• Care organization can influence hospital-acquired complication risk in older adults. • Interaction quality may suffer in settings with limited resources. • This study highlights prevention culture for hospital-acquired complications in France. • Meaningful activities facilitators would be viewed as a positive addition by healthcare staff. • Their training, roles, and duties require careful definition and attention. Rising hospitalization rates among older inpatients and their complex needs challenge traditional acute care models. Hospital-acquired complications and deconditioning remain major risks, especially when organizational constraints limit meaningful interactions. This qualitative study explored the perceived care needs for older inpatients and acceptability of Meaningful Activity Facilitators (MAFs) to address these needs in acute geriatric wards in France. Using a multiple data source approach, we conducted non-participatory field observations and semi-structured interviews with patients and healthcare workers in two French geriatric wards. Topics included mobility, cognition, nutrition, hydration, mood, and organizational constraints. Participants discussed the role, benefits, barriers, and implementation challenges of MAFs. Staff, particularly nurses, identified understaffing and heavy workloads as key barriers to providing regular personal engagement. Patients often described insufficient contact despite acknowledging staff’s interpersonal efforts. Both groups expressed support for introducing MAFs, viewing them as a means to enhance patient experience, care quality, and staff satisfaction. Concerns were raised about close teamwork, role clarity, and preventing task overlap. The integration of MAFs in acute geriatric settings appears acceptable and promising for enhancing patient interaction and potentially reducing complications such as delirium or deconditioning. Careful planning, training, and role definition will be critical for successful deployment.
Montredon et al. (Mon,) studied this question.