Bringing Multiples Home

Bringing multiples home differs from bringing home a single newborn. Mothers have experienced a more challenging pregnancy; a multiples pregnancy often results in a preterm delivery. As a result, bringing multiples home requires different discharge planning, preparation, and parent education to ensure each multiple receives the nurturing and physical care needed to thrive.     

Family Quality of Life: Perspectives of Family Caregivers of People with Dementia

Aims: Most caregiving literature focuses on individual-level outcomes, with sparse knowledge on family-level outcomes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to describe the family quality of life (FQOL) of people with dementia and identify factors that influence their FQOL, as perceived by family caregivers. Methods: A convenience sample of 31 family caregivers of people with dementia was interviewed using a modified version of the Family Quality of Life Survey (FQOLS-2006). Statistical analyses were conducted to examine domain level and global FQOL outcomes. Results: Although caregivers reported the highest level of attainment in the domain of family health, they were also least satisfied with this domain. Global FQOL was significantly associated with caregiver health, care-recipient co-morbidities of psychological and motor problems, and three (health, leisure, community) of the nine FQOL domain level outcomes. Conclusion: Encouraging families to increase leisure participation can improve their health and global FQOL.     

Family Care Giving at Home as a Solitary Journey

Home caregivers play an increasingly important role in providing health services for family members. Although many studies have been done to measure burden and related concepts, few studies have examined holistically the caregiving experiences. A grounded-theory design was used to better understand the caregiving experience from the perspective of caregivers. Seventeen families from a metropolitan intermountain western area comprised the sample. Recipients of care ranged in age from 14 months to 87 years. People with documented mental illness, dementia, or Alzheimer's disease were excluded from the sample. Interviews were conducted in participants'homes. Data were analyzed through constant comparative analysis. The central idea emerging from the data was caregiving as a solitary journey. Burden, responsibility, isolation, and commitment shaped the context of the journey.     

Pediatric Dismissal Protocol to Aid the Transition from Hospital Care to Home Care

The effectiveness of a written Home Instruction Sheet was studied for increase of knowledge and follow-through of home instructions. Verbal home instructions were given to 34 parents of children being dismissed from a pediatric unit. In addition, a written Home Instruction Sheet was given to 33 parents. The instruction sheet contained five categories of instructions: physician's visit, diet, activity, medication regime, and special instructions. After four days the parents were interviewed with a follow-up phone call questionnaire. The responses of the parents who received the written Home Instruction Sheet were significantly more accurate in three of five major categories of questions: that is, physician's visit, diet instructions, and special instructions (p < .05). Knowledge in the category of activity instructions approached significance at a level of.06. Knowledge in medication regimes was not significant.
In the categories of physician's visit and diet instructions, there was a significantly greater level of positive responses for follow-through of home instructions from the parents who received the written Home Instruction Sheet than from those parents who received verbal instructions. The responses to the follow-through of home care demonstrated no significant difference in three of the five categories: activity instructions, medication regime, and special instructions. These findings suggest that written home instructions can assist parents/families in their accuracy of knowledge and follow-through of home instructions.     

An Introduction to Pediatric Home Health Care

purpose . To provide an overview of the delivery of home health care services to pediatric patients
population . All pediatric patients
conclusions . Institution-based nurses are integral in making referrals for home health care services and assuring home health care agencies have the needed information for providing seamless services.
practice implications . Institution-based nurses are the first line in the transition to home and are key members in making the transition happen without unnecessary difficulty for the child and family. This article presents pragmatic information about home health care agencies and how they operate so that institution-based nurses can maximize the benefit their pediatric patients receive from home health care.     

神经外科术后病人家庭康复护理

对２４例神经科术后病人进行系统的家庭整体康复护理,收到了良好的效果;具体论述在家庭康复护理中运用护理评估、诊断、实施、评价四个护理程序。内容包括服务方式、健康教育、心理护理、环境设置、功能锻炼、自理能力训练等,指出家庭康复护理有助于促进患者康复,减轻经济负担,提高护士素质,加快护理发展。     

老年性痴呆患者亲属照料负担与心理健康的相关性分析

目的；了解老年性痴呆患者家庭照料者的照料负担和心理健康状况，提高患者的家庭照料质量和延缓疾病进程，为社区心理卫生服务提供目标依据。方法；采用自编一般情况问卷表、照料负担量表（BCS）、照料者生活变化问卷及90项症状清单量表（SCL-90）对275例老年性痴呆患者的家庭照料者进行问卷调查。结果：共216位照料者接受调查。BCS及照料者生活变化问卷测评显示，老年性痴呆患者的照料负担依次为经济负担〉心理健康〉家庭生活〉家庭关系〉躯体健康〉家庭活动。SCL-90测评显示照料者心理健康水平均有不同程度下降，且照料负担与SCL-90总分呈正相关性，提示家庭照料负担越重，对照料者心理健康影响越大。结论；医生应帮助照料者认识该病，了解照料技巧，适应生存环境及改善其负性心理；同时加强对社区内老年性痴呆疾病的健康宣教，提高收治率，以解决照料者的后顾之忧。     

Important Attributes of Quality Health Care: Consumer Perspectives

Purpose: Despite extensive research on defining and measuring health care quality, little attention has been given to consumers' perspectives of high-quality health care. The purposes of this study were to (a) identify the importance to consumers of attributes of health care quality and nursing care quality, and (b) examine the relationship of consumer perspectives to health status and selected demographic variables.
Design: Exploratory. Consumers (N = 239) were recruited from waiting rooms of clinics and in neighborhoods of a large metropolitan area in the Midwestern United States that included both urban and suburban populations.
Methods: Participants completed the Quality Health Care Questionnaire (QHCQ) and the SF-36 Health Survey. On the QHCQ, they rated the importance of 27 attributes of health care and nursing care quality. The SF-36 is a 36-item instrument for measuring health status in eight general areas.
Findings: The most important indicators of high-quality nursing care to consumers were: being cared for by nurses who are up-to-date and well informed; being able to communicate with the nurse; spending enough time with the nurse and not feeling rushed during the visit; having a nurse teach about the illness, medications, treatments, and staying healthy; and being able to call a nurse with questions. The lowest-rated item was having an opportunity to be cared for by nurse practitioners. Ratings differed by race, age, years of education, income, and health status.
Conclusions: The importance that consumers place on teaching by the nurse was emphasized, particularly among people with less education, low income levels, and chronic illnesses.