“I can’t imagine having to do it on your own”: a qualitative study on postoperative transitions in care from the perspectives of older adults with frailty
Abstract Background Adults aged 65 and older have surgery more often than younger people and often live with frailty. The postoperative transition in care from hospital to home after surgey is a challenging time for older adults with frailty as they often experience negative outcomes. Improving post...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-12-01
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| Series: | BMC Geriatrics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-023-04576-9 |
| _version_ | 1797376750999568384 |
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| author | Emily Hladkowicz Mohammad Auais Gurlavine Kidd Daniel I. McIsaac Jordan Miller |
| author_facet | Emily Hladkowicz Mohammad Auais Gurlavine Kidd Daniel I. McIsaac Jordan Miller |
| author_sort | Emily Hladkowicz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Adults aged 65 and older have surgery more often than younger people and often live with frailty. The postoperative transition in care from hospital to home after surgey is a challenging time for older adults with frailty as they often experience negative outcomes. Improving postoperative transitions in care for older adults with frailty is a priority. However, little knowledge from the perspective of older adults with frailty is available to support meaningful improvements in postoperative transitions in care. Objective To explore what is important to older adults with frailty during a postoperative transition in care. Methods This qualitative study used an interpretive description methodology. Twelve adults aged ≥ 65 years with frailty (Clinical Frailty Scale score ≥ 4) who had an inpatient elective surgery and could speak in English participated in a telephone-based, semi-structured interview. Audio files were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Five themes were constructed: 1) valuing going home after surgery; 2) feeling empowered through knowledge and resources; 3) focusing on medical and functional recovery; 4) informal caregivers and family members play multiple integral roles; and 5) feeling supported by healthcare providers through continuity of care. Each theme had 3 sub-themes. Conclusion Future programs should focus on supporting patients to return home by empowering patients with resources and clear communication, ensuring continuity of care, creating access to homecare and virtual support, focusing on functional and medical recovery, and recognizing the invaluable role of informal caregivers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T19:44:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-328fcc2eeac14b808ff86854f365eed2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2318 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T19:44:13Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Geriatrics |
| spelling | doaj.art-328fcc2eeac14b808ff86854f365eed22023-12-24T12:28:48ZengBMCBMC Geriatrics1471-23182023-12-0123111210.1186/s12877-023-04576-9“I can’t imagine having to do it on your own”: a qualitative study on postoperative transitions in care from the perspectives of older adults with frailtyEmily Hladkowicz0Mohammad Auais1Gurlavine Kidd2Daniel I. McIsaac3Jordan Miller4School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen’s UniversitySchool of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen’s UniversityPatient Engagement in Research Activities, The Ottawa Hospital Research InstituteClinical Epidemiology Program, The Ottawa Hospital Research InstituteSchool of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen’s UniversityAbstract Background Adults aged 65 and older have surgery more often than younger people and often live with frailty. The postoperative transition in care from hospital to home after surgey is a challenging time for older adults with frailty as they often experience negative outcomes. Improving postoperative transitions in care for older adults with frailty is a priority. However, little knowledge from the perspective of older adults with frailty is available to support meaningful improvements in postoperative transitions in care. Objective To explore what is important to older adults with frailty during a postoperative transition in care. Methods This qualitative study used an interpretive description methodology. Twelve adults aged ≥ 65 years with frailty (Clinical Frailty Scale score ≥ 4) who had an inpatient elective surgery and could speak in English participated in a telephone-based, semi-structured interview. Audio files were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Five themes were constructed: 1) valuing going home after surgery; 2) feeling empowered through knowledge and resources; 3) focusing on medical and functional recovery; 4) informal caregivers and family members play multiple integral roles; and 5) feeling supported by healthcare providers through continuity of care. Each theme had 3 sub-themes. Conclusion Future programs should focus on supporting patients to return home by empowering patients with resources and clear communication, ensuring continuity of care, creating access to homecare and virtual support, focusing on functional and medical recovery, and recognizing the invaluable role of informal caregivers.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-023-04576-9Transitions in careFrailtySurgeryQualitative research |
| spellingShingle | Emily Hladkowicz Mohammad Auais Gurlavine Kidd Daniel I. McIsaac Jordan Miller “I can’t imagine having to do it on your own”: a qualitative study on postoperative transitions in care from the perspectives of older adults with frailty BMC Geriatrics Transitions in care Frailty Surgery Qualitative research |
| title | “I can’t imagine having to do it on your own”: a qualitative study on postoperative transitions in care from the perspectives of older adults with frailty |
| title_full | “I can’t imagine having to do it on your own”: a qualitative study on postoperative transitions in care from the perspectives of older adults with frailty |
| title_fullStr | “I can’t imagine having to do it on your own”: a qualitative study on postoperative transitions in care from the perspectives of older adults with frailty |
| title_full_unstemmed | “I can’t imagine having to do it on your own”: a qualitative study on postoperative transitions in care from the perspectives of older adults with frailty |
| title_short | “I can’t imagine having to do it on your own”: a qualitative study on postoperative transitions in care from the perspectives of older adults with frailty |
| title_sort | i can t imagine having to do it on your own a qualitative study on postoperative transitions in care from the perspectives of older adults with frailty |
| topic | Transitions in care Frailty Surgery Qualitative research |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-023-04576-9 |
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