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Lookup NU author(s): Professor Stuart Parker
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© 2018, The Author(s) 2018. Background: Older people with an acute illness, many of whom are also frail, form a significant proportion of the acute hospital inpatient population. Attention is focusing on ways of improving the physical environment to optimize health outcomes and staff efficiency. Purpose: This article explores the effects of the physical environment in three acute care settings: acute hospital site, in-patient rehabilitation hospital, and intermediate care provision (a nursing home with some beds dedicated to intermediate care) chosen to represent different steps on the acute care pathway for older people and gain the perspectives of patients, family carers, and staff. Methods: Semi structured interviews were undertaken with 40 patient/carer dyads (where available) and three staff focus groups were conducted in each care setting with a range of staff. Results: Multiple aspects of the physical environment were reported as important by patients, family carers, and staff. For example, visitors stressed the importance of access and parking, patients valued environments where privacy and dignity were protected, storage space was poor across all sites, and security was important to patients but visitors want easy access to wards. Conclusions: The physical environment is a significant component of acute care for older people, many of whom are also frail, but often comes second to organization of care, or relationships between actors in an episode of care.
Author(s): Haywood A, Barnes S, Marsh H, Parker SG
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: HERD
Year: 2018
Volume: 11
Issue: 2
Pages: 177-188
Print publication date: 01/04/2018
Online publication date: 15/03/2018
Acceptance date: 02/04/2016
ISSN (print): 1937-5867
ISSN (electronic): 2167-5112
Publisher: SAGE Publications Inc.
URL: https://doi.org/10.1177/1937586717754184
DOI: 10.1177/1937586717754184
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