Families, Alzheimer's Disease, and Nursing Homes

1988 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 331-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan L. Linsk ◽  
Baila Miller ◽  
Roberta Pflaum ◽  
Anna Ortigara-Vicik
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Nursing Home ◽  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Nursing Home Care ◽  
Demonstration Program ◽  
Home Setting

The Alzheimer's Disease Family Care Center program was established within an intermediate care teaching nursing home as a demonstration program to investigate ways to involve families in care of their relatives. In total, 45 family members participated in a program including an orientation session; a preliminary family involvement interview; contracts with family members, in which they chose specific tasks to engage in during visits; a five-session course on Alzheimer's disease and how families may be partners in care within the facility; and an ongoing family support group. Evaluation data sources include a baseline and 9-month follow-up questionnaire completed by families, preliminary and follow-up family interviews conducted by project codirectors, records of family visits, and family choices on contracts. Findings from the 23 family members who contracted for tasks during their visits and from the follow-up questionnaire completed by 25 family members showed that most sought social and emotional interactions with relatives, some maintained direct personal care activities, and only a few identified interest in extensive involvement with staff and facility. At follow-up, family members involved in the program reported they continued to feel close to their relatives. Many felt that their relatives were generally stable or improved with regard to cognitive function, but over a third noted difficulties in communicating. Participating family members reported that the program of staff supports helped them to feel more integral to the unit. They expressed a need for more education and support for their involvement in the nursing home setting. Project findings confirm previous studies recommending that programming at nursing homes needs to include specific institutional and staff supports to maintain and enhance family contributions to the long-term nursing home care of their relatives.

Alzheimer's Care

1987 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 23-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Woerner ◽  
Karen Casper
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Nursing Home ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Home Health ◽  
Nursing Home Care ◽  
Treatment Setting ◽  
Care Plan ◽  
Patient Treatment ◽  
Home Setting

The characteristics of Alzheimer's disease (AD) create specialized problems of care for the Alzheimer's patient. Treatment for AD victims does not only involve medical procedures; rather, Alzheimer's disease is what Kahn termed a bio-psycho-social phenomenon. 1 Since the epidemiology of the disease is not treatable as such, the emphasis of Alzheimer's care is on management of its physical, social, and psychological manifestations. Therefore, nursing home care and home health care are not sufficient for AD victims. Alzheimer's patients need the specialized care we've called Alzheimer's care, which is directed toward meeting the specific needs of AD victims and their families. It is generally agreed that both in stitutional and home settings are appropriate for treating certain characteristics of Alzheimer's disease, depending on the degree to which the disease has progressed, financial circumstances, and the family's ability and willingness to keep the patient at home. The choice between nursing home placement and home care is, of course, ultimately the decision of the primary caregiver or family. If caregivers are unable or unwilling to serve as the primary support for a victim-because of their financial considerations, their own infirmities, or because the responsibility for care becomes overwhelming-a family may feel that the decision to place the patient in a nursing home is the only alternative. In our experience, we have found that specialized Alzheimer's care, delivered in a home setting, can place the responsibility for primary care with home care professionals. The environment or treatment setting is highly significant in the management of Alzheimer's disease. We have found that of the two major settings for treatment ofAD patients-the institution and the home-the home is significantly more adaptable to Alzheimer's care. The home environment is familiar and can, with planning and training, be very helpful in the care plan. Home health personnel assigned to such cases can be specifically selected, trained, and supervised to maximize their effectiveness in providing the highest quality of Alzheimer's care. Under the assumption that many families do have a choice in treatment settings for an AD victim and that the home may be the more effective treatment setting, this article will seek to explain the adaptability of the home health option for Alzheimer's care.

scholarly journals Hallucinations in a Patient with Alzheimer’s Disease During the COVID-19 Crisis: A Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 455-458
Author(s):  
Mohamad El Haj ◽  
Frank Larøi ◽  
Karim Gallouj
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Nursing Home ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Physical Contact ◽  
Daily Activities ◽  
Social Distancing

While social distancing may be deemed necessary in order to avoid COVID-19 infections, the lockdown may impact mental health of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We present a case study involving hallucinations in a patient with AD who lives in a nursing home during the COVID-19 crisis. We compared this patient’s hallucination scores before and during the lockdown. We observed increased hallucinations during, compared to before, the lockdown. These increased hallucinations can be attributed to a number of elements such as the decreased in daily activities, social distancing, lack of physical contact with family members, and loneliness during the lockdown.

Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementia in Nursing Homes: Levels of Management and Cost

2001 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 347-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith A. O'Brien ◽  
J. Jaime Caro
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Nursing Home ◽  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Nursing Home Resident ◽  
Annual Cost ◽  
Nursing Home Residents ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Diagnosis Of Dementia ◽  
Care Costs

Objective: To estimate comparative mangement levels and the annual cost of caring for a nursing home resident with and without dementia. Method: Data from the 1995 Massachusetts Medicaid nursing home database were used to examine residents with Alzheimer's disease, other types of dementia, and no dementia to determine care and dependency levels. Massachusetts Medicaid 1997 per-diem rates for each of 10 designated management levels were applied accordingly to residents in each level to estimate annual care costs. Costs from this analysis are reported in 1997 U.S. dollars. Results: Of the 49,724 nursing home residents identified, 26.4% had a documented diagnosis of dementia. On average, a resident with dementia requires 229 more hours of care annually than one without dementia, resulting in a mean additional cost of $3,865 per patient with dementia per year. Conclusions: Dementia increases the care needs and cost of caring for a nursing home resident.

scholarly journals P2-268: Reducing apathy, depression and behavioral dyscontrol in patients with Alzheimer's disease residing in nursing homes: A follow-up

2008 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. T450-T450
Author(s):  
Jeffrey M. Robbins ◽  
Eileen Salmanson ◽  
Tiffany Horne ◽  
Lisa Hunegs ◽  
Dorene Rentz
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Nursing Homes

scholarly journals Disparities in Nursing Home Use and Quality Among African American, Hispanic, and White Medicare Residents With Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 1259-1277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maricruz Rivera-Hernandez ◽  
Amit Kumar ◽  
Gary Epstein-Lubow ◽  
Kali S. Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
African American ◽  
Nursing Home ◽  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Nursing Home Residents ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Fee For Service ◽  
Medicare Beneficiaries ◽  
Health Care Equity

Objective: This article examines differences in nursing home use and quality among Medicare beneficiaries, in both Medicare Advantage and fee-for-service, newly admitted to nursing homes with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Method: Retrospective, national, population-based study of Medicare residents newly admitted to nursing homes with ADRD by race and ethnic group. Our analytic sample included 1,302,099 nursing home residents—268,181 with a diagnosis of ADRD—in 13,532 nursing homes from 2014. Results: We found that a larger share of Hispanic Medicare residents that are admitted to nursing homes have ADRD compared with African American and White beneficiaries. Both Hispanics and African Americans with ADRD received care in segregated nursing homes with fewer resources and lower quality of care compared with White residents. Discussion: These results have implications for targeted efforts to achieve health care equity and quality improvement efforts among nursing homes that serve minority patients.

scholarly journals Regional Variation in Healthcare Use Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 21-22
Author(s):  
Elizabeth White ◽  
Momotazur Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Nursing Home ◽  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Regional Variation ◽  
Fee For Service ◽  
Medicare Beneficiaries ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Regional Patterns ◽  
Hospital Referral

Abstract In this national prospective study we describe regional variation in healthcare utilization among Medicare beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in the six years after diagnosis. We use 2008-2015 Medicare claims and other administrative data to map nursing home, home health, hospital, and hospice use across hospital referral regions; and examine the relationship of state and county supply-side factors to time beneficiaries spend in different settings. The sample includes 1,158,655 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries diagnosed with ADRD in 2008 and 2009. Nationally, beneficiaries spent a mean of 70.6% of survived days in the community, 23.9% of days in nursing home, and 5.4% of days in hospital. 37.2% of beneficiaries who died within six years had received hospice. Distinct regional patterns emerged. Adjusting for beneficiary and local characteristics, beneficiaries in Midwestern states spent the most time in nursing homes, while beneficiaries in Western states spent the most time in community. The probability of receiving hospice was generally highest in Western and Southern states, and lowest in the Midwest and Northeast. Controlling for beneficiary, local, and state characteristics, we found the following factors to be associated with beneficiaries spending less time in nursing homes: fewer nursing home beds in the county, higher state Medicaid long-term care spending for home and community-based services (HCBS), and state use of Certificate of Need laws. These findings illustrate that state investment in HCBS, and state and local regulation of provider supply are important factors influencing where individuals with ADRD receive care.

scholarly journals Group Activity Participation in Relation to Contextual Isolation of United States Nursing Home Residents Living with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
B.M. Jesdale ◽  
C.A. Bova ◽  
A.K. Mbrah ◽  
K.L. Lapane
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Nursing Home ◽  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Nursing Home Residents ◽  
Group Activity ◽  
Activity Participation ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Group Activities ◽  
Multiple Characteristics

Background: Residents of nursing homes frequently report loneliness and isolation, despite being in an environment shared with other residents and staff. Objective: To describe, among long-stay US nursing home residents living with Alzheimer’s disease and/or related dementias (ADRD), group activity participation in relation to contextual isolation: living in a nursing home where fewer than 20% of residents share socially salient characteristic(s). Design: A cross-sectional evaluation of group activity participation in relation to contextual isolation across 20 characteristics based on demographic characteristics, habits and interests, and clinical and care dimensions. Setting: US nursing homes. Participants: We included 335,421 residents with ADRD aged ≥50 years with a Minimum Data Set 3.0 annual assessment in 2016 reporting their preference for group activity participation, and 94,735 with participation observed by staff. Measurements: We identified 827,823 annual (any anniversary) assessments performed on nursing home residents in 2016, selecting one at random for each resident, after prioritizing the assessment with the least missing data (n=795,038). MDS 3.0 item F0500e assesses resident interest in group activities. Results: When considering all potential sources of contextual isolation considered, 30.7% were contextually isolated on the basis of a single characteristic and 13.7% were contextually isolated on the basis of two or more characteristics. Among residents reporting importance of group activity, 81% of those not contextually isolated reported that group activity participation was important, as did 78% of those isolated on one characteristic, and 75% of those isolated on multiple characteristics. Among residents with staff-observed group activity participation, 64% of those not contextually isolated reported were observed participating in group activities, as were 59% of those isolated on one characteristic, and 52% of those isolated on multiple characteristics. Conclusion: Residents with ADRD facing contextual isolation placed less importance on group activity than residents who were not contextually isolated.

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