BACKGROUND: The ability of older adults to carry out activities of daily living and to adapt and to manage their own life decreases due to deterioration of their physical and cognitive condition. Nurses and other health care professionals should support the self-management ability of older adults to prevent activities of daily living dependence and increase the ability to adapt and to self-manage the consequences of living with a chronic condition. OBJECTIVE: To gain insight into the evidence of the effects of self-management support programmes on the activities of daily living of older adults living at home. DESIGN: A systematic literature review of original research publications. DATA SOURCES: Searches were performed in PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (in February 2016). No limitations were applied regarding date of publication, language or country. REVIEW METHODS: Publications were eligible for this review on condition that they described a self-management support programme directed at adults of on average 65 years or older, and living in the community; used a randomized control group design; and presented information about the effects on activities of daily living. The methodological quality of the included studies was independently assessed by the authors using the quality criteria for reviews of the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Review Group. A best evidence synthesis was performed using guidelines provided by the Cochrane Collaboration Back Review Group. RESULTS: A total of 6,246 potentially relevant references were found. After screening the references, 12 studies with a randomized controlled trial design were included. The methodological assessment of the 12 studies indicated variations in the risk of bias from low (n = 1) to unclear (n = 3) and high (n = 8). Although there was considerable variation in study population, intervention characteristics and measurement instruments used, most studies (n = 11) showed effects of self-management support programmes on the activities of daily living of older adults. CONCLUSIONS: There is a moderate level of evidence that self-management support programmes with a multi-component structure, containing disease-specific information, education of knowledge and skills and, in particular, individually tailored coaching, improve the activities of daily living of older adults. Further research is required to gain insight into the most appropriate context and approach of self-management support interventions targeting activities of daily living of older adults living in the community.
With permission from Excerpta Medica Inc.

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