# Nursing Program Promoting the Activity of Daily Living Among Older Adults Admitted to Semimedical Intensive Care Units: A Quasi-Experimental Study **Authors:** Chakkarin Sommana, Samoraphop Banharak, Panita Limpawattana, Supin Sim-Im, Porntip Pimpun, Teerawat Somkamsri, Orada Seeharach, Somphorn Chaisomsee, Walailuk Donsrichan, Boonnada Luejunda, Sirapath Navanukul PMC · DOI: 10.1155/nrp/3848134 · Nursing Research and Practice · 2025-11-05 ## TL;DR A nursing program helped older adults recover faster and had fewer complications after critical care in a semi-intensive unit. ## Contribution A new nursing program was shown to improve daily living activity and reduce complications in older ICU patients. ## Key findings - The experimental group had significantly higher ADL scores compared to the control group. - The program reduced complications in older adults by 81%. - Motor power improved more in the experimental group than in the control group. ## Abstract To investigate the effects of a nursing program to early promote the activity of daily living after passing critical conditions among older adults admitted to the semimedical intensive care unit. Quasi-experimental research. A total of 50 older adults admitted to the semimedical intensive care unit were recruited using a consecutive sampling method. Data were collected from June 28 to October 3, 2024, using the Barthel ADL Index, complication record forms, and muscle strength record forms. The findings indicated that the experimental group reported higher scores in performing activities of daily living (17.48 ± 1.19 vs. 2.76 ± 0.44) and motor power (4.96 ± 0.20 vs. 3.68 ± 0.48), as well as a lower incidence of complications (12% vs. 64%) than the control group (p < 0.001). The study demonstrates that the nursing program is effective in facilitating early functional recovery and reducing complications among older adults following critical conditions in the semi-intensive care unit. This program provides a valuable approach to enhancing the quality of care and outcomes for this vulnerable population. Thai Clinical Trials Registry (TCTR): TCTR20240708010 ## Full-text entities - **Diseases:** Frailty (MESH:D000073496), joint contractures (MESH:D003286), bleeding (MESH:D006470), respiratory failure (MESH:D012131), acute confusion (MESH:D003221), acute stroke (MESH:D020521), dermatitis (MESH:D003872), delirium (MESH:D003693), fatigue (MESH:D005221), Guillain-Barre syndrome (MESH:D020275), muscle weakness (MESH:D018908), atrophied (MESH:D001284), anxiety (MESH:D001007), ICU (MESH:C000657744), critical illness (MESH:D016638), loss of motor power (MESH:D016388), muscle atrophy (MESH:D009133), Complications (MESH:D008107), oral injuries (MESH:D014947), muscle (MESH:D019042), fractures (MESH:D050723), neuromuscular disorders (MESH:D009468), septic shock (MESH:D012772), incontinence (MESH:D014549), myasthenia gravis (MESH:D009157), sepsis (MESH:D018805), decline in neuromuscular function (MESH:D020879), cognitive decline (MESH:D003072), musculoskeletal dysfunction (MESH:D009140), heart disease (MESH:D006331), dementia (MESH:D003704), infections (MESH:D007239), agitation (MESH:D011595), deep vein thrombosis (MESH:D020246), pressure sores (MESH:D003668), chewing or swallowing impairments (MESH:D003680), bleeding gums (MESH:C537732), restricted joint mobility (MESH:D014086), malnourished (MESH:D044342), Hypertension (MESH:D006973) - **Chemicals:** oxygen (MESH:D010100), Vaseline (MESH:D010577) - **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606] ## Full text _Full body text omitted from this summary view._ Fetch the complete paper as Markdown: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12611471/full.md ## Figures 3 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12611471/full.md ## References 36 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12611471/full.md --- Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12611471