Quality of dying of nursing home residents with dementia as judged by relatives

2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 1697-1707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole van Uden ◽  
Lieve Van den Block ◽  
Jenny T. van der Steen ◽  
Bregje D. Onwuteaka-Philipsen ◽  
An Vandervoort ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTBackground:Providing good quality care for the growing number of patients with dementia is a major challenge. There is little international comparative research on how people with dementia die in nursing homes. We compared the relative's judgment on quality of care at the end of life and quality of dying of nursing home residents with dementia in Belgium and the Netherlands.Methods:This was a Belgian cross-sectional retrospective study (2010) combined with a prospective and retrospective study from the Netherlands (January 2007–July 2011). Relatives of deceased residents of 69 Belgian and 34 Dutch nursing homes were asked to complete questionnaires. We included 190 and 337 deceased nursing home residents with dementia in Belgium and the Netherlands, respectively.Results:Of all identified deceased nursing home residents with dementia, respectively 53.2% and 74.8% of their relatives in Belgium and the Netherlands responded. Comfort while dying (CAD-EOLD, range 14–42) was rated better for Dutch nursing home residents than for Belgian nursing homes residents (26.1 vs. 31.1, OR 4.5, CI 1.8–11.2). We found no differences between countries regarding Satisfaction With Care (SWC-EOLD, range 10–40, means 32.5 (the Netherlands) and 32.0 (Belgium)) or symptom frequency in the last month of life (SM-EOLD, range 0–45, means 26.4 (the Netherlands) and 27.2 (Belgium)).Conclusion:Although nursing home structures differ between Belgium and the Netherlands, the quality of care in the last month of life for residents with dementia is similar according to their relatives. However, Dutch residents experience less discomfort while dying. The results suggest room for improved symptom management in both countries and particularly in the dying phase in Belgium.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Lorraine O'Sullivan ◽  
Sonia Lech ◽  
Paul Gellert ◽  
Ulrike Grittner ◽  
Jan-Niklas Voigt-Antons ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives: To investigate global and momentary effects of a tablet-based non-pharmacological intervention for nursing home residents living with dementia.Design: Cluster-randomized controlled trial.Setting: Ten nursing homes in Germany were randomly allocated to the tablet-based intervention (TBI, 5 units) or conventional activity sessions (CAS, 5 units).Participants: N = 162 residents with dementia. Intervention: Participants received regular TBI (n = 80) with stimulating activities developed to engage people with dementia or CAS (n = 82) for eight weeks.Measurements: Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES-I, primary outcome), Quality of Life in Alzheimer’s Disease scale, QUALIDEM scale, Neuropsychiatric Inventory, Geriatric Depression Scale and psychotropic medication (secondary outcomes). Momentary quality of life was assessed before and after each activity session. Participants and staff were blinded until collection of baseline data was completed. Data was analyzed with linear mixed-effects models.Results: Levels of apathy decreased slightly in both groups (mean decrease in AES-I of .61 points, 95%CI: -3.54 to 2.33 for TBI and .36 points, 95%CI: -3.27 to 2.55 for CAS). Group difference in change of apathy was not statistically significant (B = .25; 95%CI: -3.89 to 4.38, p = .91). This corresponds to a standardized effect size (Cohen’s d) of .02. A reduction of psychotropic medication was found for TBI compared to CAS. Further analyses revealed a post-intervention improvement in QUALIDEM scores across both groups and short-term improvements of momentary quality of life in the CAS group.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that interventions involving tailored activities have a beneficial impact on global and momentary quality of life in nursing home residents with dementia. Although we found no clear advantage of TBI compared to CAS, tablet computers can support delivery of non-pharmacological interventions in nursing homes and facilitate regular assessments of fluctuating momentary states. Funding: German National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds. Registry: ISRCTN98947160.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S770-S770
Author(s):  
Diana L Sturdevant ◽  
Kathleen C Buckwalter

Abstract Nursing homes must comply with numerous federal/state regulations to receive Medicare and Medicaid funding. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in deficiency citations, and depending on the severity of the deficiency, a resulting Civil Monetary Penalty (CMP). Through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Civil Monetary Penalty Reinvestment Program, CMP funds are reinvested to support activities that benefit nursing home residents and that protect or improve their quality of life or quality of care. This symposium presents some of the unique challenges, successes, failures, and surprise findings from CMP-funded nursing home quality improvement projects in two, predominantly rural Midwestern states: Oklahoma and Kansas. Dr. Williams presents findings of a pilot-study testing an adaptation of a successful family caregiver telehealth support intervention in the nursing home setting and implications for future research. Dr. Sturdevant shares successes, challenges, and unanticipated results from the “It’s Not OK to Fall” project, a comprehensive, 3 year fall prevention project implemented in Oklahoma nursing homes. Lastly, Ms. Round’s paper describes the implementation and findings of a Long-term Care Leadership Academy aimed at improving leadership and team building skills of three levels of nursing home staff, including Administrators/Directors’ of Nursing, RN/LPN charge nurses and certified nursing assistants. Discussant, Dr. Kathleen Buckwalter Ph.D., FAAN, RN, will discuss how principles of nursing home culture change provides a common framework for these projects and conclude by offering suggestions on how promotion of these principles might improve the quality of care provided by nursing homes.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joyce C.F. Heffels ◽  
Irma H.J. Everink ◽  
Mayke Oosterloo ◽  
Raymund A.C. Roos ◽  
Jos M.G.A. Schols

Abstract Background Nursing home residents with early-onset neurodegenerative diseases are often younger in comparison with other residents, and need different, often more complex care. Accordingly, the measurements currently used for measuring quality of care in nursing homes may not be suitable for use in this target group. Little is known about the experiences of these residents and of their (in)formal caregivers regarding the quality of care they receive. Therefore, the aim of this scoping review is to explore which instruments are available for measuring the quality of care for nursing home residents with early-onset neurodegenerative diseases (excluding dementia), from the perspective of the resident and of (in)formal caregivers. Methods A literature search was performed in the databases Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science and Cinahl. The search strategy consisted of four main concepts: neurodegenerative diseases, quality of care, nursing homes and perspectives of residents, (in)formal caregivers. Studies were included if they used instruments and/or strategies to measure quality of care, focused on nursing home residents with early-onset neurodegenerative diseases and the perspective of either the resident or (in)formal caregiver. Results From a total of 809 identified articles, 87 full text articles were screened for eligibility. Five studies were included, only one of which described an instrument. The other four used topic lists and/or themes to measure quality of care. In total, 60 items related to quality of care could be derived. From these 60 items, eight overarching domains were found, with a subdivision into items derived, respectively, from the residents’, informal and formal caregivers’ perspective: ‘emotional support’, ‘physical support’, ‘social support’, ‘care’, ‘care content’, ‘expertise’, ‘communication’ and ‘organization of care’. Conclusions Currently, there are no methods for assessing the quality of care specifically focused on nursing home residents with early-onset neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, the items retrieved in this review give an overview of important topics for measuring the quality of care for this target group, from the perspective of the resident, and of the informal and formal caregivers. These items might be used to develop a tailored instrument for assessing the quality of care for nursing home residents with early-onset neurodegenerative diseases.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joyce C.F. Heffels ◽  
Irma H.J. Everink ◽  
Mayke Oosterloo ◽  
Raymund A.C. Roos ◽  
Jos M.G.A. Schols

Abstract Background Nursing home residents with early-onset neurodegenerative diseases are often younger in comparison with other residents, and need different, often more complex care. Accordingly, the measurements currently used for measuring quality of care in nursing homes may not be suitable for use in this target group. Little is known about the experiences of these residents and of their (in)formal caregivers regarding the quality of care they receive. Therefore, the aim of this scoping review is to explore which instruments are available for measuring the quality of care for nursing home residents with early-onset neurodegenerative diseases (excluding dementia), from the perspective of the resident and of (in)formal caregivers. Methods A literature search was performed in the databases Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science and Cinahl. The search strategy consisted of four main concepts: neurodegenerative diseases, quality of care, nursing homes and perspectives of residents, (in)formal caregivers. Studies were included if they used instruments and/or strategies to measure quality of care, focused on nursing home residents with early-onset neurodegenerative diseases and the perspective of either the resident or (in)formal caregiver. Results From a total of 809 identified articles, 87 full text articles were screened for eligibility. Five studies were included, only one of which described an instrument. The other four used topic lists and/or themes to measure quality of care. In total, 60 items related to quality of care could be derived. From these 60 items, eight overarching domains were found, with a subdivision into items derived, respectively, from the residents’, informal and formal caregivers’ perspective: ‘emotional support’, ‘physical support’, ‘social support’, ‘care’, ‘care content’, ‘expertise’, ‘communication’ and ‘organization of care’. Conclusions Currently, there are no methods for assessing the quality of care specifically focused on nursing home residents with early-onset neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, the items retrieved in this review give an overview of important topics for measuring the quality of care for this target group, from the perspective of the resident, and of the informal and formal caregivers. These items might be used to develop a tailored instrument for assessing the quality of care for nursing home residents with early-onset neurodegenerative diseases.


2021 ◽  
pp. 026921632110308
Author(s):  
Maartje S Klapwijk ◽  
Sascha R Bolt ◽  
Jannie A (Nienke) Boogaard ◽  
Maud ten Koppel ◽  
Marie-José HE Gijsberts ◽  
...  

Background: Dementia palliative care is increasingly subject of research and practice improvement initiatives. Aim: To assess any changes over time in the evaluation of quality of care and quality of dying with dementia by family caregivers. Design: Combined analysis of eight studies with bereaved family caregivers’ evaluations 2005–2019. Setting/participants: Family caregivers of nursing home residents with dementia in the Netherlands ( n = 1189) completed the End-of-Life in Dementia Satisfaction With Care (EOLD-SWC; quality of care) and Comfort Assessment in Dying (EOLD-CAD, four subscales; quality of dying) instruments. Changes in scores over time were analysed using mixed models with random effects for season and facility and adjustment for demographics, prospective design and urbanised region. Results: The mean total EOLD-SWC score was 33.40 (SD 5.08) and increased by 0.148 points per year (95% CI, 0.052–0.244; adjusted 0.170 points 95% CI, 0.055–0.258). The mean total EOLD-CAD score was 30.80 (SD 5.76) and, unadjusted, there was a trend of decreasing quality of dying over time of −0.175 points (95% CI, −0.291 to −0.058) per year increment. With adjustment, the trend was not significant (−0.070 EOLD-CAD total score points, 95% CI, −0.205 to 0.065) and only the EOLD-CAD subscale ‘Well being’ decreased. Conclusion: We identified divergent trends over 14 years of increased quality of care, while quality of dying did not increase and well-being in dying decreased. Further research is needed on what well-being in dying means to family. Quality improvement requires continued efforts to treat symptoms in dying with dementia.


2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy Hyer ◽  
Christopher Johnson ◽  
Victor A. Molinari ◽  
Marion Becker

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Julie L. O’Sullivan ◽  
Sonia Lech ◽  
Paul Gellert ◽  
Ulrike Grittner ◽  
Jan-Niklas Voigt-Antons ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives: To investigate global and momentary effects of a tablet-based non-pharmacological intervention for nursing home residents living with dementia. Design: Cluster-randomized controlled trial. Setting: Ten nursing homes in Germany were randomly allocated to the tablet-based intervention (TBI, 5 units) or conventional activity sessions (CAS, 5 units). Participants: N = 162 residents with dementia. Intervention: Participants received regular TBI (n = 80) with stimulating activities developed to engage people with dementia or CAS (n = 82) for 8 weeks. Measurements: Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES-I, primary outcome), Quality of Life in Alzheimer’s Disease scale, QUALIDEM scale, Neuropsychiatric Inventory, Geriatric Depression Scale, and psychotropic medication (secondary outcomes). Momentary quality of life was assessed before and after each activity session. Participants and staff were blinded until the collection of baseline data was completed. Data were analyzed with linear mixed-effects models. Results: Levels of apathy decreased slightly in both groups (mean decrease in AES-I of .61 points, 95% CI −3.54, 2.33 for TBI and .36 points, 95% CI −3.27, 2.55 for CAS). Group difference in change of apathy was not statistically significant (β = .25; 95% CI 3.89, 4.38, p = .91). This corresponds to a standardized effect size (Cohen’s d) of .02. A reduction of psychotropic medication was found for TBI compared to CAS. Further analyses revealed a post-intervention improvement in QUALIDEM scores across both groups and short-term improvements of momentary quality of life in the CAS group. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that interventions involving tailored activities have a beneficial impact on global and momentary quality of life in nursing home residents with dementia. Although we found no clear advantage of TBI compared to CAS, tablet computers can support delivery of non-pharmacological interventions in nursing homes and facilitate regular assessments of fluctuating momentary states.


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.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 82-83
Author(s):  
Kallol Kumar Bhattacharyya ◽  
Lindsay Peterson ◽  
John Bowblis ◽  
Kathryn Hyer

Abstract Complaints provide important information to consumers about nursing homes (NHs). Complaints that are substantiated often lead to an investigation and potentially a deficiency citation. The purpose of this study is to understand the relationship between substantiated complaints and deficiency citations. Because a complaint may contain multiple allegations, and the data do not identify which allegation(s) lead to a complaint’s substantiation, we identified all substantiated single allegation complaints for NHs in 2017. Our data were drawn from federally collected NH complaint and inspection records. Among the 369 substantiated single-allegation complaints, we found most were categorized as quality of care (31.7%), resident abuse (17.3%), or resident neglect (14.1%). Of the deficiency citations resulting from complaints in our sample, 27.9% were categorized as quality of care and 19.5% were in the category of resident behavior and facility practices, which includes abuse and neglect. While two-thirds (N=239) of the substantiated complaints generated from 1 to 19 deficiency citations, nearly one third had no citations. Surprisingly, 28% of substantiated abuse and neglect allegations resulted in no deficiency citations. More surprisingly, a fifth of complaints that were categorized as “immediate jeopardy” at intake did not result in any deficiency citations. We also found a number of asymmetries in the allegation categories suggesting different processes by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) region. These results suggest that the compliant investigation process warrants further investigation. Other policy and practice implications, including the need for better and more uniform investigation processes and staff training, will be discussed.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Howard B. Degenholtz ◽  
Abby L. Resnick ◽  
Natalie Bulger ◽  
Lichun Chia

The quality of life (QOL) of the approximately 1.5 million nursing facility (NF) residents in the US is undoubtedly lower than desired by residents, families, providers, and policy makers. Although there have been important advances in defining and measuring QOL for this population, there is a need for interventions that are tied to standardized measurement and quality improvement programs. This paper describes the development and testing of a structured, tailored assessment and care planning process for improving the QOL of nursing home residents. The Quality of Life Structured Resident Interview and Care Plan (QOL.SRI/CP) builds on a decade of research on measuring QOL and is designed to be easily implemented in any US nursing home. The approach was developed through extensive and iterative pilot testing and then tested in a randomized controlled trial in three nursing homes. Residents were randomly assigned to receive the assessment alone or both the assessment and an individualized QOL care plan task. The results show that residents assigned to the intervention group experienced improved QOL at 90- and 180-day follow-up, while QOL of residents in the control group was unchanged.


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