conducted in the living environments of the 123 participants with functional impairments from Hamburg, Germany. The intervention group received an additional nursing consultation intervention on mobility and quality of life. The control group received the usual care. Data were collected from August 2011 to December 2012 at baseline, 6 months and 12 months of follow-up. The main outcomes were functional status (Barthel Index), quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF), and care dependency (Care Dependency Scale). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and generalized linear models. 

Results: In total, 113 participants (57 in the intervention and 56 in the control group) were included in the study. The intervention had no effect on functional status, quality of life, and care dependency.

Conclusions: The intervention did not show the benefits that we assumed. Further studies on the effects of educational nursing interventions should be performed using different concepts and rigorous research methods. The intervention examined cannot be recommended for nursing practitioners. However nursing education should be part of nursing practice and may be integrated in everyday care.

Purpose: The loss of physical functional status is a major risk factor for loss of independence, hospital stays, and for admittance into long-term nursing home care in vulnerable elderly populations. Facilitating and maintain functional ability and quality of life is and will more increasingly become a major task of nursing. Home visits may have positive effects on functional ability and quality of life in elderly people. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of educational home visits on the functional status, quality of life, and care dependency in older adults with mobility impairments.

Methods: We performed a randomized controlled trial. The study was conducted in the living environments of the participants in Hamburg, Germany. The study sample consisted of 123 participants with functional impairments from Hamburg, Germany. The intervention group received an additional nursing consultation intervention on mobility and quality of life. The control group received the usual care. Data were collected from August 2011 to December 2012 at baseline, 6 months and 12 months of follow-up. The main outcomes were functional status (Barthel Index), quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF), and care dependency (Care Dependency Scale). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and generalized linear models. 

Results: In total, 113 participants (57 in the intervention and 56 in the control group) were included in the study. The intervention had no effect on functional status, quality of life, and care dependency.

Conclusions: The intervention did not show the benefits that we assumed. Further studies on the effects of educational nursing interventions should be performed using different concepts and rigorous research methods. The intervention examined cannot be recommended for nursing practitioners. However nursing education should be part of nursing practice and may be integrated in everyday care.