Examining Care Partner Problems Using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.

Abstract

Care partners report that they are unprepared to manage the care of their loved one during the predischarge rehabilitation process and at the time of transition from hospital to home. To link, classify, and describe care partner-reported problems using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) to explore care partner experiences during the predischarge rehabilitation process. We linked meaningful concepts collected during problem-solving training implemented with care partners of patients with sudden-onset conditions to the ICF using a standardized linking technique. Health care institution. Care partner-reported problems were linked to 13 of the 30 ICF chapters. Activities and participation was most frequently addressed, followed by body functions. Care partners most commonly reported problems in the areas of emotional function, major life areas, self-care, domestic life, interpersonal relationships, and sleep functions. The ICF can be used to examine and describe care partners' health-related experiences. Care partners experience myriad problems related to activities and participation, body functions, environmental factors, and personal health before the care recipient's initial discharge from the hospital. What this Article Adds: Care partners' problems early in the rehabilitation process are complex and interrelated. The ICF can serve as a framework for a systematic approach to identifying care partner needs, as it has for patients with a variety of diagnoses.