A Clinical Academic Partnership to Advance Team-based Practice in Reablement

Research co-lead: 

Research user co-lead:

  • Dolores Langford
    Center for Hip Health and Mobility (CHHM), Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute

Team members: 

  • Darryl Caves
    Vancouver Coastal Health
  • Chris Nicol
    Vancouver Coastal Health
  • Dr. Patro Ariza-Vega
    University of Granada, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves
  • Dr. Ken Madden
    Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia
  • Dr. Morgan Price
    University of British Columbia
  • Jane Burns
    Vancouver Coastal Health
  • Dr. Elissa Burton
    Curtin University
  • Lindy Clemson
    University of Sydney
  • Lena Fleig
    Medical School Berlin 
  • Christiane Hoppmann
    University of British Columbia
  • Paule Bellwood
    University of British Columbia

Reablement is a short-term intensive interdisciplinary approach to providing health care at home, with a focus on older adults post-hospitalization. Reablement emphasizes a person's autonomy and independence, but the model may pose implementation challenges within a team-based setting. To mitigate these factors requires a consistent training program (for fidelity) to adopt the concept of reablement, and develop skills and knowledge. To create an acceptable, feasible, and effective knowledge strategy requires co-designing the curriculum with the end users.

This study, grounded in behaviour change theory, is designed to work with frontline clinicians and researchers, to create a blended curriculum of online training, video scenarios, and group-based work. We will work within our established clinical academic partnership, to develop the curriculum over 12 months via a series of monthly webinars from experts in the clinical and research fields on topics related to delivering reablement. During the webinars, a facilitator will synthesize information on ways to strengthen team-based practice, maintain fidelity to the model, and support older adults' autonomy and independence.

We anticipate the following outcomes from this collaboration: a co-created curriculum of reablement, a consensus statement on behavior change strategies for reablement, KT capacity building for trainees, peer-reviewed publications, and a research agenda for next steps to advance reablement in BC.