Mental Illness Training for Long Term Care Staff

The organizational structure of long-term care (LTC) facilities often removes the rehab department from the interdisciplinary work culture, inhibiting the speech-language pathologist's (SLP's) communication with the facility administration and limiting the SLP's influence when implementing clinical programs. The SLP then is unable to change policy or monitor the actions of the care staff. When the SLP asks staff members to follow protocols not yet accepted by facility policy, staff may be unable to respond due to confusing or conflicting protocol. The SLP needs to involve members of the facility administration in the policy-making process in order to create successful clinical programs. The SLP must overcome communication barriers by understanding the needs of the administration to explain how staff compliance with clinical goals improves quality of care, regulatory compliance, and patient-family satisfaction, and has the potential to enhance revenue for the facility. By taking this approach, the SLP has a greater opportunity to increase safety, independence, and quality of life for patients who otherwise may not receive access to the appropriate services.

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Willingness of long‐term care staff to receive a COVID ‐19 vaccine: A single state survey

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society ◽

10.1111/jgs.17022 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Kathleen T. Unroe ◽

Russell Evans ◽

Lindsay Weaver ◽

Dan Rusyniak ◽

Justin Blackburn

Keyword(s):

Long Term Care ◽

Care Staff ◽

Term Care ◽

Single State ◽

To Receive

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A Cross-Sectional Study on the Impacts of Perceived Job Value, Job Maintenance, and Social Support on Burnout among Long-Term Care Staff in Hawaii

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18020476 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 476

Author(s):

Bum Jung Kim ◽

Sun-young Lee

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Long Term Care ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Care Staff ◽

Hierarchical Regression ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Term Care ◽

The Impact

Extensive research has demonstrated the factors that influence burnout among social service employees, yet few studies have explored burnout among long-term care staff in Hawaii. This study aimed to examine the impact of job value, job maintenance, and social support on burnout of staff in long-term care settings in Hawaii, USA. This cross-sectional study included 170 long-term care staff, aged 20 to 75 years, in Hawaii. Hierarchical regression was employed to explore the relationships between the key independent variables and burnout. The results indicate that staff with a higher level of perceived job value, those who expressed a willingness to continue working in the same job, and those with strong social support from supervisors or peers are less likely to experience burnout. Interventions aimed at decreasing the level of burnout among long-term care staff in Hawaii may be more effective through culturally tailored programs aimed to increase the levels of job value, job maintenance, and social support.

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Online Opioid Stewardship Training for Long-Term Care Staff

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1721 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 533-533

Author(s):

Linda Edelman ◽

Troy Andersen ◽

Cherie Brunker ◽

Nicholas Cox ◽

Jorie Butler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Staff Training ◽

Long Term Care ◽

Treatment Strategies ◽

Care Staff ◽

Video Content ◽

Opioid Use ◽

Term Care ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Pain Management Strategy

Abstract Opioids are often the first-line chronic pain management strategy for long-term care (LTC) residents who are also at increased risk for opioid-related adverse events. Therefore, there is a need to train LTC providers and staff about appropriate opioid use and alternative treatment strategies. Our interdisciplinary team worked with LTC partners to identify staff educational needs around opioid stewardship. Based on this need’s assessment, we developed eight modules about opioid use and risks for older adults, including those with dementia, recommendations for de-prescribing including other pharmacological and non-pharmacological alternatives, SBIRT, and motivational interviewing to determine “what matters”. Each 20-minute module contains didactic and video content that is appropriate for group staff training or individuals and provides rural LTC facilities access to needed training in their home communities. Within the first month of launching online, the program received over 1100 hits and LTC partners are incorporating modules into clinical staff training schedules.

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Understanding contributors to quality of care in long-term care and changes under COVID-19

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.3509 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 960-960

Author(s):

Sara Luck ◽

Katie Aubrecht

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Care ◽

Long Term Care ◽

The United States ◽

Control Measures ◽

Qualitative Description ◽

Care Staff ◽

Term Care ◽

The Impact

Abstract Nursing home facilities are responsible for providing care for some of the most vulnerable groups in society, including the elderly and those with chronic medical conditions. In times of crisis, such as COVID-19 or other pandemics, the delivery of ‘regular’ care can be significantly impacted. In relation to COVID-19, there is an insufficient supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) to care for residents, as PPE not only protects care staff but also residents. Nursing homes across the United States and Canada have also taken protective measures to maximize the safety of residents by banning visitors, stopping all group activities, and increasing infection control measures. This presentation shares a research protocol and early findings from a study investigating the impact of COVID-19 on quality of care in residential long-term care (LTC) in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. This study used a qualitative description design to explore what contributes to quality of care for residents living in long-term care, and how this could change in times of crisis from the perspective of long-term care staff. Interviews were conducted with a broad range of staff at one LTC home. A semi-structured interview guide and approach to thematic analysis was framed by a social ecological perspective, making it possible to include the individual and proximal social influences as well as community, organizations, and policy influencers. Insights gained will improve the understanding of quality of care, as well as potential barriers and facilitators to care during times of crisis.

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Implementation of Assistive Technologies and Robotics in Long-Term Care Facilities: A Three-Stage Assessment Based on Acceptance, Ethics, and Emotions

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.694297 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Annette Franke ◽

Elmar Nass ◽

Anna-Kathleen Piereth ◽

Annabel Zettl ◽

Christian Heidl

Keyword(s):

Transformational Leadership ◽

Long Term Care ◽

Implementation Process ◽

Well Being ◽

Emotion Management ◽

Assistive Technologies ◽

Care Staff ◽

Term Care ◽

Care Facilities

Assistive technologies including assistive robots (AT/AR) appear to be a promising response to the increasing prevalence of older adults in need of care. An increasing number of long-term care facilities (LTCFs) try to implement AT/AR in order to create a stimulating environment for aging well and to reduce workload for professional care staff. The implementation of new technologies in an organization may lead to noticeable cultural changes in terms of social interactions and care practices associated with positive or negative emotions for the employees. This applies especially for LTCFs with high rates of vulnerable residents affected by increasing care needs and specific ethics in nursing and cultural rules within the setting. Thus, systematic consideration in leadership management of emotions and ethical aspects is essential for stakeholders involved in the implementation process. In this article, we explicitly focus on the emotions of the employees and leaders within LTCFs. We relate to direct consequences for the organizational well-being and culture, which is of course (indirectly) affecting patients and residents. While aspects of technology acceptance such as safety and usefulness are frequently discussed in academic literature, the topic of emotion-management and ethical questions during the organizational implementation process in LTCFs received little attention. Emotional culture entails affective values, ethical norms and perceptions of employees and further investigation is needed to address the importance of transformational leadership during implementation process. For this purpose, we developed a three-staged assessment tool for implementation of AT/AR in long-term care institutions. Acceptance (A), ethical acceptability (A) and emotional consequences (E) are considered as comprehensive assessment, in which emotional consequences comprise management aspects of transformational leadership (T), emotion-management (E) and organizational culture (O). Based on AAE and TEO, this paper presents an integrated framework illustrated with a illustrative example and aims to combine established approaches with ethical insights in order to unfold potentials of AT/AR in LTCSs.

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Staff Perspectives of Barriers to Access and Delivery of Palliative Care for Persons With Dementia in Long-Term Care

American Journal of Alzheimer s Disease & Other Dementias® ◽

10.1177/1533317518765124 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 33 (5) ◽

pp. 284-291 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Emily Hill ◽

Marie Y. Savundranayagam ◽

Aleksandra Zecevic ◽

Marita Kloseck

Keyword(s):

Palliative Care ◽

Long Term Care ◽

Care Staff ◽

Term Care ◽

Palliative Care Education ◽

Barriers To Access ◽

Communication Difficulties ◽

Phenomenological Methodology

Dementia is a syndrome that is progressive, degenerative, and terminal. The palliative care philosophy aims to maximize quality of life for the dying individual and is both beneficial for and underused with persons dying with dementia. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of long-term care staff delivering palliative care to individuals with dementia to determine how care was delivered, to learn which guidelines were used, and whether policies affected the delivery of palliative care. Methods: Twenty-two staff participants were interviewed. Their experiences were interpreted using phenomenological methodology. Results: Findings yielded 3 key themes: confusion, resource shortages, and communication difficulties. Conclusion: Implications for practice include clarification of terminology surrounding palliative care, education of families about dementia and palliative care, better resource management, and the need to address when palliative care best fits within the dementia process.

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