The peculiarities of setting goals in geriatric rehabilitation

Aim. To determine the peculiarities of setting SMART goals in geriatric rehabilitation. Materials and methods. Materials of scientific publications and international guidelines on the organization of rehabilitation; methods of data analysis, systematization and generalization were used. Results. Age-related physiological changes in the body of older people combined with their own life experience and individual personality qualities require special approaches to setting goals in geriatric rehabilitation. When setting goals in geriatric rehabilitation, certain problems may arise: patients may feel that their opinion is not sufficiently taken into account, and difficulties in understanding what exactly they expect from the rehabilitation process; specialists may have doubts about the ability of older patients to formulate realistic goals; not all patients seek an active role in the goal-setting process. To solve these problems, members of the multidisciplinary team can use certain tools: the use of language that is understandable for the patient in discussions; determination of the patient’s role in setting goals; achievement of a balance between the patient’s wishes and capabilities; demarcation of goals to better achieve them. Directly, the process of setting goals can be presented as a process consisting of three stages: introduction, goal setting, summary and clarification of goals. The authors consider in detail the actions that must be performed by members of the multidisciplinary team at each stage. The use of a three-step algorithm for forming goals can help specialists better interact with the patient and better form the goals of the rehabilitation cycle. Conclusions. The article highlights the problems that arise when setting goals in geriatric rehabilitation; tools for solving these problems and a three-stage goal formation algorithm, which allows increasing the efficiency of interaction with the patient to achieve the SMART goals set have been proposed.