Quality of life and related factors among elderly nursing home residents in Southern Taiwan

This study explored subjectively perceived quality of life and related factors of elderly nursing home residents. In this study, 161 residents aged 65 and older were selected from 10 nursing homes in Southern Taiwan. The results showed: (1) the mean score of quality of life was 15.86 and the standardized score was 52.87, a medium rating for the overall sample; (2) different educational levels, and socioeconomic status were significantly different in the quality of life, the other sociodemographic variables were not significantly different in the quality of life. (3) length of residence in the nursing home was significantly negative relative to the quality of life. Physical function, activities of daily living, social support from nurses, social support from nursing aides, social support from families, and frequency of family interaction were significantly positive relative to the quality of life. (4) Activities of daily living, social support from nurses, socioeconomic status, and physical function were the significant predictors in the quality of life, which explained 40.1% of the total amount of variance. Activities of daily living, social support from nursing aids, socioeconomic status, physical function and frequency of interaction with family were the significant predictors in the quality of life, which explained 39.5% of the total amount of variance. Results generated from this study may act as a reference for the staff of nursing homes to understand the quality of life and related factors among elderly residents. This study also acts as a reference for future intervention programs in this field.     

The association of nurses' assessment and certainty to pain management and outcomes for nursing home residents in Jordan

Despite advances in dementia care, pain in people with dementia is still undertreated due to poor assessment, poor treatment, and factors relating to nurses' critical thinking and decision-making skills. The purpose of the study is to examine temporally based relationships between change in behavior, the nurses' level of certainty regarding pain, assessment scope, and outcomes of pain. The findings of the study were consistent with the Response to Certainty of Pain model. This study found high percentage of variances accounted for by nurses' level of certainty due to potential unexpected confounding variables. This study may provide a new understanding of the relationship between nurses' certainty, assessment scope, and patient outcomes for people with dementia. Improved understanding of this relationship and how it relates to the problem of unrelieved pain in people with dementia is crucial.     

Increasing food intake in nursing home residents: Efficacy of the Sorbet Increases Salivation intervention

The purpose of this study was to test the effect of the Sorbet Increases Salivation (SIS) intervention on resident food intake and body weight. Using a pre- post design, thirty-nine nursing home residents received 2 ounces of lemon-lime sorbet prior to lunch and dinner meals for 6 weeks. As a comparison and prior to the intervention, participants were offered 2 ounces of a non-citrus drink for 6 weeks prior to the lunch and dinner meals. Twenty-two residents completed both the comparison and intervention periods. Of those, 8 gained weight, 10 maintained and 4 lost weight. The amounts of food ingested during dinner increased significantly (p = 0.001) from the comparison period to the intervention period (208–253 g). For liquids, the amounts ingested during dinner decreased significantly (p = 0.002) from the comparison period to the intervention period (from 356 ml to 310 ml). Further study is needed to test the efficacy of the intervention with a larger sample of residents from multiple nursing homes.     

The prevalence of pain in nursing home residents with dementia measured using an observational pain scale

Background: Studies on pain and pain prevalence in older people with dementia are limited compared to those on cognitively intact older people. Pain prevalence rates in older people with dementia are estimated to be between 28% and 83%. Aims: This study aimed to explore pain prevalence in nursing home residents with dementia using observational scale PACSLAC‐D, and to identify the association between pain prevalence and (dementia) demographic parameters such as cognitive status, gender, analgesic use and co‐morbidity. Methods: Using an observational study design, 117 residents were observed and assessed for pain during personal morning care. Prevalence data were calculated and regression analyses applied. Results: This study showed that almost half of the participants (47%) experienced pain to some extent. However, overall pain intensity scores were relatively mild. Among the independent variables, co‐morbidities, analgesic use and the adjusted interaction term ‘co‐morbidities+analgesic use’ had the strongest associations with pain and were thus shown to be valid significant predictors. Conclusion: With its relatively new approach of measuring pain using an observational scale, this study confirms the expectation gleaned from other studies on less impaired older populations: namely, that pain prevalence in older residents with dementia in Dutch nursing homes is high.     

养老机构老年人跌倒发生流行特征与危险因素分析

目的 了解养老机构老年人跌倒发生现状及存在的主要危险因素,为开展针对性干预提供依据.方法 选择2地区5所养老机构370例60岁及以上老年人为调查对象,应用自行设计的调查表,采用面访方式了解调查对象在2012年11月至2013年10月期间的跌倒发生情况及相关因素.结果 养老机构老年人跌倒发生率为12.97％,主要发生地点为卧室和楼梯/过道,发生跌倒的主要自身原因为腿软、头晕和未保持平衡,主要环境因素为路滑和路面不平;跌伤发生率为5.95％,主要伤及下肢和头部,17.24％为骨折,24.14％需住院治疗,10.34％留有残疾.单因素分析显示年龄(OR=1.044),骨质疏松症(OR=18.488)、眩晕症(OR=5.571)、总体健康评价差(OR=1.608)、有既往跌倒史(OR =20.173),担心跌倒减少活动(OR=2.192)为养老机构老年人跌倒的危险因素;经多因素logistic回归分析,患有骨质疏松症(OR=19.394)和有既往跌倒史(OR=26.751)进入主效应模型.结论 跌倒威胁养老机构老年人的身心健康,应采用综合性干预措施预防跌倒发生.     

Prevalence of sarcopenia and its association with activities of daily living among japanese nursing home residents

Sarcopenia is an important predictor of adverse outcomes in elderly people. Based on a common clinical experience, sarcopenia may be associated with activities of daily living (ADL). To our knowledge, no study has investigated the association between sarcopenia and ADL in nursing home residents requiring long-term care. This cross-sectional study included 250 nursing home residents. Nutritional status, physical function, ADL and cognitive function were assessed using Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF), Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), Barthel Index (BI) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). To examine the factors that may affect self-care capacity, a stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was performed. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 45.2%. Age, MMSE, MNA-SF, SPPB, and grip strength were independently associated with BI. A high prevalence of sarcopenia was observed among nursing home residents in Japan. However, sarcopenia was not associated with ADL.     

Association between age and phase angle in “old” and “super-old” nursing home residents

[Purpose] We aimed to clarify the characteristics of age-related changes based on the body composition data of old and super-old nursing home residents. [Participants and Methods] This cross-sectional study included 53 female nursing home residents aged 75 years and above (mean age: 89.4 years; standard deviation: 5.6 years). They were divided into the old and super-old groups. The old group consisted of 24 participants aged between 75 and 89 years (mean age: 84.4 years; standard deviation: 3.7 years). The super-old group consisted of 29 participants aged 90 years and above (mean age: 93.5 years; standard deviation: 2.7 years). The parameters such as phase angle, skeletal muscle mass index, skeletal muscle mass, body fat percentage, body mass index, and Barthel index were examined in the two groups. The relationship between age and phase angle was determined, and the partial correlation coefficient was analyzed using the items for which a significant difference was found between the two groups as adjustment variables. [Results] The overall phase angle was 3.2 degrees, and that of the super-old group alone was 2.6 degrees. Age-related difference was observed in the phase angle and Barthel index. A significant correlation of −0.53 was observed between age and phase angle. The Barthel index-adjusted partial correlation coefficient between age and phase angle was −0.35. [Conclusion] The results of this study indicated that phase angle is an indicator of physical condition associated with aging in female nursing home residents aged 75 to 100 years.     

State of the science: alleviating mealtime difficulties in nursing home residents with dementia

Three million people will reside in nursing homes (NH) in the United States, and over 50% will experience some level of dementia by 2030. People with dementia become increasingly dependent on others to manage mealtime difficulties and oral intake as the disease progresses. The purpose of this review is to explore the state of the science related to assisted hand-feeding of people with dementia in the NH, identify gaps, and inform future policy. The review was conducted in 2010 and identified sources from journal articles, websites, and other related publications. Results are presented around key themes of characteristics, measurements, related factors, and interventions for alleviating mealtime difficulties in people with dementia. Though in the early stages, international and interdisciplinary research interest exists to understand mealtime difficulties and effective intervention strategies. Health care providers must be able to identify problems and intervene appropriately to alleviate mealtime difficulties.     

Association of pain with behavioral and psychiatric symptoms among nursing home residents with cognitive impairment: results from the SHELTER study

The etiology of behavioral and psychiatric symptoms is generally considered to be multifactorial, and these symptoms often indicate a need for care or assistance, which may include the presence of uncontrolled pain. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the association of pain with behavioral and psychiatric symptoms in a population of nursing home (NH) residents with cognitive impairment in Europe. Data are from the SHELTER project, which contains information on NH residents in 8 countries. Pain was defined as any type of physical pain or discomfort in any part of the body in the 3 days before the assessment. The mean age of 2822 cognitively impaired residents entering the study was 84.1 (standard deviation 9.1) years, and 2110 (74.8%) were women. Of the total sample, 538 residents (19.1%) presented with pain. After adjusting for potential confounders, pain was significantly and positively associated with socially inappropriate behavior (odds ratio [OR] 1.37; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04-1.80), resistance to care (OR 1.41; 95% CI 1.08-1.83), abnormal thought process (OR 1.48; 95% CI 1.16-1.90), and delusions (OR 1.48; 95% CI 1.07-2.03). A borderline inverse association was observed with wandering (OR 0.74; 95% CI 0.55-1.00). In conclusion, this cross-sectional study provides evidence from a large sample of frail elderly showing an association between pain and behavioral and psychiatric symptoms. Treatment models that put together assessment and treatment of pain and evaluate their effect on behavioral and psychiatric symptoms are needed.     

Brakes and levers to implement an animal-assisted intervention in nursing homes: Preliminary study

BackgroundIncreasing numbers of scientific studies have dealt with the benefits of animal assisted intervention programs (AAI). Although many positive effects have been identified, there are still few AAI programs in nursing homes. To date, no study has investigated special the difficulties in implementing such a program.The aim of this study was to explore the representations of this type of program among caregivers.MethodsThis qualitative study was conducted between January and June 2019. Psychologists conducted 11 interviews with people working in nursing homes. The sample was based on different professions and on the fact that participants had already been involved in an IAA program.ResultsThe results were organized according to two main themes: brakes and levers. The results show that the brakes were raised quickly before the implementation of the project, but once the project had been implemented, the perceived beneficial effects multiplied and all those interviewed mentioned the benefits of animals. More than half of the caregivers interviewed mentioned animals as a lever, facilitating contact with elderly people suffering from dementia. Setting up a project upstream enhanced the success of this type of program.ConclusionThe benefits perceived by the people interviewed are consistent with the scientific literature. The obstacles mentioned for implementing this type of program can be reduced by a rigorous and well-thought-out project.