Barthel Index, Geriatric, Geriatric Depression, Limb Injury, Loneliness, Older Adults, Pain, Quality of Life
Conditions
Keywords
Limb injury, geriatric trauma, older adults, loneliness
Brief summary
To examine the long-term effects of the Geriatric Trauma Care Program (GTCP) regarding pain, functional disability, depression, loneliness, and health-related quality of life among older adults with traumatic injuries who live alone.
Detailed description
Traumatic injuries among older adults represent a significant public health concern due to their potential to severely affect individuals' long-term physical, emotional, and social well-being. Older adults who experience traumatic injuries often face substantial challenges during recovery, particularly those living alone who may lack sufficient support systems, exacerbating their vulnerability to chronic health issues. Pain, functional disability, depression, loneliness, and diminished health-related quality of life are prevalent adverse outcomes following traumatic injuries, underscoring the critical need for effective, targeted care strategies to address these multidimensional impacts. The Geriatric Trauma Care Program (GTCP) is a nurse practitioner-led, digitalized trauma care program designed to provide comprehensive and accessible intervention aimed at improving immediate trauma care outcomes and facilitating sustainable recovery among older adults. While short-term benefits of digitally supported, geriatric-focused trauma interventions have been documented, the long-term effectiveness of such programs, especially for older individuals who live alone, remains less understood. Consequently, examining the enduring impact of the GTCP is essential to determine its effectiveness in fostering sustained recovery and improving quality of life for this vulnerable population. This study aims to address this gap by evaluating the long-term effects of the GTCP on pain, functional disability, depression, loneliness, and health-related quality of life among older adults with traumatic injuries who live alone. Findings from this research will provide valuable insights for healthcare providers and policymakers to enhance care delivery models, optimize resource allocation, and ultimately improve long-term outcomes for older adults recovering from traumatic injuries.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALGeriatric trauma care program
The experiment group will implement the Geriatric trauma care program (GTCP) and routine care. The GTCP will be implemented by a nurse practitioner and equipped with digitalized educational material, including six units of intervention for older adults with traumatic injuries who live alone.
Sponsors
Kaohsiung Medical University
National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)
Intervention model description
A randomized, double-blind, two-arm experimental design will be used.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
65 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1. willing to join this study for three months 2. with limb injuries 3. living alone in a household 4. aged 65 years old or older 5. independent before a traumatic injury 6. having a smartphone.
Exclusion criteria
1. with an ISS greater than 16 (severe injuries) 2. having cognitive impairments 3. diagnosed with psychiatric illness
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pain intensity | Day 1 at Hospital discharge, 1 month, and 3 months | Measured by the Numeric Pain Rating Scale with the numbers 0-10, with 0 meaning no pain and 10 meaning the worst pain. |
| Functional disability | Day 1 at Hospital discharge, 1 month, and 3 months | The Barthel's Index consists of 30 items, ranging from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater functional capacity. |
| Depression | Day 1 at Hospital discharge, 1 month, and 3 months | The Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form, which comprises 15 items scored on a two-point scale (0 = no, 1 = yes). It scores ranged from 0-15 with the higher indicated the more severe depression symptoms. |
| Loneliness | Day 1 at Hospital discharge, 1 month, and 3 months | The Elderly Loneliness Scale has eight items, with a higher score indicating more loneliness. |
| Health-related quality of life | Day 1 at Hospital discharge, 1 month, and 3 months | The EuroQol-5D has five items with higher score indicated a worse health condition. |
Countries
Taiwan
Contacts
CONTACTBih-O Lee, PhD
CONTACTSanto Imanuel Tonapa, PhD
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORBih-O Lee, PhD
College of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University
Outcome results
None listed