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ABSTRACT
This paper reports on the concurrent validity of the Balance Outcome Measure for Elder Rehabilitation (BOOMER) while investigating balance, mobility, and perceived confidence to undertake daily activities experienced by patients at discharge from an Internal Medicine Unit; and seeks to determine if there are differences between patients discharged to rehabilitation to those discharged to their usual residence. Forty-four adults (30 female) average age 77 (SD 7) years, admitted with an acute illness to hospital consented to participate in this study. Balance was measured using the BOOMER and the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). Mobility was measured using the de Morton Mobility Index (DEMMI) and participants' perceived confidence in balance to undertake daily activities determined using the Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale. BOOMER scores were highly associated with BBS scores (r = .93, p < 0.001) and raw DEMMI scores (r = .89, p < 0.001) while moderate associations with perceived confidence (r > .52, p < 0.001 ) were determined. Participants discharged to their usual residence had significantly higher balance and mobility scores compared to those requiring further rehabilitation; no difference was found for ABC scores. Concurrent validity of the BOOMER, BBS and DEMMI was established, supporting use of these tools to measure balance and mobility of patients at discharge from acute care.
Kuys SS, Crouch T, Dolecka UE, Steele M, Low Choy NL (2014) Use and validation of the Balance Outcome Measure for Elder Rehabilitation in acute care New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy 42(1): 16-21.
Key words:Hospital Related, Rehabilitation, Geriatric Assessment, Functional Performance, Balance, Falls
INTRODUCTION
Following hospitalisation for an acute illness many older adults experience functional decline (Covinsky et al 2003). This decline is likely multifactorial in nature; associated with the reason for the hospital admission, the subsequent reduced activity levels (Kuys et al 2012) and the patient's pre-existing functional level (Buttery and Martin 2009). Typically, acute care wards are not set up to offer extensive rehabilitation to ameliorate this functional decline. In fact, a recent study highlighted the difficulties associated with implementing an exercise programme in an acute care setting (Brown et al 2006). In addition, there appears to be a perception among staff and patients, that neither is interested in the patient getting up and out of bed (Brown et...