Making the Transition to Nursing Home Life: A Framework to Help Older Adults Adapt to the Long-Term Care Environment

2007 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 50-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gloria L. Brandburg

Long-term care for older adults is highly affect by the COVID-19 outbreak. The objective of this rapid review is to understand what we can learn from previous crises or disasters worldwide to optimize the care for older adults in long term care facilities during the outbreak of COVID-19. We searched five electronic databases to identify potentially relevant articles. In total, 23 articles were included in this study. Based on the articles, it appeared that nursing homes benefit from preparing for the situation as best as they can. For instance, by having proper protocols and clear division of tasks and collaboration within the organization. In addition, it is helpful for nursing homes to collaborate closely with other healthcare organizations, general practitioners, informal caregivers and local authorities. It is recommended that nursing homes pay attention to capacity and employability of staff and that they support or relieve staff where possible. With regard to care for the older adults, it is important that staff tries to find a new daily routine in the care for residents as soon as possible. Some practical tips were found on how to communicate with people who have dementia. Furthermore, behavior of people with dementia may change during a crisis. We found tips for staff how to respond and act upon behavior change. After the COVID-19 outbreak, aftercare for staff, residents, and informal caregivers is essential to timely detect psychosocial problems. The consideration between, on the one hand, acute safety and risk reduction (e.g. by closing residential care facilities and isolating residents), and on the other hand, the psychosocial consequences for residents and staff, were discussed in case of other disasters. Furthermore, the search of how to provide good (palliative) care and to maintain quality of life for older adults who suffer from COVID-19 is also of concern to nursing home organizations. In the included articles, the perspective of older adults, informal caregivers and staff is often lacking. Especially the experiences of older adults, informal caregivers, and nursing home staff with the care for older adults in the current situation, are important in formulating lessons about how to act before, during and after the coronacrisis. This may further enhance person-centered care, even in times of crisis. Therefore, we recommend to study these experiences in future research.


Author(s):  
Guillaume Sacco ◽  
Sébastien Lléonart ◽  
Romain Simon ◽  
Frédéric Noublanche ◽  
Cédric Annweiler ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Technological communication methods such as telephone calls and video calls can help prevent social isolation and loneliness in frail older adults during confinement. OBJECTIVE Our objectives were to determine which virtual communication method (ie, telephone call or video call) was preferred by confined older hospital patients and nursing home residents and the variables influencing this preference. METHODS The TOVID (Telephony Or Videophony for Isolated elDerly) study was a cross-sectional study that was designed to examine the preference between telephone calls and video calls among frail older adults who were either hospitalized in a geriatric acute care unit or institutionalized in a long-term care and nursing home during the COVID-19 confinement period. RESULTS A total of 132 older people were surveyed between March 25 and May 11, 2020 (mean age 88.2 years, SD 6.2); 79 (59.8%) were women. Patients hospitalized in the geriatric acute care unit were more able to establish communication independently than residents institutionalized in the long-term care and nursing home (<i>P</i>=.03) and were more satisfied with their communication experiences (<i>P</i>=.02). Overall, older people tended to favor telephone calls (73/132, 55.3%) over video calls (59/132, 44.7%); however, their satisfaction degree was similar regardless of the chosen method (<i>P</i>=.1), with no effect of age (<i>P</i>=.97) or gender (<i>P</i>=.2). In the geriatric acute care unit, the satisfaction degrees were similar for telephone calls (40/41, 98%) and video calls (33/38, 87%) in older patients (<i>P</i>=.10). Conversely, in the long-term care and nursing home, residents were more satisfied with the use of video calls to communicate with their relatives (14/15, 93%) versus the use of telephone calls (6/12, 50%; <i>P</i>=.02). CONCLUSIONS Older people confined to health care settings were able to complete telephone calls more independently than video calls, and they tended to use telephone calls more often than video calls. The satisfaction degrees were similar with both modalities and even greater with video calls among long-term care and nursing home residents when they were given assistance to establish communication. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04333849: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04333849.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 58-58
Author(s):  
Nancy Kusmaul ◽  
Toni Miles ◽  
Lori Frank

Abstract COVID-19 significantly impacted older adults, particularly those in long term care. This symposium focuses on policy, and how policies drove many of the outcomes older adults in care experienced during 2020. We begin with a case study of one nursing home describing their operations, how those were impacted by policies at the local, state and federal levels, and operational factors that proved uncontrollable. From there we look more broadly at a national effort as implemented in one state which leveraged clinical and regulatory experts to partner with nursing homes and disseminate emerging and evidence based practice cohorts to address the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic over an extended period. Then we move from the federal to two state level projects. One looks at the experience of embedding advanced practice nurses (APRNs) into long term care facilities in one state over a five year period including during COVID-19. The final presentation describes hands on support provided by one state government to nursing homes and assisted livings during COVID-19, including the coordination of staff testing and the implementation of the use of the antigen testing machines issued through federal policy. We conclude with a discussion of the interplay of federal, state, and local policy on nursing home experiences in COVID-19 and recommendations for more effective policy interventions.


10.2196/21845 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. e21845 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillaume Sacco ◽  
Sébastien Lléonart ◽  
Romain Simon ◽  
Frédéric Noublanche ◽  
Cédric Annweiler ◽  
...  

Background Technological communication methods such as telephone calls and video calls can help prevent social isolation and loneliness in frail older adults during confinement. Objective Our objectives were to determine which virtual communication method (ie, telephone call or video call) was preferred by confined older hospital patients and nursing home residents and the variables influencing this preference. Methods The TOVID (Telephony Or Videophony for Isolated elDerly) study was a cross-sectional study that was designed to examine the preference between telephone calls and video calls among frail older adults who were either hospitalized in a geriatric acute care unit or institutionalized in a long-term care and nursing home during the COVID-19 confinement period. Results A total of 132 older people were surveyed between March 25 and May 11, 2020 (mean age 88.2 years, SD 6.2); 79 (59.8%) were women. Patients hospitalized in the geriatric acute care unit were more able to establish communication independently than residents institutionalized in the long-term care and nursing home (P=.03) and were more satisfied with their communication experiences (P=.02). Overall, older people tended to favor telephone calls (73/132, 55.3%) over video calls (59/132, 44.7%); however, their satisfaction degree was similar regardless of the chosen method (P=.1), with no effect of age (P=.97) or gender (P=.2). In the geriatric acute care unit, the satisfaction degrees were similar for telephone calls (40/41, 98%) and video calls (33/38, 87%) in older patients (P=.10). Conversely, in the long-term care and nursing home, residents were more satisfied with the use of video calls to communicate with their relatives (14/15, 93%) versus the use of telephone calls (6/12, 50%; P=.02). Conclusions Older people confined to health care settings were able to complete telephone calls more independently than video calls, and they tended to use telephone calls more often than video calls. The satisfaction degrees were similar with both modalities and even greater with video calls among long-term care and nursing home residents when they were given assistance to establish communication. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04333849: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04333849.


2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (9) ◽  
pp. 1533-1542 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay A. Gerolimatos ◽  
Jeffrey J. Gregg ◽  
Barry A. Edelstein

ABSTRACTBackground:Accurate assessment of anxiety in later life is critical, as anxiety among older adults is associated with social and functional impairment and poorer quality of life. The Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) and the GAI–Short Form (GAI-SF) were designed to detect anxiety symptoms among community-dwelling older adults, but the usefulness of the GAI and GAI-SF in long-term care is unknown. The present study examined the psychometric properties of the GAI and GAI-SF among residents at a long-term care facility.Methods:Seventy-five nursing home residents completed the GAI and measures of depression, executive functioning, and adaptive functioning. The mean age of residents was 69.60 years (SD = 10.76). Psychiatric diagnoses included dementia, psychotic disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, sleep disorders, and mental retardation.Results:Internal consistency of the GAI was good (α = 0.92) and the GAI-SF was adequate (α = 0.73). GAI and GAI-SF scores were moderately correlated with depression scores, and weakly correlated with adaptive functioning scores and executive functioning scores, suggesting discriminant validity. Logistic regression analyses were conducted with GAI and GAI-SF scores predicting an anxiety disorders diagnosis. Results provided support for the predictive validity of the GAI and GAI-SF. Sensitivity, specificity, and the percentage of individuals correctly classified at various cut-off scores were also calculated.Conclusions:Both the GAI and GAI-SF appear to be useful tools for assessing anxiety among nursing home residents with psychological disorders. The GAI-SF may be a viable replacement for the GAI as a screener for anxiety in long-term care.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brigette K. Schneible ◽  
Jay F. Gabriel ◽  
Joke Bradt

Purpose Older adults often navigate periods of disruptive transition, such as rehousing, that can be understood in terms of ritual transformation, a concept that describes changes to the social self in terms of deconstruction, liminality and reconstruction. Music therapy can assist older adults’ movement through these stages. This paper aims to engage theoretical perspectives on ritual to consider the social and cultural transformation of these residents of a long-term care nursing home. Design/methodology/approach Ethnographic theory and literature on the ritual process are used to reflect on one music therapist’s (first author’s) experience providing music therapy to older adult residents of a long-term care nursing home. The therapist facilitated a collaborative “healing story” whose performative aspects engaged the residents in their own healing process. These experiences culminated in a group songwriting experience with a resident choir ensemble. Findings The healing narrative involved aspects of the person, selfhood, relationship and culture more than elements of physicality or functional abilities. Music therapists working with older adults may find this theoretical perspective informative in interpreting resident behaviors and needs, identifying and addressing therapeutic goals and fostering a healing narrative. Originality/value Care and interventions for older adults are often guided by the biomedical model of aging as an illness. While sociological and psychological theories of aging offer alternatives, these are not always prominent in interventions. This exploration of aging and transition as ritual transformation offers one such needed and insightful perspective to inform practice.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-2
Author(s):  
R.A. Merchant

Older adults at home, intermediate and long-term care (ILTC) setting including nursing home and hospice care are vulnerable to COVID-19 infection with increased morbidity and mortality. Singapore is one of the fastest aging countries in Asia where 14.4% of population is above 65 years old and this will double by 2030 (1). About 16000 older adults live in long-term care facilities and many more attend different types of day care facilities (2). Many of the residents are frail, with underlying dementia and / or multimorbidity and often present atypically causing a delay in diagnosis. In many countries, COVID-19 has spread amongst nursing home residents with mortality ranging from 24% in Hungary to 82% in Canada (3). It is known that 56% of residents may test positive while in pre-symptomatic stage, and many countries have put in initiatives to decrease the risk of spread in care homes (4). COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of communication and collaboration amongst ILTC providers which in many countries are run by non-governmental organization’s, healthcare providers, regional and national healthcare leaders.


2001 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-24
Author(s):  
Carol Winchester ◽  
Cathy Pelletier ◽  
Pete Johnson

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