1. Rehabilitation Nursing in the Elderly
By: Loren Incandela
Reviewed by: Cathy Frank, Candice Sullivan

2. Rehabilitation Nursing
Goal – Provide assistance to patients/clients with diverse needs, including disability & chronic disease
Patient care is aimed at allowing individuals to maintain & achieve optimal function in areas related to self-care and the promotion of physical, psychological, and social wellness
Variety of rehabilitation environments: acute, inpatient, subacute, outpatient, hospital based, long-term care facilities, home health agencies, nursing facilities
Gerontological Rehabilitation Nursing – specialty area addressing the unique needs of elderly clients
(Staff Nurse Special Interest Group of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses),
(Association of Rehabilitation Nurses Gerontology Special Interest Group)

3. Responsibilities
Consider unique needs & age-related changes specific to the geriatric population
Maintain the scope & standards of rehabilitation nursing practice
Address concomitant needs using a holistic approach to meeting geriatric client needs
(Association of Rehabilitation Nurses Gerontology Special Interest Group)

4. Roles of the Gerontological Rehabilitation Nurse
Advocate – protect the rights of your clients
Clinical Practitioner – assessing, planning, treating, and evaluating the specialized needs of older adults while utilizing clinical expertise
Educator – Promote health & wellness, encourage active lifestyle, prevent disability & secondary impairments
Manager – accreditation, regulatory statutes for elder care, quality care & assurance
Consultant – integral part of healthcare team, development of patient programs, patient management through interactions with other disciplines
Researcher – continuing education, participate in research projects
(Association of Rehabilitation Nurses Gerontology Special Interest Group)

5. References
1) Staff Nurse Special Interest Group of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses. (n.d.). The rehabilitation staff nurse. Retrieved from Staff-Nurse.html
2) Association of Rehabilitation Nurses Gerontology Special Interest Group. (n.d.). The gerontological rehabilitation nurse. Retrieved from Gerontological-Rehab-Nurse.html