Project 460554

Background: Older people with dementia frequently go to the hospital and stay there for long periods of time. In Ontario, transitional care programs (TCPs) - facilities that provide short-term care to help people get better after a hospital stay - were made for patients who have a long hospital stay. However, older people with dementia are less likely to go back to their home after a stay in a TCP and are less likely to improve their functional (self-care) abilities compared to older people without dementia. 'Reablement' interventions (programs that encourage participation in daily activities) have helped older people with dementia improve their functional abilities in nursing homes and at home. Therefore, my study will adapt these interventions to create a nurse-led reablement intervention (NLRI) for TCPs that will include walking and activities that allow older people with dementia to participate as much as possible in their own care. Objectives: 1) Test if the NLRI works in improving the functional abilities of older people with dementia and helps them go home; and 2) Determine if the intervention in TCPs is acceptable for older people with dementia. Hypothesis: The NLRI will increase the percentage of older people with dementia who go home, instead of the nursing home and will improve their functional abilities. Methods: A two-method study will be conducted. Method 1: 35 male and 35 female older people with dementia who have been hospitalized and are now in TCPs will go either to the intervention group (12 sessions, 1.5 hours each, over 6 weeks) or the control group (usual care). Functional abilities will be measured before and after the intervention. Participant charts will be checked to see where they were discharged. Method 2: 10-15 participants and their caregivers will be interviewed to see how they experienced the intervention and if they found it acceptable. Significance: Results will benefit older people with dementia in TCPs in Canada.