Background: The World Health Organisation identified that there is an increased risk to elderly of readmission to hospital following an acute hospital admission due to decreased function and deconditioning during hospitalisation. As such, researchers have reviewed the discharge process of older adults to identify areas for potential improvement. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of occupational therapists during goal setting in acute aged care in Australia and to determine whether implementing training and a structured goal setting procedure such as the HOME protocol is feasible and beneficial. Method: This study used a phenomenological study design and semi-structured interviews. Four therapists who participated in the HOME trial were recruited from New South Wales and Victoria. Interviews were conducted by telephone and focused on the therapist experiences of goal setting before, during and after the HOME study. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis of the interview data was conducted and involved coding, data reduction, categorisation and determining themes and relationships. Results: Results suggested three themes related to goal setting in acute aged care: (a) developing client-centred goals, (b) the therapist experience and training and (c) the ideal goal setting practice. However, therapists perceived that the reality of practice puts a number of pressures on them when setting goals in order to manage the return home for older persons – as such, some elements of best practice in goal setting must be forfeited. Conclusions: Goal setting in acute aged care in Australia is complex and therapists face many of the same challenges as those in other western countries. Furthermore, therapists found structured goal setting frameworks to be beneficial, however, felt that they are not feasible in the current context of practice
