CONCLUSION: A multi-faceted hand hygiene intervention with pocket-sized containers of alcohol-based hand rub was effective in increasing hand rubbing compliance and reducing incidence of total infections requiring hospitalization in elderly LTCFs. Its effect on outbreaks still needs further investigations. The questionnaire developed in this study may be a simple and effective method to assess the attitude and compliance change of the HCWs after implementing a hand hygiene programme. / DESIGN: Clustered randomized controlled trial / INTERVENTIONS: After a 3-month run-in period, we randomized three LTCFs to the treatment and three to the control group. The treatment group received pocket-sized containers of alcohol-based hand rub, education and reminding materials. The control group received basic life support education and workshops. They were followed up for another seven months. We measured the hand hygiene compliance of the HCWs by direct observation and recorded the incidence of infections of the residents from their hospital discharge summaries. / OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of a multi-faceted hand hygiene programme with pocket-sized containers of alcohol-based hand rub for infection control in elderly long-term care facilities (LTCFs) / OUTCOMES & DATA ANALYSIS: Primary outcomes were direct observed compliances of hand washing and antiseptic hand rubbing of the HCWs, incidence of infections requiring hospitalization and death rate due to infection of the residents, and outbreaks of the LTCFs. Secondary outcomes were change in hand hygiene attitude and self-reported compliance. / PARTICIPANTS: All health care workers (HCWs) of the LTCFs recruited by snowball sampling. Their job categories were nurses, nursing assistants and physiotherapists. / RESULTS: In the treatment group, the compliance of alcohol-based hand rubbing increased significantly from 1.5% (5/333) to 15.9% (233/1465) (p=0.001) and total compliance increased from 25.8% (86/333) to 33.3% (488/1465) (p=0.01) after intervention. Total incidence of infections decreased from 31 cases in 21,862 resident days (1.42 per 1,000 resident-day (rd)) to 33 cases in 50,441 resident days (0.65 per 1,000 resident-day) (p=0.002) and death rate due to infection decreased from 8 cases in 21,862 resident days (0.37 per 1,000 rd) to 5 cases in 50,441 resident days (0.1 per 1,000 rd) in the treatment group (p=0.01). Pneumonia significantly decreased by 0.63 per 1000 rd (p=0.001). In the control group, there were no changes in both antiseptic hand rubbing and hand washing. The total incidence of infections increased from 0.49 to 1.04 per 1000 rd (p=0.004) and no change in death rate due to infection (p=0.45). No outbreaks of influenza and norovirus occurred during the whole study in both groups. / SETTING: Six LTCFs for the elderly / The attitude of antiseptic hand rubbing on infection control increased significantly in the treatment group but there was no change under different situations in the control group. The self-reported compliance of antiseptic hand rubbing increased significantly in the treatment group. There were no changes on the self-reported compliances in the control group. The agreement of the direct observed results and the self-reported compliances was 75% (kappa coefficient = 0.5). / Yeung, Wing Kin. / Adviser: Tze Wai Wong. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 73-06, Section: B, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 100-106). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / A move toward care of residents in nursing homes where they are respected and heard is finally emerging. Common strategies used in nursing homes to improve quality of care for residents are integration of person-centered care and assessing care using satisfaction surveys. Although approaches of integrating person-centered care and satisfaction surveys have been valuable in improving nursing home quality, strategies of care that include things that matter from residents’ perspectives while living in nursing homes need investigation. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to describe things that residents age 65 and older state matter to them while living in the long-term care sections of nursing homes. A qualitative mode of inquiry using purposeful sampling led to a natural unfolding of data that revealed things that mattered to residents. Content analysis was used to reduce the data in a manner that kept the data close to the context yet moved the data toward new ideas about including things that mattered to residents in nursing care. The findings revealed residents’ positive and negative experiences and addressed the question: How can nurses manage residents’ positive and negative aspects of care in nursing homes? This study substantiated the importance of developing nursing care strategies derived from residents’ descriptions of care. Finding ways to promote nurses’ investment in attitudes about a person-centered care philosophy is essential for successful person-centered care implementation. Enhancing nurses’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes with an investment in person centeredness will be more likely to put nurses in a position to role-model care that is person-centered from residents’ perspectives.