Prevalence of Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia in Nursing Homes in Berlin

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
T. Majic ◽  
J.-P. Pluta ◽  
T. Mell ◽  
A. Decker ◽  
A. Heinz ◽  
...  

Background:Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) include agitation, apathy, hallucinations, and depression. These symptoms are a challenge to professional nursing care, resulting in frequent psychiatric hospitalization, which incur high costs to the national healthcare systems.Objective:To estimate the prevalence of BPSD in nursing home residents in 16 representative nursing homes in Berlin, Germany.Methods:In a cross-sectional clustered cohort study, BPSD were assessed using the Dementia Mood Assessment Scale (DMAS), the Neuropsychiatric Inventary (NPI) and the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI). Dementia stage severity was measured by Functional Assessment Staging (FAST) and the Mini-Mnetals State Examination (MMSE). Furthermore, the patients" history recording psychotropics and number of psychiatric hospitalizations were registered. The prevalence and incidence rates of BPSD as well the duration of hospitalization and the quantity of drug prescription were estimated.Results:BPSD are common above all in nursing home residents with dementia, exhibiting prevalence rates of above 60% of all nursing home residents suffering from dementia. The severity of BPSD was related to number of psychiatric hospitalizations, the amount of psychotropics prescribed, and caregiver burden (p < .05).Conclusion:The high prevalence rate of BPSD reflects a significant problem in nursing home care, and is related to negative health outcomes and caregiver burden. Thus, nursing home care could be improved by minimizing the severity of BPSD, as well as the amount of drugs prescribed and the frequency of demented patients" hospitalization.

Pharmacy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 160
Author(s):  
Jayne E. Kelleher ◽  
Peter Weedle ◽  
Maria D. Donovan

Background: Antipsychotic medications are often used ‘off-licence’ to treat neuropsychiatric symptoms and disorders of aging and to manage behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia despite the warnings of adverse effects. Objective: To establish the prevalence of and documented indication for antipsychotic medication use in the Irish nursing home setting. Setting: This study was conducted in six nursing homes located in Co. Cork, Ireland. Method: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was employed. All patients who met the inclusion criteria (≥65 years, residing in a nursing home on a long-term basis) were eligible for inclusion. There were 120 nursing home residents recruited to the study. Main Outcome Measure: The prevalence of antipsychotic medication use in nursing home residents (with and without dementia). Results: The overall prevalence of antipsychotic prescribing was found to be 48% and patients with dementia were significantly more likely to be prescribed an antipsychotic compared to those without dementia (67% vs. 25%) (χ2 (1, N = 120) = 21.541, p < 0.001). In the cohort of patients with dementia, there was a trend approaching significance (p = 0.052) of decreasing antipsychotic use with increasing age (age 65–74 = 90%; age 75–84 = 71%; age 85 and over = 58%). An indication was documented for 84% of the antipsychotic prescriptions in this cohort. Conclusion: The findings of this study highlight that high rates of antipsychotic medication use remains an issue in Irish nursing homes. Further work should explore factors in influencing prescribing of these medications in such settings.


Author(s):  
Gørill Haugan

AbstractWe are now witnessing a major change in the world’s population. Many people globally grow very old: 80, 90, and 100 years. Increased age is followed by an increased incidence of functional and chronic comorbidities and diverse disabilities, which for many leads to the need for long-term care in a nursing home. Quality of life and health promotive initiatives for older persons living in nursing homes will become ever more important in the years to come. Therefore, this chapter focuses on health promotion among older adults living in nursing homes. First, this chapter clarifies the concepts of health, salutogenesis, and pathogenesis, followed by knowledge about health promotion. Then insight and knowledge about the nursing home population is provided; what promotes health and well-being in nursing home residents?Health promotion in the health services should be based on integrated knowledge of salutogenesis and pathogenesis. The salutogenic understanding of health is holistic and considers man as a wholeness including physical, mental, social, and spiritual/existential dimensions. Research indicates that various health-promoting interventions, specifically the nurse–patient interaction, influence on older adults in nursing homes as a wholeness of body–soul–spirit, affecting the whole being. Hence, dimensions such as pain, fatigue, dyspnea, nausea, loneliness, anxiety, and depressive symptoms will be influenced through health-promoting approaches. Therefore, two separate studies on the health-promoting influences of nurse–patient interaction in nursing home residents were conducted. In total, nine hypotheses of directional influence of the nurse–patient interaction were tested, all of which finding support.Along with competence in pain and symptom management, health-promoting nurse–patient interaction based on awareness and attentional skills is essential in nursing home care. Thus, health care workers should be given the opportunity to further develop their knowledge and relational skills, in order to “refine” their way of being present together with residents in nursing homes. Health professionals’ competence involves the “being in the doing”; that is, both the doing and the way of being are essential in health and nursing care.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susann May ◽  
Kai Jonas ◽  
Thomas Zahn ◽  
Martin Heinze ◽  
Felix Mühlensiepen

Abstract BackgroundTelemedical care of nursing home residents in Germany, especially in rural areas, is limited to a few pilot projects and is rarely implemented as part of standard care. The possible merits of implementing video consultations in longer-term nursing care currently lack supporting evidence. In particular, there is little documentation of experiences and knowledge about the effects and potential benefits of the implementation in presently existing structures. ObjectiveThe goal was to assess the effect of implement medical video consultations into nursing home care addressing the following research questions:- How is medical care currently provided to nursing home residents, and where do problems in its implementation arise? - How can video consultations be used to reduce difficulties arising in everyday care? - How does implementation of video consultations impact day-to-day nursing home care delivery?MethodsTwenty-one guided interviews (pre-implementation n=13; post-implementation n=8) were conducted with a total of 13 participants (physicians, nurses and medical technical assistants). Narratives were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results were contrasted in a pre-post analysis.ResultsChallenges described by the participants before implementation included a requirement for additional organisational and administrative efforts, interruptions in the daily care routine or delayed treatments, and risk for loss of patient-relevant information due to process diversity. After implementation, communication was facilitated upon introduction of assigned time slots for video consultations. Clinical information was less likely to be lost, additional work was spared, and medication and therapeutic and assistive devices were provided more quickly.ConclusionsTelehealth cannot replace physical, in-person visits, but does offer an alternative form of service delivery when properly integrated into existing structures. Our results suggest that the use of video consultations in nursing homes can reduce the burden and additional workload, and increase the efficiency of care provision for nursing home residents. Video consultations can complement in-person visits to nursing homes, especially to address the shortage of medical specialists in rural areas in Germany. To promote implementation and acceptance of video consultation in nursing homes, we need to increase awareness of its benefits and undertake further evaluation of video consultations in nursing home care.


Pharmacy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 133
Author(s):  
Soraya Qassemi ◽  
Arnaud Pagès ◽  
Laure Rouch ◽  
Serge Bismuth ◽  
André Stillmunkes ◽  
...  

Purpose: To identify the prevalence of potentially inappropriate drug prescription in a sample of nursing home residents in France, combining explicit criteria and implicit approach and to involve pharmacists in the multi-professional process of therapeutic optimization. Methods: A cross-sectional, observational, multicenter study was conducted during a five-month period in a sample of French nursing homes. Information on drug prescription, diseases, and socio-demographic characteristics of nursing home residents was collected. For each prescription, identification of potentially inappropriate drug prescription was done, based on explicit and implicit criteria. Results: Nursing home residents were administered an average of 8.1 (SD 3.2, range 0–20) drugs per day. Nearly 87% (n = 237) of the residents had polypharmacy with five or more drugs prescribed per day. Among the 274 nursing home residents recruited from five nursing homes, 212 (77.4%) had at least one potentially inappropriate drug prescription. According to the Laroche list, 84 residents (30.7%) had at least one drug with an unfavorable benefit–harm balance. An overdosing was found for 20.1% (n = 55) of the residents. Nearly 30% (n = 82) of the residents had a drug prescribed without valid medical indication. Conclusions: This study shows that potentially inappropriate drug prescriptions are highly prevalent among nursing home residents, nevertheless pharmacists can take part in drug utilization review in collaboration with the nursing home staff.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susann May ◽  
Kai Jonas ◽  
Georgia V. Fehler ◽  
Thomas Zahn ◽  
Martin Heinze ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Telemedical care of nursing home residents in Germany, especially in rural areas, is limited to a few pilot projects and is rarely implemented as part of standard care. The possible merits of implementing video consultations in longer-term nursing care currently lack supporting evidence. In particular, there is little documentation of experiences and knowledge about the effects and potential benefits of the implementation in presently existing structures. The goal was to assess the effect of implementing medical video consultations into nursing home care addressing the following research questions: How is medical care currently provided to nursing home residents, and where do problems in its implementation arise? How can video consultations be used to reduce difficulties arising in everyday care? How does implementation of video consultations impact day-to-day nursing home care delivery? Methods Twenty-one guided interviews (pre-implementation n = 13; post-implementation n = 8) were conducted with a total of 13 participants (physicians, nurses and medical technical assistants). Narratives were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results were contrasted in a pre-post analysis. Results Challenges described by the participants before implementation included a requirement for additional organisational and administrative efforts, interruptions in the daily care routine or delayed treatments, and risk for loss of patient-relevant information due to process diversity. After implementation, communication was facilitated upon introduction of assigned time slots for video consultations. Clinical information was less likely to be lost, additional work was spared, and medication and therapeutic and assistive devices were provided more quickly. Conclusions Telehealth cannot replace physical, in-person visits, but does offer an alternative form of service delivery when properly integrated into existing structures. Our results suggest that the use of video consultations in nursing homes can reduce the burden and additional workload, and increase the efficiency of care provision for nursing home residents. Video consultations can complement in-person visits to nursing homes, especially to address the shortage of medical specialists in rural areas in Germany. To promote implementation and acceptance of video consultation in nursing homes, we need to increase awareness of its benefits and undertake further evaluation of video consultations in nursing home care.


Dementia ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 147130122110126
Author(s):  
Alexandra E Harper ◽  
Lauren Terhorst ◽  
Marybeth Moscirella ◽  
Rose L Turner ◽  
Catherine V Piersol ◽  
...  

Background Person-centered care has been shown to increase desired outcomes for people with dementia, yet informal caregivers’ dissatisfaction with care is often reported. For those living in a nursing home, informal caregivers are uniquely situated to provide key insights into the individual’s care. However, little is known of the informal caregivers’ perspective, which hinders efforts to improve their satisfaction with person-centered nursing home care. Thus, we examined the comprehensive experiences, priorities, and perceptions of informal caregivers of nursing home residents with dementia. Methods In collaboration with stakeholders, a scoping review of Medline (Ovid), EMBASE.com , CINAHL (EBSCO), the Cochrane Library (Wiley), and PsycINFO (Ovid) databases from January 2000 to July 2020 was conducted. Data were extracted reflecting the experiences, priorities, and preferences of caregivers of people with dementia residing in nursing homes. Results We identified 114 articles that revealed nine themes: (1) communication, (2) transition to nursing home, (3) quality of care, (4) quality of life, (5) informal caregiver role, (6) knowledge of dementia, (7) end-of-life preferences, (8) medication use to manage neuropsychiatric behaviors, and (9) finances. Conclusion Informal caregivers described aspects of care that led to both positive and negative experiences with and perceptions of nursing home care. The shortcomings in communication were discussed most frequently, indicating a high priority area. While researchers define the identified themes individually, informal caregivers perceive them to be interwoven as they relate to person-centered care delivery. Although we did not assess the quality of included articles, by identifying themes relevant to caregivers’ perspectives of nursing home care, our findings may help to inform efforts to optimize caregivers’ satisfaction with nursing home care for residents with dementia.


2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 378-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gørill Haugan ◽  
Britt Karin Støen Utvær ◽  
Unni Karin Moksnes

Background and Purpose: Hope is seen as the act by which the temptation of despair is actively overcome and has thus been interpreted as an inner strength and an available resource for living in the present. An understanding of hope and its meaning in the lives of institutionalized older adults may aid in developing interventions to enhance hope and well-being in the nursing home setting. This study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Norwegian version of the Herth Hope Index among cognitively intact nursing home patients. Methods: Cross-sectional data was obtained in 2008 and 2009 from 202 of 250 patients who met the inclusion criteria in 44 different nursing homes. Results: Exploratory factor analysis revealed 3 internal consistent dimensions of hope, explaining 51.2% of the variance. The 1-factor, 2-factor, and the originally 3-factor solutions of the Herth Hope Index were tested by means of confirmatory factor analysis. A 2-factor construct comprising 11 items came out with the best model fit. Conclusions: The Herth Hope Index was found to be a reliable and valid instrument for assessing hope in nursing home patients. The 2-factor structure was psychometrically superior the original 3-factor construct of hope in this particular sample. The Herth Hope Index might be used to assess hope and changes in the hope process during long-term nursing home care. An enhanced understanding of hope in this population might contribute to increased quality of nursing home care.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Raes ◽  
Sophie Vandepitte ◽  
Delphine De Smedt ◽  
Herlinde Wynendaele ◽  
Yannai DeJonghe ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Knowledge about the relationship between the residents’ Quality of Life (QOL) and the nursing home price is currently lacking. Therefore, this study investigates the relationship between 11 dimensions of QOL and nursing homes price in Flemish nursing homes. Methods The data used in this cross-sectional study were collected by the Flemish government from years 2014 to 2017 and originates from 659 Flemish nursing homes. From 2014 to 2016, data on the QOL of 21,756 residents was assessed with the InterRAI instrument. This instrument contains 11 QOL dimensions. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the research question. Results The multiple linear regressions indicated that a 10 euro increase in the daily nursing home price is associated with a significant decrease (P <  0.001) of 0.1 in 5 dimensions of QOL (access to services, comfort and environment, food and meals, respect, and safety and security). Hence, our results indicate that the association between price and QOL is very small. When conducting a subgroup analysis based on ownership type, the earlier found results remained only statistically significant for private nursing homes. Conclusion Our findings show that nursing home price is of limited importance with respect to resident QOL. Contrary to popular belief, our study demonstrates a limited negative effect of price on QOL. Further research that includes other indicators of QOL is needed to allow policymakers and nursing home managers to improve nursing home residents’ QOL.


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