Behavioral Problems in Older Adults in Acute Care Settings

Delirium, dementia, and depression challenge nurses in acute care settings. They negatively impact older adult's health, well-being, and quality of life. Misdiagnosis of delirium, dementia, and depression is associated with higher mortality rate, functional decline, increased length of stay, higher admission and institutionalization rates, and higher health care expenditures. Nurses in acute care settings have a lack of knowledge about delirium, dementia, and depression. This lack of knowledge could have implication as necessary referrals to physicians is needed in order to ensure initiating of appropriate treatment. Continuing professional development is necessary to keep nurses abreast of the rapid changes in knowledge and technology needed to provide safe and high quality services. Providing an opportunity to participate in continuing professional development on this particular subject would go a long way to facilitate knowledge translation. As a result nurses will be equipped with the adequate knowledge and skills to meet the overall goal of providing quality care for older adults in different care settings.

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Person-Centered Communication Between Health Care Professionals and COVID-19-Infected Older Adults in Acute Care Settings: Findings From Wuhan, China

The Journals of Gerontology Series B ◽

10.1093/geronb/gbaa190 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Juan Li ◽

Jing Wang ◽

Xiangjing Kong ◽

Tingting Gao ◽

Bei Wu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Health Care ◽

Acute Care ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Older Patients ◽

Well Being ◽

Direct Care ◽

Core Element ◽

Acute Care Settings ◽

Multiple Challenges

Abstract Objectives The current study aims to explore person-centered communication between health care professionals and COVID-19-infected older patients in acute care settings. Methods The current qualitative study explored the communication between professionals and COVID-19-infected older adults in the acute care setting through 2 rounds of interviews with physicians and nurses who provided direct care and treatment for COVID-19-infected older patients in Wuhan, China. We explored the possibilities and significance of facilitating effective communication despite multiple challenges in the pandemic. Conventional content analysis was adopted to analyze the rich data collected from our participants. Results It is possible and necessary to initiate and sustain person-centered communication despite multiple challenges brought by the pandemic. The achievement of person-centered communication can play significant roles in addressing challenges, building mutual trust, improving quality of care and relationships, and promoting treatment adherence and patients’ psychological well-being. Discussion It is challenging for health care professionals to provide care for COVID-19-infected older adults, especially for those with cognitive and sensory impairment, in acute care settings. Facilitating person-centered communication is a significant strategy in responding to the pandemic crisis and a core element of person-centered care.

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Improving Patient Safety and Patient–Provider Communication

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/2019_pers-sig12-2019-0021 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (5) ◽

pp. 1017-1027 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Richard R. Hurtig ◽

Rebecca M. Alper ◽

Karen N. T. Bryant ◽

Krista R. Davidson ◽

Chelsea Bilskemper

Keyword(s):

Acute Care ◽

Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽

Health Care Team ◽

Provider Communication ◽

Alternative Communication ◽

Patient Provider Communication ◽

Acute Care Settings ◽

Nurses Perceptions ◽

Communication Needs ◽

The Impact

Purpose Many hospitalized patients experience barriers to effective patient–provider communication that can negatively impact their care. These barriers include difficulty physically accessing the nurse call system, communicating about pain and other needs, or both. For many patients, these barriers are a result of their admitting condition and not of an underlying chronic disability. Speech-language pathologists have begun to address patients' short-term communication needs with an array of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) strategies. Method This study used a between-groups experimental design to evaluate the impact of providing patients with AAC systems so that they could summon help and communicate with their nurses. The study examined patients' and nurses' perceptions of the patients' ability to summon help and effectively communicate with caregivers. Results Patients who could summon their nurses and effectively communicate—with or without AAC—had significantly more favorable perceptions than those who could not. Conclusions This study suggests that AAC can be successfully used in acute care settings to help patients overcome access and communication barriers. Working with other members of the health care team is essential to building a “culture of communication” in acute care settings. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.9990962

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