scholarly journals Connections with nature for people living with dementia

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 142-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Chester Evans ◽  
Julie Barrett ◽  
Neil Mapes ◽  
June Hennell ◽  
Teresa Atkinson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Dementia Care ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Outdoor Spaces ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Extra Care Housing

Purpose The benefits of “green dementia care”, whereby people living with dementia are supported to connect with nature, are increasingly being recognised. Evidence suggests that these benefits span physical, emotional and social spheres and can make a significant contribution towards quality of life. However, care settings often present specific challenges to promoting such connections due to a range of factors including risk-averse cultures and environmental limitations. The purpose of this paper is to report on a project that aims to explore the opportunities, benefits, barriers and enablers to interaction with nature for people living with dementia in residential care and extra care housing schemes in the UK. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered from 144 responses to an online survey by managers/staff of extra care housing schemes and care homes in the UK. In depth-case studies were carried out at three care homes and three extra care housing schemes, involving interviews with residents, staff and family carers. Findings A wide variety of nature-based activities were reported, both outdoor and indoor. Positive benefits reported included improved mood, higher levels of social interaction and increased motivation for residents, and greater job satisfaction for staff. The design and layout of indoor and outdoor spaces is key, in addition to staff who feel enabled to promote connections with nature. Research limitations/implications This paper is based on a relatively small research project in which the participants were self-selecting and therefore not necessarily representative. Practical implications The paper makes some key recommendations for good practice in green dementia care in extra care housing and care homes. Social implications Outdoor activities can promote social interaction for people living with dementia in care settings. The authors’ findings are relevant to the recent policy focus on social prescribing. Originality/value The paper makes some key recommendations for good practice in green dementia care in extra care housing and care homes.

scholarly journals Green dementia care in accommodation and care settings: a literature review

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 193-206
Author(s):  
Julie Barrett ◽  
Simon Evans ◽  
Neil Mapes
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Dementia Care ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Barriers And Enablers ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Extra Care Housing

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the recent evidence relating to green (nature-based) dementia care for people living with dementia in long-term accommodation and care settings (housing for older people that provides both accommodation and care, such as residential care homes, nursing homes and extra care housing schemes). The review formed part of a pilot study exploring interaction with nature for people living with dementia in care homes and extra care housing schemes in the UK. Rather than a comprehensive systematic or critical literature review, the intention was to increase understanding of green dementia care to support the pilot study. Design/methodology/approach The review draws together the published and grey literature on the impacts of green (nature-based) dementia care, the barriers and enablers and good practice in provision. People living with dementia in accommodation and care settings are the focus of this review, due to the research study of which the review is part. Evidence relating to the impacts of engaging with nature on people in general, older people and residents in accommodation and care is also briefly examined as it has a bearing on people living with dementia. Findings Although interaction with the natural environment may not guarantee sustained wellbeing for all people living with dementia, there is some compelling evidence for a number of health and wellbeing benefits for many. However, there is a clear need for more large-scale rigorous research in this area, particularly with reference to health and wellbeing outcomes for people living with dementia in accommodation and care settings for which the evidence is limited. There is a stronger evidence base on barriers and enablers to accessing nature for people living with dementia in such settings. Research limitations/implications The literature review was conducted to support a pilot study exploring green (nature-based) dementia care in care homes and extra care housing schemes in the UK. Consequently, the focus of the review was on green dementia care in accommodation and care settings. The study, and thus the review, also focussed on direct contact with nature (whether that occurs outdoors or indoors) rather than indirect contact (e.g. viewing nature in a photograph, on a TV screen or through a window) or simulated nature (e.g. robot pets). Therefore, this paper is not a full review of all aspects of green dementia care. Originality/value This paper presents an up-to-date review of literature relating to green dementia care in accommodation and care settings. It was successful in increasing understanding to support a pilot study exploring opportunities, benefits, barriers and enablers to interaction with nature for people living with dementia in care homes and extra care housing schemes in the UK. It demonstrated the impacts, value and accessibility of nature engagement in these settings and identified gaps in the evidence base. This review and subsequent pilot study provide a strong platform from which to conduct future research exploring green dementia care in accommodation and care settings.

scholarly journals Optimisation of dementia care in care homes: Dementia care framework (innovative practice)

Dementia ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 1316-1324
Author(s):  
Claire Royston ◽  
Gary Mitchell ◽  
Colin Sheeran ◽  
Joanne Strain ◽  
Sue Goldsmith
Keyword(s):  
Care Home ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Dementia Care ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Spiritual Needs ◽  
Four Seasons ◽  
Care Partners ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Robust Evidence

There are an increasing number of people living with dementia in care home settings. Recent reports suggest that people who deliver care to residents living with dementia in care homes require specialist support to provide optimum care. To address this need Four Seasons Health Care, the largest provider of care homes within the UK today, sought to design a dementia care framework that enhanced the quality of life for people living with dementia in their care homes. The framework was designed using a robust evidence base, engagement with people living with dementia, their care partners, policy-writers, multidisciplinary professionals and people within the organisation. This paper describes the methodology behind the dementia care framework and outcomes data from the first phase (of 20 care homes that included the care of 451 people living with dementia). The main outcome was a significant improvement in the quality of the lives of residents across biological, psychological, social and spiritual needs.

Shining a light on care homes during the COVID 19 pandemic in the UK 2020

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 217-228
Author(s):  
Annie Stevenson
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older People ◽  
Age Discrimination ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Human Rights Act ◽  
Human Rights Act 1998 ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the link between age discrimination and the injustices that have taken place in our care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic in this country. It seeks to show how destructive age discrimination is to those who live in our care homes and attempts to shake up our attitudes to older people, as the pandemic continues. It is hoped that shifts in attitude would lead to a societal revolution in care and support for older people as the pandemic shows us how the current system is breaking down. Design/methodology/approach This is a personal insight into the plight of the care home sector during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. The writer has worked in the field of social care and older people’s services for many years and felt compelled to share her learning and observations. This led to venturing more deeply into understanding why those who live, work and visit care homes have been so neglected and “cast into the shadows” in the face of such desperate danger. Whilst tracking the media narrative during the first wave, she attempts to apply her knowledge, in particular gained from working for Help the Aged (now Age UK) as a policy manager for Quality Care, but also draws on experiences as a social worker, commissioner and care provider from the 1980’s to the present. By “shining a light” on care homes, revealing that the darker practices that have taken place contravene the Human Rights Act 1998, it is hoped that the recognition of age discrimination will happen at every level and become better known in its application. The paper observes how deeply rooted it is in us all. Findings Having highlighted some shocking examples of bad practice from the authorities relating to care homes, the article concludes that Government policy on care homes from March to July 2020 was discriminatory and questions how far lessons have been learned. The legislation is in place in the form of the Human Rights Act 1998 to protect older people in care homes but is not being widely implemented at regional policy level. Government rhetoric remains far from reality Instead of redressing the gap and admitting mistakes, there is evidence at a high level of continued denial and the projection of blame on to the care homes themselves. Originality/value The author’s professional background includes meeting the founder of the Gray Panthers, Maggie Kuhn, in the United States in the 1988. This was a defining moment that gave her an original insight into age discrimination and influenced her entire career. It eventually led to her working in national policy for one of the most influential charities for older people at the turn of the millennium, Help the Aged. Here, she co-founded the My Home Life Programme (promoting quality of life in care homes). The paper offers a unique insight into why it is so challenging to achieve quality of life for older people needing care and should be of interest to policymakers, clinical commissioning groups, local authorities, older people’s care providers and carer and user organisations.

scholarly journals Learning disability market position statements, are they fit for purpose?

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 198-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Broadhurst ◽  
Keri Landau
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Learning Disability ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Market Position ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fit For Purpose ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
Senior Officers ◽  
Market Shaping

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review whether current learning disability market position statements (MPS) are actually helping to shape the market and explore their implications for people with learning disabilities and their families. Design/methodology/approach Published learning disability MPS were identified via the Institute of Public Care’s MPS database. The quality of the MPS was analysed using a good practice checklist developed by a range of stakeholders. Findings Learning disability MPS are not currently fit for purpose. They demonstrate that local authorities are not fully engaging in their market-shaping duties, as required under The Care Act 2014. It is suggested that this is in part due to the lack of recognition that market shaping is a council-wide responsibility and can only be successful if senior officers across the council (and their partners) acknowledge this and are held accountable. Unless this happens, people with learning disabilities will continue to lack the enablers that support them to lead the lives they choose in their communities. Originality/value This is the first review of the quality and potential impact of learning disability MPS.

The quality of user experiences for mobile recommendation systems: an end-user perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Woon Kian Chong ◽  
Zhuang Ma
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
User Experience ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Recommendation Systems ◽  
User Involvement ◽  
Sample Population ◽  
User Experiences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Involvement Theory

PurposeThis paper attempts to identify key factors (i.e., personalization, privacy awareness and social norms) that affect user experiences (UXs) of mobile recommendation systems according to the user involvement theory (push-based and pull-based) and their relationships.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on an online survey with students from an international business school located in southwestern China. The sample population for the study included randomly selected 600 university students who are active mobile phone users. A total of 470 questionnaires were returned; 456 were valid (14 were invalid due to the incompleteness of their responses), providing a response rate of 65%.FindingsSocial norms have the largest impact on user experience quality, followed by personalization and privacy awareness. User involvement in mobile recommendation systems has mediating effects on the above relationships, with larger effects on pull-based systems than on push-based systems.Originality/valueThis study provides an integrated framework for researchers to measure the effects of social, personal and risk factors on the quality of user experience. The results enrich the literature on user involvement, mobile recommendation systems and UX. The findings provide significant implications for both retailers and developers of mobile recommendation systems.

scholarly journals Austerity and financial governance: a UK case study of the National Health Service

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 212-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malcolm Prowle ◽  
Don Harradine
Keyword(s):  
Financial Management ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Executive Directors ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Financial Governance ◽  
Governance Process ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Finance Directors

Purpose – This research concerns the issue of financial governance within the UK NHS and aims to assess the effectiveness of existing financial governance arrangements in the main providers of health services in the UK. Also considered is the importance of good financial governance in a time of financial austerity. Design/methodology/approach – The primary research for this project was based on the use of a questionnaire to all finance directors in NHSTs in England supported by semi-structured interviews with: finance directors, non-executive directors, executive directors and senior finance staff. Findings – Among the main findings of the study were: certain financial management systems were not prioritised in line with what is seen as good practice; existing financial management systems were not always seen as adequate for the achievement of good financial governance; there was sometimes a lack of understanding of financial issues by non-executive directors; and the complexity of the NHS funding process often resulted in opaqueness of the financial risks. Research limitations/implications – The research is limited by the relatively small coverage of NHS trusts but this has been compensated for by a series of in-depth interviews with key stakeholders in the governance process. Practical implications – Weaknesses in financial governance could result in further scandals which result in loss of life and poor patient care. Originality/value – There are many papers on the issue of governance in the public sector in general and the NHS in particular. However, there is little published on the issue of financial governance in the NHS. Also of great value is the emphasis on strengthening financial governance in an era of austerity

scholarly journals Psychometric properties and feasibility of use of dementia specific quality of life instruments for use in care settings: a systematic review

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura J. Hughes ◽  
Nicolas Farina ◽  
Thomas E. Page ◽  
Naji Tabet ◽  
Sube Banerjee
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Cosmin Checklist ◽  
Many Instruments ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Quality Instruments

ABSTRACTBackground:Over 400,000 people live in care home settings in the UK. One way of understanding and improving the quality of care provided is by measuring and understanding the quality of life (QoL) of those living in care homes. This review aimed to identify and examine the psychometric properties including feasibility of use of dementia-specific QoL measures developed or validated for use in care settings.Design:Systematic review.Methods:Instruments were identified using four electronic databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and CINAHL) and lateral search techniques. Searches were conducted in January 2017. Studies which reported on the development and/or validation of dementia specific QoL instruments for use in care settings written in English were eligible for inclusion. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the COSMIN checklist. Feasibility was assessed using a checklist developed specifically for the review.Results:Six hundred and sixteen articles were identified in the initial search. After de-duplication, screening and further lateral searches were performed, 25 studies reporting on 9 dementia-specific QoL instruments for use in care home settings were included in the review. Limited evidence was available on the psychometric properties of many instruments identified. Higher-quality instruments were not easily accessible or had low feasibility of use.Conclusions:Few high-quality instruments of QoL validated for use in care home settings are readily or freely available. This review highlights the need to develop a well-validated measure of QoL for use within care homes that is also feasible and accessible.

Respecting care home residents’ right to privacy: what is the evidence of good practice?

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 198-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Emmer De Albuquerque Green ◽  
Anthea Tinker ◽  
Jill Manthorpe
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Personal Data ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Right To Privacy ◽  
Human Right ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Right

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review and discuss evidence of good practice in respecting care home residents’ right to privacy. The right to privacy is a fundamental human right as enshrined in international and domestic law and standards. In the context of increasing interest in using a human rights approach to social care in care homes for older people, this literature review summarises research evidence on what respecting the human right to privacy of care home residents entails in practice. Design/methodology/approach This literature review followed a rigorous systematic approach to the scoping review, inspired by the Joanna Biggs Institute’s guidelines for conducting systematic reviews. A total of 12 articles were included in the review. Findings The research took a multidimensional understanding of privacy in their studies. The dimensions can be categorised as physical, inter-relational or related to personal data. The review highlights three good practice points. First, it is good privacy practice in care homes to make available single-occupancy bedrooms to residents since this offers the opportunity to personalising this physical space with furniture and web belongings, adding a sense of ownership over the space. Second, residents appreciate being able to choose when and how they spend their time in their own bedrooms. Third, it is good practice to respect residents’ private physical space and private choices, for example by knocking on doors before entering or agreeing with the resident when it is permissible to enter. The review also found that in some studies privacy considerations were relevant to communal living areas within care homes, including the use of surveillance cameras and the sharing of personal data. Originality/value This literature review adds to the body of academic literature on human rights and social care in practice. It also highlights areas for future research relating to the right to privacy in care homes.

scholarly journals Attitudes About COVID-19 and Health: A Mixed-Methods Smartphone-App and Online Survey Study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna M. Hood ◽  
Hanne Stotesbury ◽  
Jennifer Murphy ◽  
Melanie Kölbel ◽  
April Slee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Smartphone App ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Monthly Survey

BACKGROUND Behavioral mitigation strategies to slow the spread of COVID-19 have resulted in sweeping lifestyle changes, with short and long-term psychological, well-being, and quality of life implications. The Attitudes About COVID-19 and Health (ATTACH) study focuses on understanding attitudes and beliefs whilst considering the impact on mental and physical health and the influence of broader demographic and geographic factors on attitudes, beliefs, and mental health burden. OBJECTIVE In this assessment of our first wave of data collection, we provide baseline cohort descriptives of ATTACH study participants in the United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA), and Mexico. Additionally, we assess responses to daily poll questions related to COVID-19 and conduct a cross-sectional analysis of baseline assessments collected in the UK between June 26 and October 31, 2020. METHODS The ATTACH study uses smartphone-app technology and online survey data collection. Participants completed poll questions twice daily related to COVID-19 and a monthly survey assessing mental health, social isolation, physical health, and quality of life. Poll question responses were graphed using 95% Clopper-Pearson (exact) tests with 95% confidence intervals. Pearson correlations, hierarchical linear regression analyses, and generalized linear models assessed relationships, predictors of self-reported outcomes, and group differences, respectively. RESULTS By October 31, 2020, 1405, 80, and 90 participants had consented to participate in the UK, USA, and Mexico, respectively. Descriptive data for the UK daily poll questions indicated that participants were generally following social distancing measures, but worry and negative impacts on families increased as the pandemic progressed. Although participants generally reported feeling that the reasons for current measures had been made clear, there was low trust that the government was doing everything in its power to meet public needs. In the UK, 1282 participants also completed a monthly survey (95% white, 72% female, 21% key or essential workers). Nineteen percent of UK participants reported a pre-existing mental health disorder, 31% reported a pre-existing chronic medical illness, and 35% were over 65. Fifty-seven percent of participants reported being more sedentary since the pandemic began, and 41% reported reduced access to medical care. Those with poorer mental health outcomes lived in more deprived neighborhoods, in larger households (ps < .05), had more pre-existing mental health disorders and medical conditions, and were younger than 65 years (all ps < .001). CONCLUSIONS Communities who have been exposed to additional harm during the COVID-19 pandemic were experiencing worse mental outcomes. Factors including having a medical condition, or living in a deprived neighborhood or larger household were associated with heightened risk. Future longitudinal studies should investigate the link between COVID-19 exposure, mental health, and sociodemographic and residential characteristics.

Mapping the contours of fairness

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lilian Otaye ◽  
Wilson Wong
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Turnover Intention ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the contours of fairness by showing how different facets of fairness impact three important employee outcomes (job satisfaction, turnover intention and employer advocacy) and examining the mediating role of quality of management and leadership (through perceptions of both senior management and the quality of exchange with immediate supervisors) in attenuating negative impacts of unfairness on these outcomes. The study extends the concept of fairness beyond the traditional focus on organizational justice and models the mediating role of leadership on the relationship between (un)fairness and the three employee-level outcomes in a sample of employees representative of the UK workforce. Design/methodology/approach – Data were obtained from a nationally representative sample of 2,067 employees in the UK. Exploratory factor analysis and then confirmatory factor analysis is used to refine three unfairness factors and address their dimensionality of the unfairness scale and then multiple regression analysis is used to test a fairness-leadership-employee performance outcome model. Findings – Results of multiple regression analysis revealed that both trust in leadership and leader-member exchange partially mediate the relationship between organizational (un)fairness and job satisfaction, advocacy and turnover intention, respectively. Practical implications – The findings highlight the important role that leaders play in influencing the relationship between perception of unfairness and employee outcomes. This has implications for both theory and practice as it suggests that the pattern of inclusion that leaders create through the relationships that they develop with their followers has a significant impact on the relationship between unfairness and the work outcomes. They not only must manage traditional perceptions of justice, but also the assessments employees make about trust in management judgements and the perceived consequences of such judgements. Originality/value – In an environment where perceptions of unfairness are becoming both more endemic but also more complex, the study shows that both senior leaders and immediate supervisors have important agency in managing negative consequences. Through the measurement of satisfaction, turnover intention and employer advocacy it also provides potential links to link fairness into the engagement literature.

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