Disability and rehabilitation
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This study was undertaken to inform disability mitigation for military veterans by identifying personal, environmental, and health factors associated with activity limitations. ⋯ Disability, measured as activity limitation, was associated with a range of personal and environmental factors and health conditions, indicating multifactorial and multidisciplinary approaches to disability mitigation.
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This study explored the expectations of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and family members about a family-based pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programme; developed and implemented a family-based PR programme and explored the impacts of the intervention on patients and family members. ⋯ PR programmes, if inclusive of family members, may enhance the skills of the whole family to manage COPD. Implications for Rehabilitation Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and their family members have similar expectations and needs about a family-based pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programme. A family-based PR programme is feasible to implement within primary care. PR programmes, if inclusive of family members, may enhance the skills of the whole family to manage COPD.
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To explore the associations between (improvement in) fatigue and (improvement in) clinical and cognitive factors in patients with chronic widespread pain (CWP), participating in multidisciplinary rehabilitation treatment. ⋯ Improvement in depression may be a mechanism of change to improve the level of fatigue in CWP. Improvement in dysfunctional (pain related) cognitions seems to be independent of improvement in fatigue. Targeting fatigue in multidisciplinary treatment may need specific strategies (e.g. additional interventions focusing on reducing fatigue and specific attention to improvement of sleep).
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The aim of this study was first of all to investigate the sound, light, temperature and humidity levels in a rehabilitation ward and to establish whether the measured levels were within the recommended levels or not; secondly to explore influence of the type of the patient rooms on obtained measurements. ⋯ Our results indicated that the patients are at risk of disturbed sleep for the duration of their stay in rehabilitation unit. Exposure to generally high noise levels, as well as the sudden increases of noise and light intensities can prevent reaching restful night-time sleep and may negatively impact on rehabilitation process due to impaired memory, learning and well-being. Implications for Rehabilitation Standards for ward based hospital environments to minimize sleep disturbance exist and can be used to examine the environmental characteristics of patients' rooms in different healthcare settings including rehabilitation units. This study shows that measurements of environmental factors were not always within the recommended levels in the rehabilitation unit and presence of abrupt increase of noise and light levels are likely to cause sleep disturbance of patients. Assessment of current practice, education and training of night staff to raise awareness on importance of sleep and environmental factors and development of strategies are required in order to improve quality of sleep in rehabilitation settings.
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Observational Study
Early rehabilitation in patients with acute aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.
The aim of this study was to describe and quantify the content of early rehabilitation adapted to patients with acute aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) and to assess its feasibility. ⋯ Early rehabilitation in aSAH patients is feasible from the first day after securing the aneurysm. The rehabilitation content varied according to the patient's clinical grade. Implications for Rehabilitation Early rehabilitation is feasible from the first day after securing the ruptured aneurysm in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). Early rehabilitation requires close monitoring and continuous adjustment for the content and amount according to the patient's clinical condition. Interdisciplinary collaboration is recommended to match the rehabilitation needs to the medical condition on a daily basis.