Through development of a conceptual model and an index measure based on actual performance, this dissertation focused on clarifying what is "very good" (and "very bad") in nursing home quality. The model expanded on the traditional narrow image of nursing home quality of care, and specified four major dimensions of this broader view of quality. The dimensions (staff intervention, nutrition/food service, physical environment, and community relations) were each reduced further to two subdimensions. Factors influencing quality were also delineated. The new model was then used to tie specific measurable indicators to the overall quality construct. Quality indicators derived from standardized assessments of Medicaid residents were employed in a study of 135 intermediate care facilities in Virginia. Process variables, such as use of physical restraints, catheters, and receipt of various therapies, were analysed for 12,327 residents. Outcome variables (weight loss, increased dependencies in activities of daily living, new pressure sores) were determined through longitudinal analysis for residents with an appropriate preceding assessment (n = 9,006). Assessments were aggregated in each home to calculate a mean (percentage incidence) for each of the 14 quality indicators. A scaling system was used to clearly identify industry"norms" for each variable. Quintiles based on relative incidence were employed to assign homes to five levels of performance. Scale scores were summed to obtain a facility index measure of relative quality. Reliability and validity were evaluated. Relationships of case-mix and selected structural variables (size, ownership, location, percent Medicaid, staff ratios) to the quality measure were analysed. Results suggested better performance by non-profit and smaller homes, but proprietary and non-prof it facilities were about evenly represented among the top tenth percentile of homes. Presence of a skilled care unit appeared to negatively influence quality. Possible interactions and explanations for this finding were considered. Most significantly, the study demonstrated that resident assessments can serve as excellent information sources about what goes on in nursing homes. However, additional variables must be incorporated to make a comprehensive quality measure, based on the model. Recommendations and policy implications were discussed. / Doctor of Philosophy

This dissertation investigates the effectiveness of and disparities in timely goals of care (TGOC) discussions in nursing homes (NHs), as well as hospitalizations due to infections. Chapter One provided an overview of the dissertation, including its aims and conceptual frameworks. Chapter Two is a systematic review of the current evidence concerning the timing of goals of care discussions in NHs and their impact on end-of-life outcomes. Chapter Three examines the differences in TGOC discussions in NHs for Black. Chapter Four analyzes the association between TGOC discussions and hospitalizations due to infections. Finally, Chapter Five synthesizes all findings. Key findings demonstrate that while effective TGOC discussions are associated with reduced hospitalizations due to infections in NH residents, significant racial and ethnic disparities exist, particularly among NHs with higher proportions of Black residents and those located in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. These findings highlight the need for improved TGOC practices and targeted interventions to address systemic barriers and ensure equitable end-of-life care.

No / This paper reports on the evaluation of the Enriched Opportunities Programme in improving well-being, diversity of activity, health, and staff practice in for people with dementia. Participants were 127 residents with a diagnosis of dementia or enduring mental health problems in three specialist nursing homes in the UK. A repeated measures within-subjects design was employed, collecting quantitative and qualitative data at three points over a twelve-month period in each facility with follow-up 7 to 14 months later. Two-way ANOVAs revealed a statistically significant increase in levels of observed well-being and in diversity of activity following the intervention. There was a statistically significant increase in the number of positive staff interventions but no change in the number of negative staff interventions overall. There was a significant reduction in levels of depression. No significant changes in anxiety, health status, hospitalisations, or psychotropic medication usage were observed. The Enriched Opportunities Programme demonstrated a positive impact on the lives of people with dementia in nursing homes already offering a relatively good standard of care, in a short period of time. The refined programme requires further evaluation to establish its portability.

Yes / This article aims to explore family perspectives on their involvement in the timely detection of changes in their relatives' health in UK nursing homes. Increasingly, policy attention is being paid to the need to reduce hospitalisations for conditions that, if detected and treated in time, could be managed in the community. We know that family continue to be involved in the care of their family members once they have moved into a nursing home. Little is known, however, about family involvement in the timely detection of changes in health in nursing home residents. This was a qualitative exploratory study with thematic analysis. A purposive sampling strategy was applied. 14 semi-structured one-to-one telephone interviews with family members of people living in 13 different UK nursing homes. Data were collected from November 2015 to March 2016. Families were involved in the timely detection of changes in health in three key ways: noticing signs of changes in health, informing care staff about what they noticed, and educating care staff about their family members' changes in health. Families suggested they could be supported to detect timely changes in health by developing effective working practices with care staff. Families can provide a special contribution to the process of timely detection in nursing homes. Their involvement needs to be negotiated, better supported, as well as given more legitimacy and structure within the nursing home. Families could provide much needed support to nursing home nurses, care assistants, and managers in timely detection of changes in health. This may be achieved through communication about their preferred involvement on a case-by-case basis as well as providing appropriate support or services. / NIH Research Programme Grant for Applied Research (RP-PG-0612-20010)

Yes / Objectives: Dementia progressively affects cognitive functioning, including the ability to communicate. Those who struggle to communicate are often considered unable to relate to other people. Frontline care workers are in a position to connect with residents. However, we know little about their perspectives. The aim of this study was to understand how and when nursing home staff meaningfully engaged with residents with advanced dementia. Methods: Semi-structured interviews, supplemented by informal conversations, were conducted with 21 staff from seven nursing homes. Inductive thematic analysis identified themes in the accounts. Results: Four themes related to how staff engaged with residents with advanced dementia (initiating meaningful engagement, recognising subtle reactions, practising caring behaviours, patience and perseverance). Two themes related to when meaningful engagement occurred (lacking time to connect, making the most of time during personal care). Conclusion: A key barrier to implementing formal interventions to improve care is lack of staff time. Staff overcome this by using personal care time for meaningful engagement with residents. Their approach, developed through experience, is consonant with person-centred dementia care. Building on this, future research should use participatory approaches building on practice wisdom to further develop and evaluate meaningful engagement with residents with advanced dementia. / The work reported in this article contributed to a PhD by the first author, with funding awarded to the Centre for Applied Dementia Studies at the University of Bradford by BUPA.

This research provides a feminist perspective on the lowest paid sector of the United States long-term care industry, Certified Nursing Assistants. This research adds to current feminist scholarship on the modern professional caregiving industry by focusing on the perspective of the workers. As the population of older adults requiring care is expected to increase over the coming decades, the demand for paid caregivers will increase as well. Historically, care work was an expected duty done freely by the women of the family, but today much of the vital intimate caring labor is relegated to paid caregivers. I examine how alternative social, political and economic frameworks can transform United States society’s attitude towards the increasingly relevant issue of caring labor. I argue that incorporating a feminist perspective will be helpful in developing a sustainable model for caring labor that acknowledges the dignity of both patients and their caregivers. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Over the past decade, efforts led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have reduced healthcare-associated infections in acute care settings nationally. In 2013, HHS identified that the next phase of these healthcare-associated infection reduction initiatives would target long-term care facilities through the publication of a new chapter in the National Action Plan to Prevent Health Care Associated Infections devoted to this setting. Long-term care facilities are nursing facilities that provide “medical, skilled nursing and rehabilitative services on an inpatient basis to individuals who need assistance preforming activities of daily living, such as bathing and dressing”. These facilities are the primary residence for 2.5 million, predominantly elderly Americans and represented $143 billion nationally in healthcare costs as of 2010. Accordingly, it is a national priority to reduce healthcare-associated infections in this setting and protect this vulnerable population. Healthcare-associated infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) are a particular burden in the long-term care population. These pathogens, usually bacteria, are defined as being resistant to one or more classes of antimicrobial agents. However, MDROs frequently exhibit resistance to nearly all antimicrobial drugs. Clinical infection control guidelines recommend isolation precautions to prevent MDRO transmission, based on evidence collected in acute care settings. However, the limited evidence that is available from studies in long-term care facilities suggests that isolation precautions may not be effective in this setting. Given that the reduction of antibiotic resistant infections is a priority of the HHS, The White House, Healthy People 2020, and the World Health Organization, it is necessary to confirm and support the appropriate use of isolation precautions for MDROs with evidence specific to long-term care facilities. Therefore, this dissertation describes the current evidence for and use of isolation precautions in long-term care facilities for MDROs. Further, it offers the most comprehensive descriptions of both isolation precautions use and predictors of MDRO infection in nursing homes (NHs), a specific type of long-term care residential setting. To assist the reader, Chapter 1 will provide background for these studies including context for current infection control and prevention practices in long-term care facilities, the importance of MDRO infections and the need for new evidence regarding isolation precautions in long-term care. It will also discuss the aims and significance of this dissertation in context of a conceptual framework, gaps in the literature and potential to improve clinical practice. Next, Chapters 2 and 3 of this dissertation systematically review the current evidence regarding effectiveness of isolation precautions against MDROs and the cost of infection prevention and control in this setting, respectively. These chapters outline how publications focused on long-term care are lacking in quality and quantity and offer suggestions for improvement in future research. Chapter 4 qualitatively describes decision-making process regarding use of isolation-based infection prevention techniques in NHs, which depends on four key considerations: perceived risk of transmission, conflict with quality of life goals, resource availability and lack of understanding. Chapter 5 builds on this qualitative analysis by quantitatively examining predictors of isolation precautions use for MDRO infection in a large, national dataset. This analysis confirms that isolation is rarely used and there is variation across NHs’ practice. However, NH staff may be tailoring infection prevention and control practice to the needs of specific residents, as would be expected based on the results of the qualitative analysis. Chapter 6 presents an analysis of MDRO infection predictors among elderly NH residents across the U.S. This study confirms concepts associated with MDRO infection in previous studies (e.g., low functionality) and provides more specificity in operationalization of these concepts than has been previously determined (e.g., needing support with locomotion), which can inform future use of isolation precautions in NHs. Finally, Chapter 7 contains a synthesis and discussion of these findings, as well as recommendations for health policy and future research regarding contact isolation precautions against MDROs in NHs.

This study confirms that depression is highly prevalent in nursing homes. In addition, this study reveals incongruency between depression rates and recognition rates of depression in the nursing home environment.

No description available.

The purpose of the thesis was to investigate if integrity promoting care improves functions in demented patients over time. The Erikson (1982) theory of ”eight stages of man” was used as a basis for training of staff in a three-month intervention study (I-VI) at a nursing home ward. A collective living unit where staff had had support in the performance of the delivery of care was also evaluated and compared with a nursing home in a long-term study (VII). Patients, relatives, staff, and the environments were investigated. Cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of somatostatin increased, and reduction of distractability, anxiety and confusion was seen in the intervention group (I) in contrast to controls. In the collective living group (VII) EEG activities indicated a reduction of supposed dementia induced changes. Better motor and social ability, some improved intellectual ability, more alertness and reduced signs of depression were seen (I, II, VII). Patients expressed more autonomy (IV, VII) and initiatives (II-VII) and showed a lot of competence (V) in conversations. Five patients (V) showed patterns of behaviour which seemed to reflect life-long characteristics in spite of their severe dementia. The improvement in the patients' functions can be attributed to the physical environment and the integrity promoting care, since the medical treatment of the patients remained unchanged. In the thesis medical, psychological, and nursing sciences were connected in a complementary process. The results were congruent, and indicate that patients in the care of staff who had had training and support, declined less than controls. / <p>S. 1-61: sammanfattning, s. 63-184: 7 uppsatser</p> / digitalisering@umu