scholarly journals Mostly white, Christian, and straight: Informational and institutional erasure of LGBTQ and ethnoculturally diverse older adults on long-term care homes websites

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Term Care

scholarly journals Hearing Screening for Residents in Long-Term Care Homes Who Live with Dementia: A Scoping Review

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Fiona Höbler ◽  
Katherine S. McGilton ◽  
Walter Wittich ◽  
Kate Dupuis ◽  
Marilyn Reed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Nursing Staff ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Pure Tone Audiometry ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Term Care

Background: Hearing loss is highly prevalent in older adults, particularly among those living with dementia and residing in long-term care homes (LTCHs). Sensory declines can have deleterious effects on functioning and contribute to frailty, but the hearing needs of residents are often unrecognized or unaddressed. Objective: To identify valid and reliable screening measures that are effective for the identification of hearing loss and are suitable for use by nursing staff providing care to residents with dementia in LTCHs. Methods: Electronic databases (Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, CENTRAL, and CINAHL) were searched using comprehensive search strategies, and a stepwise approach based on Arksey & O’Malley’s scoping review and appraisal process was followed. Results: There were 193 scientific papers included in the review. Pure-tone audiometry was the most frequently reported measure to test hearing in older adults living with dementia. However, measures including self- or other-reports and questionnaires, review of medical records, otoscopy, and the whisper test were found to be most suitable for use by nurses working with older adults living with dementia in LTCHs. Conclusion: Although frequently used, the suitability of pure-tone audiometry for use by nursing staff in LTCHs is limited, as standardized audiometry presents challenges for many residents, and specific training is needed to successfully adapt test administration procedures and interpret results. The whisper test was considered to be more suitable for use by staff in LTCH; however, it yields a limited characterization of hearing loss. There remains an urgent need to develop new approaches to screen hearing in LTCHs.

scholarly journals COVID-19 and Ageism: Has the Pandemic Allowed Prevailing Ageist Attitudes to Go Viral?

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Rooprai ◽  
Neel Mistry
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older People ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Vaccine Administration ◽  
Human Worth

Current perceptions of older adults are often met with prejudice and misconceptions that constitute what has been characterized as ‘ageism’. Rarely are older persons considered indispensable members of the population who deserve our respect and support. While it is unclear if and when this pandemic will end, what is clear is how COVID-19 has unveiled the prevalent ageist attitudes against older people, underscoring an unsettling discourse about age and human worth that has allowed us to easily question the value of older adults. In this commentary, we highlight specific recommendations that can be made to combat ageism during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, with exploration of vaccine administration and inequities across long-term care homes.

Falling through the care cracks: younger people in long-term care homes

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 701-707
Author(s):  
Poland Lai
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Key Informant ◽  
The World ◽  
Care Systems ◽  
Shed Light

The COVID-19 casualties in long-term care homes (nursing homes) around the world are usually described as our collective failure in care towards older adults. The plight of younger long-term care residents appears to be forgotten in the midst of long-term care tragedies. This article summarises a small number of key informant interviews (conducted in 2017) that shed light on why younger adults reside in long-term care homes in Ontario, Canada. To put it simply, the younger residents have nowhere to go. Diverting younger people with disabilities from long-term care will help alleviate pressures on long-term care systems as respective governments race to reform them.

The efficacy of a volunteer-administered cognitive stimulation program in long-term care homes

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 995-1004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorraine van Zon ◽  
John R. Kirby ◽  
Nicole Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Cognitive Stimulation ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Attention And Memory ◽  
Term Care

ABSTRACTBackground:Cognitive impairment (CI) that arises in some older adults limits independence and decreases quality of life. Cognitive stimulation programs delivered by professional therapists have been shown to help maintain cognitive abilities, but the costs of such programming are prohibitive. The present study explored the feasibility and efficacy of using long-term care homes' volunteers to administer a cognitive stimulation program to residents.Methods:Thirty-six resident participants and 16 volunteers were alternately assigned to one of two parallel groups: a control group (CG) or stimulation group (SG). For eight weeks, three times each week, CG participants met for standard “friendly visits” (casual conversation between a resident and volunteer) and SG participants met to work through a variety of exercises to stimulate residents’ reasoning, attention, and memory abilities. Resident participants were pre- and post-tested using the Weschler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence–Second Edition, Test of Memory, and Learning-Senior Edition, a modified Letter Sorting test (LS), Clock Drawing Test (CDT), and the Action Word Verbal Fluency Test.Results:Two-way analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) controlling for dementia diagnosis indicated statistically greater improvements in the stimulation participants than in the control participants in Immediate Verbal Memory, p = 0.011; Non-Verbal Memory, p = 0.012; Learning, p = 0.016; and Verbal Fluency, p = 0.024.Conclusions:The feasibility and efficiency of a volunteer-administered cognitive stimulation program was demonstrated. Longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes are recommended in order to continue investigating the breadth and depth volunteer roles in the maintenance of the cognitive abilities of older adults.

scholarly journals It takes time: Building relationships and understanding through an intergenerational ballet programme

Dementia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 270-284
Author(s):  
Shelley E Canning ◽  
Michael Gaetz ◽  
Darren Blakeborough
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Residential Care ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Negative Stereotypes ◽  
Building Relationships ◽  
Meaningful Relationships

Individuals living in long-term residential care homes are often viewed through a negative lens. These residents have increasingly complex care needs, and their functional, communication and cognitive challenges can support conceptualizations of difference and disability perpetuating negative stereotypes of age and dementia. However, engaging in meaningful activities and relationships with older adults, including those with dementia, has been shown to promote positive attitudes. Specifically, intergenerational programming that provides opportunities for meaningful engagement between children and older adults has been shown to support positive emotional experiences through socializing and building relationships. This qualitative study explored the development of relationships between school-aged children and older adults with dementia living in a long-term residential care home. Residents in long-term care homes and children typically have limited opportunities to interact with each other; in this study, participating in an intergenerational dance programme provided an opportunity for meaningful relationships to develop. This paper focuses on the development of the children’s attitudes and understandings of their much older dance partners. Seven girls between the ages of seven and nine participated in ballet classes with residents in a long-term care home for one hour each week over a six-month period. All of the residents had a diagnosis of moderate to advanced dementia. Further, all of the residents also had other chronic health issues such as cardiac, respiratory and/or neurological diseases. The children were interviewed at the baseline, three- and six-month intervals. Prior to beginning the dance programme, the children anticipated their dance partners to be unwell and unable. However, by the end of six months, the children described the residents much more positively highlighting their abilities and strengths. Over time, through participating in a structured intergenerational programme, the children’s views of disability and difference disappeared as they formed dance partnerships and developed meaningful relationships.

Social Connectivity in the Context of COVID-19 and Long-Term Care

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 410-410
Author(s):  
Anna Garnett ◽  
Hannah Pollock ◽  
Natalie Floriancic ◽  
Lorie Donelle ◽  
Yolanda Babenko-Mould ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Term Care

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted older adults, particularly those residing in long-term care homes (LTCHs), causing immense loss of life and resulting in overall health declines in LTCH residents. These vulnerable older adults have also experienced extreme loneliness, anxiety and depression. Social connectedness is an important contributor to well-being and quality of life of older adults in LTCHs and family members are an essential component to this. However, restrictions driven by policies to protect resident safety, have constrained family members’ access to long-term care homes and limited in-person contact between residents and their families. In their absence, health providers have been integral to supporting connections between residents and their families within LTCHs. This study aimed to understand the experiences of social connectedness between residents and family members who have been physically separated due to the current pandemic and, to examine LTCH health providers’ experiences and responses to support social connectedness. Using a qualitative descriptive design, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 family members and 11 healthcare providers. Emergent themes from qualitative content analysis are: (a) all-encompassing impacts of separation; (b) advocacy became my life; (c) the emotional toll of the unknown; 4) the burden of information translation; 5) precarious balance between safety and mistrust for the healthcare system; and (d) a formulaic approach impedes connectivity. A more comprehensive understanding of the experiences and support needs of LTCH residents and their family members within the context of a pandemic can inform practice approaches to support social connections going forwards.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document