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R2a. Secondary Analysis of ADL Performance

Project Director: Helen Hoenig, MD, Duke

Co-Investigators: Jon Sanford, M.Arch.; Anthony Hayter, PhD

Timeline: Year 1 (12 months)

Specific Aims:
A recently completed prospective study of wheeled mobility use by community-dwelling older adults and nursing home residents is the basis for the proposed secondary analysis. The study focused on self-reported wheelchair use of 153 community-dwelling elders and collected information on where people went, what they did and how often, and any difficulties encountered. The data set also includes information about environmental, equipment-related, and personal barriers to independent mobility in 50 nursing home residents.

The purpose of this project is to perform a secondary analysis of data from the prospective study. Specific aims of this secondary analysis are: 1) to identify general mobility needs and problems experienced by frail elders; 2) investigate the relationship of environmental barriers and independence in ADLs at home and in a nursing home; and 2) to compare wheeled mobility needs across the two groups, their respective living environments and the environments in which they use their wheelchairs. Findings from these analyses, together with those from project R2b, will be used to determine design criteria for the development of a new wheelchair to meet the needs of frail elders (see Project D2- Development of a Wheelchair for Frail Elders).

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