scholarly journals Dementia Knowledge and Caregiving Skills Improvement From Using the PAC Model: A Pilot Comparative Evaluation

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 89-89
Author(s):  
Jerry Brown ◽  
Pranay Reddy ◽  
Candidus Nwakasi ◽  
Beth Nolan ◽  
Teepa Snow ◽  
...  

Abstract The diverse needs of persons living with dementia in nursing home settings presents challenges for Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) to provide quality care. There is a lack of educational preparedness among nursing home CNAs regarding dementia knowledge and skills required to care for a person living with dementia. As direct caregivers for persons living with dementia, CNAs play an important role in long-term care. This pilot study evaluated the dementia knowledge and caregiving skills of newly trained CNA students. The students were trained by an instructor certified using Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care (PAC) curriculum. Conducted in a rural southwestern Indiana community, this study evaluated CNA students’ knowledge and perception of dementia, as well as their skill performing the Positive Physical Approach™ (PPA™) technique to approach and connect. A 38-item knowledge and perception survey and a 12-step observed skills assessment using a standardized patient encounter were administered to CNA students. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis. Preliminary results indicate that 100% of students correctly answered the survey item regarding non-confrontational body language, while 29% of students correctly performed the corresponding PPA skill. There is a statistically significant association between the knowledge that people find pressure in their palm comforting and the ability to perform the corresponding Hand-under-Hand® and PPA techniques. Incorporation of PAC into current CNA curriculum may equip CNAs with the knowledge and skills required to provide better care, with the potential to improve the overall quality of life for persons living with dementia.

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 57-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward H Wagner

Residents in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities comprise a large percentage of the deaths from Covid 19. Is this inevitable or are there problems with NHs and their care that increase the susceptibility of their residents. The first U.S. cluster of cases involved the residents, staff, and visitors of a Seattle-area nursing home. Study of this cluster suggested that infected staff members were transmitting the disease to residents. The quality of nursing home care has long been a concern and attributed to chronic underfunding and resulting understaffing. Most NH care is delivered by minimally trained nursing assistants whose low pay and limited benefits compel them to work in multiple long-term care settings, increasing their risk of infection, and work while ill. More comparative studies of highly infected long-term care facilities with those organizations that were able to better protect their residents are urgently needed. Early evidence suggests that understaffing of registered nurses may increase the risk of larger outbreaks.


Dementia ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 689-710 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kendra D Ray ◽  
Mary S Mittelman

Depression, agitation, and wandering are common behaviors associated with dementia and frequently observed among nursing home residents. Even with pharmacological treatment, behaviors often persist, hindering quality of life for elders, their family, and paid caregivers. This study examined the use of music therapy for treatment of these symptoms among 132 people with moderate to severe dementia in nursing homes. Participants were evaluated for depressive symptoms, agitation, and wandering to determine their predominate behavior. There were two assessments, two weeks apart, prior to intervention, followed by a two-week intervention, and two follow-up assessments, also two weeks apart. A repeated measures ANOVA determined that after two weeks of music therapy, symptoms of depression and agitation were significantly reduced; there was no change for wandering. Multivariate analyses confirmed a relationship between music therapy and change in neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with dementia. Results suggest widespread use of music therapy in long-term care settings may be effective in reducing symptoms of depression and agitation.


2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol Falcone

<p>The objective of this research was to explore the knowledge, confidence and effectiveness level of certified nursing assistants (CNAs) working with persons at end-of-life (EOL). This study was a descriptive, one-dimensional study that was conducted at a long term care (LTC) facility in Rhode Island. Participants answered demographic and confidence questionnaires and completed a short exam. The participants regularly provided care for persons at EOL, but received no additional training in that specialty. The 20 participants were fro,m diverse backgrounds and cultures. The study was conducted over two months and results indicated perceived confidence and effectiveness levels higher than knowledge scores. Over fifty percent of the participants received a score of less than 70% on the knowledge exam. There were multiple findings that implied a need for further research. The number of individuals receiving EOL care in nursing homes has escalated over the past decade. To provide quality care to the terminally ill, including general comfort, pain relief, spiritual, and emotional support, it must be provided by qualified nursing assistants. It is the premise of the researcher that nursing assistants who provide the majority of care to patients at EOL require specialized training to meet both nursing assistant and patient needs. The findings from this study support this premise and have implications for research and practice in end-of-life care.</p>


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Cordes ◽  
Laura L. Bischoff ◽  
Daniel Schoene ◽  
Nadja Schott ◽  
Claudia Voelcker-Rehage ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Older adults, who are living in nursing homes that provide a high level of long-term nursing care, are characterized by multimorbidity and a high prevalence of dependency in activities of daily living. Results of recent studies indicate positive effects of structured exercise programs during long-term care for physical functioning, cognition, and psychosocial well-being. However, for frail elderly the evidence remains inconsistent. There are no evidence-based guidelines for exercises for nursing home residents that consider their individual deficits and capacities. Therefore, high-quality studies are required to examine the efficacy of exercise interventions for this multimorbid target group. The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility and efficacy of a multicomponent exercise intervention for nursing home residents that aims to improve physical and cognitive functioning as well as quality of life. Methods A two-arm single-blinded multicenter randomized controlled trial will be conducted, including 48 nursing homes in eight regions of Germany with an estimated sample size of 1120 individuals. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a training or a waiting time control group. For a period of 16 weeks the training group will meet twice a week for group-based sessions (45–60 min each), which will contain exercises to improve physical functioning (strength, endurance, balance, flexibility) and cognitive-motor skills (dual-task). The intervention is organized as a progressive challenge which is successively adapted to the residents’ capacities. Physical functioning, cognitive performance, and quality of life will be assessed in both study groups at baseline (pre-test), after 16-weeks (post-treatment), and after 32-weeks (retention test, intervention group only). Discussion This study will provide information about the efficacy of a multicomponent exercise program in nursing homes (performance, recruitment). Results from this trial will contribute to the evidence of multicomponent exercises, which specifically focus on cognitive-motor approaches in the maintenance of mental and physical functioning. In addition, it will help to encourage older adults to actively engage in social life. Furthermore, the findings will lead to recommendations for health promotion interventions for frail nursing home residents. Trial registration The trial was prospectively registered at DRKS.de with the registration number DRKS00014957 on October 9, 2018.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S359-S359
Author(s):  
Nancy Kusmaul ◽  
Mercedes Bern-Klug

Abstract Nursing homes house some of the most vulnerable older adults. They often have complex medical conditions and/or cognitive impairments that put them at risk for negative outcomes and poor quality of life. These outcomes can be altered through incorporating evidence-based practices aimed to improve care and residents’ life experiences. In this symposium we will explore factors that are shown to influence outcomes and quality of life for people that live in and are discharged from, long term care settings. Amy Roberts and colleagues will explore the influences of nursing home social service staff qualifications on residents’ discharge outcomes. Colleen Galambos and colleagues will present findings on advance directives and their impact on reducing potentially avoidable hospitalizations. Kelsey Simons and colleagues will discuss the potential for unmet needs for mental health services as part of nursing home care transitions, and will discuss a model of quality improvement that addresses this gap in care. Vivian Miller will present findings on the impact transportation access has on the ability of community-dwelling family members to visit and provide social support to their family member residents in long-term care. Finally, Nancy Kusmaul and Gretchen Tucker report the findings of their study comparing perceptions of nursing home residents, direct care staff, management, and families on the care practices that influence resident health and quality of life while they live in a long term care setting.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-343
Author(s):  
Jingping Xing ◽  
Dana B. Mukamel ◽  
Laurent G. Glance ◽  
Ning Zhang ◽  
Helena Temkin-Greener

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (11) ◽  
pp. 1391-1410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily K. Hollingsworth ◽  
Emily A. Long ◽  
Sandra F. Simmons

The purpose of this study was to compare the quality of feeding assistance provided by trained non-nursing staff with care provided by certified nursing assistants (CNAs). Research staff provided an 8-hr training course that met federal and state requirements to non-nursing staff in five community long-term care facilities. Trained staff were assigned to between-meal supplement and/or snack delivery for 24 weeks. Using standardized observations, research staff measured feeding assistance care processes between meals across all study weeks. Trained staff, nurse aides, and upper level staff were interviewed at 24 weeks to assess staff perceptions of program impact. Trained staff performed significantly better than CNAs for 12 of 13 care process measures. Residents also consumed significantly more calories per snack offer from trained staff ( M = 130 ± 126 [ SD] kcal) compared with CNAs ( M = 77 ± 94 [ SD] kcal). The majority of staff reported a positive impact of the training program.


Author(s):  
Peiyan Ho ◽  
Rachel Chin Yee Cheong ◽  
Siew Pei Ong ◽  
Carol Fusek ◽  
Shiou Liang Wee ◽  
...  

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Conventional nursing homes in Singapore adopt an institutional and medical model of care with a focus on safety and risk management. As such, less regard is placed on upholding the dignity and autonomy of the resident, which compromises quality of care and the well-being of the resident. Today, person-centred care (PCC) has become synonymous with high-quality care that sustains the well-being and personhood of the care recipient. <b><i>Objectives:</i></b> To describe the model of PCC adopted by a nursing home, Apex Harmony Lodge (AHL), with a logic model and evaluate outcomes on residents’ well-being, care quality, and staff attrition by comparing pre-PCC initiation (2015) to post-implementation (2016). <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Male residents in a 30-bed assisted living facility for persons with dementia in AHL were assessed using Dementia Care Mapping. Residents’ well-being and staff attrition were measured before and after PCC implementation. <b><i>Results:</i></b> There were statistically significant improvements in resident well-being (Δ = 0.44, <i>p</i> = 0.029), Positive Engagement Potential (Δ = 0.17, <i>p</i> = 0.002), and Occupational Diversity (Δ = 0.12, <i>p</i> = 0.014) in 2016. Withdrawal and Passive Engagement in the residents were reduced significantly as were Care Detractors. There was also a 55% reduction in staff attrition rates post-PCC. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Post-PCC implementation, the outcomes indicate a superior quality of care, enhanced resident well-being, and better staff retention. The AHL PCC model could serve as a roadmap for other nursing homes aspiring to raise the quality of care and influence long-term care standards and regulations for policy makers and legislators.


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