Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 6, 2026
Movement Retraining using Real-time Feedback of Performance
Published on: January 17, 2013
Adding a Mobility Champion to an Existing Progressive Mobility Protocol: An Evidence-Based Initiative
Purpose:
This evidence-based initiative assessed the effect of adding a mobility champion to an existing progressive mobility protocol on functional decline in hospitalized older adults as evidenced by recommended discharge to home versus an inpatient rehabilitation facility.
Method:
Older adults admitted from home to a 47-bed medical-surgical telemetry unit who were assessed as ambulatory, either independently or with assistance (Level 5), and with a progressive mobility order in the electronic health record were included in the initiative. Patient care associates who volunteered to be mobility champions were trained how to safely ambulate patients.
Results:
Patients who worked with a mobility champion were less likely to be referred to inpatient rehabilitation post discharge for further care due to functional decline.
Conclusion:
Mobility has a critical role in the maintenance of hospitalized older adults' functional abilities and is a determinate of their post discharge disposition. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 50(11), 37-43.].
