Outcomes of uncomplicated assistive devices with older people: A pretest-post-test intervention study in a small community

BACKGROUND: Only a few studies have investigated the effects of assistive devices (ADs) from the user’s perspective. This knowledge is important for clinical and policy decision-making. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to determine to what extent older people experience less difficulty in performing daily activities after having received uncomplicated ADs such as bath chairs and rollators. METHODS: The study had a pretest – post-test intervention design where the outcomes were evaluated using the Individually Prioritized Problem Assessment (IPPA) and analyzed with paired t-tests. Effect sizes (ES) were interpreted according to Cohen’s d. People aged ⩾ 67 years with sufficient cognitive or hearing functioning necessary to participate in an interview were included. RESULTS: This study enrolled 52 home-dwelling persons aged 69–93 years. Baseline IPPA score was 17.29 ± 4.27 points (mean ± standard deviation), follow-up score 9.29 ± 4.47 points, indicating a significant reduction in the mean difficulty score of 8.64 points (95% confidence interval: 7.37–9.81 points) (p⩽ 0.001). The ES at the group level was 1.57 and varied from no to large effect. CONCLUSIONS: Receiving uncomplicated ADs significantly reduced the difficulties experienced by older people. However, the large variations in the ES highlight the importance of providing individually tailored training programs for mobility ADs, which should be considered in further outcome studies.