UNDERSTANDING THE TRANSITION TO COMMUNITY LIVING AFTER-DISCHARGE FROMAN ACUTE-CARE HOSPITAL - AN EXPLORATORY-STUDY

Objectives. This study was conducted to obtain patients' experiences i n making the transition from an acute care hospital to their homes in the community. Method. Data were gathered through group and telephone interviews with a volunteer sample of 27 discharged patients. Analysis involved two stages: categorization of shared themes and interpretati on of individual occupational experiences. Results. Informants describ ed their experiences of transition in terms that were analytically cat egorized as Perceived Self-Efficacy, Resources, Dimensions of Occupati on, and Environmental Constraints and Opportunities. Analysis of indiv idual patient transcripts suggests the presence of an hierarchical ord ering of desired occupations. Conclusion. Understanding patients' perc eptions of enabling and disabling experiences has implications for pre discharge and postdischarge practice in occupational therapy.