Perceptions and performance of function and physical activity in assisted living communities

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Rehabilitation Science
• Nursing

Background:

• Assisted living (AL) residents often have limited physical activity (PA), impacting their health.
• Understanding resident and nursing assistant (NA) factors is crucial for improving PA in AL settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe residents' self-efficacy and outcome expectations for function and PA.
• To measure residents' functional performance and time spent in PA.
• To evaluate the knowledge, beliefs, and care behaviors of NAs regarding function-focused care.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive study utilizing baseline data from the Res-Care-AL intervention.
• Inclusion of 171 residents and 96 NAs across 4 Maryland AL communities.
• Data collection included resident self-efficacy, outcome expectations, functional performance, PA levels, and NA knowledge and care practices.

Main Results:

• Residents reported low PA levels and varied in self-efficacy, functional performance, and social support for exercise.
• NAs demonstrated confidence but lacked knowledge in function-focused care, though they performed it in 76% of observed interactions.
• Site-specific differences were observed in resident characteristics but not in NA beliefs or practices.

Conclusions:

• Residents in AL communities exhibit very limited physical activity.
• Ongoing education for AL staff is recommended to enhance resident PA and adherence to guidelines, thereby optimizing health.
• Function-focused care interventions are needed to improve PA and overall well-being in AL settings.