Evidence-based interventions involving occupational therapists are needed in re-ablement for older community-living people: a systematic review

Authors:
PETTERSSON Cecilia, IWARSSON Susanne
Journal article citation:
British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 80(5), 2017, pp.273-285.
Publisher:
Sage

Introduction: Re-ablement services are in a period of strong development, but the terms and definitions used remain unclear, and the scientific evidence is still weak. The aim of this systematic review was to obtain an overview of the scientific literature in this evolving research area, and investigate whether there is scientific evidence for positive effects of re-ablement services for older community-living people. Method: The systematic literature search was conducted in the databases CINAHL, PubMed and Svemed+(Swemed) and covered the years 2000–2014. Owing to the heterogeneity in the included studies, a narrative synthesis was performed. Results: Eight original publications were found eligible and included in the systematic review. When addressed, terms and definitions varied among the papers. Effects such as less use of home care, higher likelihood to live at home, improved activities of daily living (ADL) skills, quality of life and physical health, increased physical activity and lower costs compared to conventional home care were reported. Conclusion: More high-quality research is needed to strengthen the evidence-base regarding re-ablement services. The specific roles of various professional and staff groups are often insufficiently described, as are the interventions as such, and there is a lack of attention to person-centred aspects such as the meaningfulness of the specific activities. (Edited publisher abstract)

Subject terms:
evidence-based practice, intervention, occupational therapists, occupational therapy, reablement, older people, community care, systematic reviews;
Content type:
systematic review
Link:
Journal home page
ISSN online:
1477-6006
ISSN print:
0308-0226

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