scholarly journals Community prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 virus in England during May 2020: REACT study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Riley ◽  
Kylie E. C. Ainslie ◽  
Oliver Eales ◽  
Benjamin Jeffrey ◽  
Caroline E. Walters ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Sample ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Prevalence Survey ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Severe Fatigue ◽  
Community Transmission ◽  
Symptom Status ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Impact ◽  
React Study

Background England has experienced one of the highest rates of confirmed COVID-19 mortality in the world. SARS-CoV-2 virus has circulated in hospitals, care homes and the community since January 2020. Our current epidemiological knowledge is largely informed by clinical cases with far less understanding of community transmission. Methods The REal-time Assessment of Community Transmission (REACT) study is a nationally representative prevalence survey of SARS-CoV-2 virus swab-positivity in the community in England. We recruited participants regardless of symptom status. Results We found 159 positives from 120,610 swabs giving an average prevalence of 0.13% (95% CI: 0.11%,0.15%) from 1st May to 1st June 2020. We showed decreasing prevalence with a halving time of 8.6 (6.2, 13.6) days, implying an overall reproduction number R of 0.57 (0.45, 0.72). Adults aged 18 to 24 yrs had the highest swab-positivity rates, while those >64 yrs had the lowest. Of the 126 participants who tested positive with known symptom status in the week prior to their swab, 39 reported symptoms while 87 did not, giving an estimate that 69% (61%,76%) of people were symptom-free for the 7 days prior testing positive in our community sample. Symptoms strongly associated with swab-positivity were: nausea and/or vomiting, diarrhoea, blocked nose, loss of smell, loss of taste, headache, chills and severe fatigue. Recent contact with a known COVID-19 case was associated with odds of 24 (16, 38) for swab-positivity. Compared with non-key workers, odds of swab-positivity were 7.7 (2.4, 25) among care home (long-term care facilities) workers and 5.2 (2.9, 9.3) among health care workers. However, some of the excess risk associated with key worker status was explained by recent contact with COVID-19 cases. We found no strong evidence for geographical variability in positive swab results. Conclusion Our results provide a reliable baseline against which the impact of subsequent relaxation of lockdown can be assessed to inform future public health efforts to control transmission.

Evaluating and Motivating Activation in Long Term Care: Lessons From a Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-46
Author(s):  
J. Jbilou ◽  
A. El Bouazaoui ◽  
B. Zhang ◽  
J.L. Henry ◽  
L McDonald ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Long Term Care ◽  
Driving Simulator ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Technological Intervention ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Research Recommendations

Older adults living in long-term care facilities typically receive insufficient exercise and have long periods of the day when they are not doing anything other than sitting or lying down, watching television, or ruminating (Wilkinson et al., 2017). We developed an intervention called the Experiential Centivizer, which provides residents with opportunities to use a driving simulator, watch world travel videos, and engage in exercise. We assessed the impact of the intervention on residents of a long-term care home in Fredericton, NB, Canada. In this paper, we report on the results observed and highlight the lessons learned from implementing a technological intervention within a long-term care setting. Practical and research recommendations are also discussed to facilitate future intervention implementation in long-term care.

scholarly journals Using touchscreen tablets to support social connections and reduce responsive behaviours among people with dementia in care settings: A scoping review

Dementia ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 147130122092274
Author(s):  
Lillian Hung ◽  
Bryan Chow ◽  
John Shadarevian ◽  
Ryan O’Neill ◽  
Annette Berndt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Dementia Care ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Social Connections ◽  
Term Care ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Person With Dementia ◽  
The Impact

The use of touchscreen tablets, such as the iPad, offers potential to support the person with dementia staying in a care setting, ranging from a long-term care home to an adult day programme. Although electronic devices are used among people with dementia, a comprehensive review of studies focusing on their impact and how they may be used effectively in care settings is lacking. We conducted a scoping review to summarize existing knowledge about the impact of touchscreen tablets in supporting social connections and reducing responsive behaviours of people with dementia in care settings. Our research team consists of patient partners and family partners, physicians, nurses, a medical student and an academic professor. A total of 17 articles were included in the review. Our analysis identified three ways in which touchscreen tablets support dementia care: (1) increased the person’s engagement, (2) decreased responsive behaviours and (3) positive effect on enjoyment/quality of life for people with dementia. Lessons learned and barriers to the use of touchscreen tablets in the care of people with dementia are described. Overall, only a few studies delineated strategies that helped to overcome barriers to technology adoption in care settings. Knowledge translation studies are needed to identify effective processes and practical tips to overcome barriers and realize the potential of assistive technology in dementia care.

scholarly journals A Review of Advance Care Planning Programs in Long-Term Care Homes: Are They Dementia Friendly?

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abigail Wickson-Griffiths ◽  
Sharon Kaasalainen ◽  
Jenny Ploeg ◽  
Carrie McAiney
Keyword(s):  
Advance Care Planning ◽  
End Of Life Care ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Care Planning ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Advance Care ◽  
The Impact

Background. Persons living with dementia in the long-term care home (LTCH) setting have a number of unique needs, including those related to planning for their futures. It is therefore important to understand the advance care planning (ACP) programs that have been developed and their impact in order for LTCH settings to select a program that best suits residents’ needs.Methods. Four electronic databases were searched from 1990 to 2013, for studies that evaluated the impact of advance care planning programs implemented in the LTCH setting. Studies were critically reviewed according to rigour, impact, and the consideration of the values of residents with dementia and their family members according to the Dementia Policy Lens Toolkit.Results and Conclusion. Six ACP programs were included in the review, five of which could be considered more “dementia friendly.” The programs indicated a variety of positive impacts in the planning and provision of end-of-life care for residents and their family members, most notably, increased ACP discussion and documentation. In moving forward, it will be important to evaluate the incorporation of residents with dementia’s values when designing or implementing ACP interventions in the LTCH settings.

National population-based tuberculosis prevalence survey in Ghana, 2013

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Bonsu ◽  
K. K. Addo ◽  
Z. Alebachew ◽  
J. Gyapong ◽  
A. Badu-Peprah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Based ◽  
Smear Microscopy ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Prevalence Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Incidence And Mortality ◽  
Chest X Ray ◽  
Smear Negative ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) disease is one of the three main indicators used to assess the epidemiological burden of TB and the impact change of TB control; the other two are incidence and mortality.OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of TB disease among adults in Ghana.METHODS: A nationally representative cross-sectional survey was conducted. Participants were screened for TB using interview and chest X-ray (CXR). For those participants with cough ≥2 weeks and/or abnormal CXR, spot and morning sputum specimens were collected and examined by smear microscopy and culture.RESULTS: The study revealed that the prevalence of smear-positive TB among adults (age ≥15 years) was 111 (95%CI 76–145) and that of bacteriologically confirmed TB was 356 (95%CI 288–425) per 100 000 population. Males and older people had a higher prevalence than their counterparts. The majority of TB cases were smear-negative and had an abnormal CXR without reported chronic cough.CONCLUSION: The survey revealed much higher TB disease burden than previously estimated. This implies that the programme needs more effort and resources to find undiagnosed and unreported cases. The higher proportion of smear-negative and asymptomatic TB cases suggests the need to revise the existing screening and diagnostic algorithms.

Infections and use of antibiotics in residents of long-term care facilities in Hungary

2014 ◽  
Vol 155 (23) ◽  
pp. 911-917 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita Szabó ◽  
Karolina Böröcz
Keyword(s):  
Urinary Tract ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Soft Tissues ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Prevalence Survey ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Tract Infections

Introduction: Healthcare associated infections and antimicrobial use are common among residents of long-term care facilities. Faced to the lack of standardized data, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control funded a project with the aim of estimating prevalence of infections and antibiotic use in European long-term care facilities. Aim: The aim of the authors was to present the results of the European survey which were obtained in Hungary. Method: In Hungary, 91 long-term care facilities with 11,823 residents participated in the point-prevalence survey in May, 2013. Results: The prevalence of infections was 2.1%. Skin and soft tissues infections were the most frequent (36%), followed by infections of the respiratory (30%) and urinary tract (21%). Antimicrobials were mostly prescribed for urinary tract infections (40.3%), respiratory tract infections (38.4%) and skin and soft tissue infections (13.2%). The most common antimicrobials (97.5%) belonged to the ATC J01 class of “antibacterials for systemic use”. Conclusions: The results emphasise the need for a national guideline and education for good practice in long-term care facilities. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(23), 911–917.

Reducing the Social Stigma Associated with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: A Controlled Trial of an Intervention Program in a Turkish Community Sample

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-120
Author(s):  
Ayça Aktaç Gürbüz ◽  
Orçun YORULMAZ ◽  
Gülşah DURNA
Keyword(s):  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Case Vignette ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact

Scientific research into the reduction of stigmatization, particularly related to specific problems such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), is scarce. In the present study, we examine the impact of a video-based antistigma intervention program for OCD in a pretest-posttest control group research. After being randomly assigned to either an intervention (n= 101) or control group (n= 96), the participants reported their attitudes on a hypothetical case vignette before and after OCD vs. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) videos, and again six months later as a follow up assessment. The mixed design analyses for the group comparisons indicated that although there was no significant difference in the measures of the control group, the participants watching the anti-stigma OCD video, in which the focus was psychoeducation and interaction strategies, reported significantly lower scores on social distances and negative beliefs for the case vignettes they read, and this difference was maintained six months later. Then, the present results indicate the effectiveness of our anti-stigma intervention program for OCD. Interventions to reduce stigmatization can also be viewed as effective tools for changing the attitudes of people toward OCD, although further research and applications are needed related to specific disorders if a longlasting impact is to be achieved.

The impact of ageing on hospital care and long-term care—the example of Germany

Health Policy ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika Schulz ◽  
Reiner Leidl ◽  
Hans-Helmut König
Keyword(s):  
Hospital Care ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Term Care ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Public reporting of performance measures in long-term care in Canada: does it make a difference?

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Poldrugovac ◽  
J E Amuah ◽  
H Wei-Randall ◽  
P Sidhom ◽  
K Morris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Performance Measures ◽  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Public Reporting ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Evidence of the impact of public reporting of healthcare performance on quality improvement is not yet sufficient to draw conclusions with certainty, despite the important policy implications. This study explored the impact of implementing public reporting of performance indicators of long-term care facilities in Canada. The objective was to analyse whether improvements can be observed in performance measures after publication. Methods We considered 16 performance indicators in long-term care in Canada, 8 of which are publicly reported at a facility level, while the other 8 are privately reported. We analysed data from the Continuing Care Reporting System managed by the Canadian Institute for Health Information and based on information collection with RAI-MDS 2.0 © between the fiscal years 2011 and 2018. A multilevel model was developed to analyse time trends, before and after publication, which started in 2015. The analysis was also stratified by key sample characteristics, such as the facilities' jurisdiction, size, urban or rural location and performance prior to publication. Results Data from 1087 long-term care facilities were included. Among the 8 publicly reported indicators, the trend in the period after publication did not change significantly in 5 cases, improved in 2 cases and worsened in 1 case. Among the 8 privately reported indicators, no change was observed in 7, and worsening in 1 indicator. The stratification of the data suggests that for those indicators that were already improving prior to public reporting, there was either no change in trend or there was a decrease in the rate of improvement after publication. For those indicators that showed a worsening trend prior to public reporting, the contrary was observed. Conclusions Our findings suggest public reporting of performance data can support change. The trends of performance indicators prior to publication appear to have an impact on whether further change will occur after publication. Key messages Public reporting is likely one of the factors affecting change in performance in long-term care facilities. Public reporting of performance measures in long-term care facilities may support improvements in particular in cases where improvement was not observed before publication.

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