The relationship of patient's age to the perceptions of the rehabilitation environment

To compare the perceptions of the rehabilitation environment among staff, younger (less than 65), and older patients (greater than 65).

The Ward Atmosphere Scale (WAS) was administered to 55 patients and 108 staff members in a rehabilitation hospital.

A large university-associated free-standing rehabilitation hospital.

Patients and staff primarily associated with one of three treatment teams, each on a separate floor. The teams were selected to reflect a diversity of treatment styles and patients' diagnoses.

The WAS is a 100 true/false questionnaire with 10 subscales which combine to form three dimensions: relationship, program orientation, and system maintenance. These dimensions represent the principal constructs of the instrument.

Multivariate analysis of variance was performed on three groups completing the WAS--staff, patients less than 65 years old, and patients 65 years and older. This analysis revealed significant differences among the three groups on the Relationship (F = 14.3; P less than 0.01) and Program Dimensions (F = 36.5; P less than 0.01), and between staff and patients on the System Maintenance Dimension (F = 11.4; P less than 0.01). Compared to younger patients and staff, older patients had lower perceptions in the combined areas of involvement, support, spontaneity, autonomy, practical orientation, personal problem orientation, and anger and aggression. Likewise, older patients perceived more staff control than staff and younger patients. Younger patients scored between older patients and staff.

This study suggests that there may be a mismatch between current rehabilitation environments and the needs of elderly individuals.