Trending Topics – May/June 2021 issue

If you are an ARN member or a Rehabilitation Nursing Journal (RNJ) subscriber, you should soon receive your May/June 2021 issue in the mail. Check out a preview of three great articles that will be gracing the pages of this issue, or visit the journal online to read the full issue.

Burdens and Educational Needs of Informal Caregivers of Older Adults with Urinary Incontinence: An Internet-Based Study

Among individuals with a high level of physical and cognitive disability, urinary incontinence (UI) is very common and is seen as a burden to informal caregivers. This internet-based study was designed to describe the burden and educational needs of informal caregivers of care-dependent older adults with UI. Through an online survey, this study reached 158 informal caregivers and analyzed five areas of an informal caregiver's life that may be affected by caring for a person with UI and their educational needs. Roughly 49% of respondents reported a significant impact of their care recipients' UI on their lives, with travel and social elements most affected. 42% of respondents reported that they had never sought treatment on behalf of their care recipient. Overall, caregivers need more support from healthcare providers to manage the condition as well as UI treatment strategies and guidance to select the correct supplies. Read the full article

Chronic Illness and Fatigue in Older Individuals: A Systematic Review

Fatigue is experienced by 40-78% of older adults in the United States and often the origin of the fatigue is unknown. By reviewing twenty-two different articles, this study was sought to clarify some of the ambiguity behind fatigue and determine the risk factors and consequences of fatigue, as well as the effects of fatigue management strategies. Findings on fatigue risk factors, such as age, body mass index, and marital status, were contradictory but there was a positive association between fatigue and comorbidities, depression, and anxiety and a negative relationship between fatigue and physical activity, sleep, educational status, and socioeconomic status. To prevent undesirable consequences of fatigue, older individuals should be screened for modifiable risk factors of fatigue and the results of this study can guide researchers to potential research areas to further explore. Read the full article 

Rehabilitation Nursing Challenges for Patients with Lower Limb Amputation

Amputation of lower limbs is often a consequence of vascular-related conditions such as diabetes and heart disease and there are over 185,000 amputations annually in the United States. This article discusses the significance and practice recommendations for three common challenges – skin integrity, pain, and falls – in patients who had undergone lower limb amputation. Data reports that 50% of lower limb amputees fall each year and nearly one-third have multiple falls. In reviewing evidence for providing care to patients with amputations, the study found that there were significant gaps in the evidence relating to postamputation nursing care and safety, demonstrating a need for more research in this field. Read the full article