Medical decision-making in the nursing home: a comparison of physician and nurse perspectives

The purpose of this study is to clarify the perspectives of physicians and nurses in the medical decision-making process at the time of status change events in nursing home residents. The decision-making processes studied involved 28 cognitively impaired nursing home residents in a large suburban nursing home. In interviews, the authors ascertained the personal opinions of physicians and the nurses related to the status change event and the decision-making process using the Medical Decision-Making During a Status Change Event Questionnaire. Nurses reported a greater degree of familiarity with the family's and resident's wishes than did physicians. Physicians reported considering more treatment options and choosing more treatments for residents than nurses. Both physicians and nurses reported that the physicians had a major role in decision-making and that nurses did not, yet the gap in reported roles was greater based on physicians' reports in comparison to nurse reports. In a third of the reported cases, physicians and nurses disagreed about whether advance directives had been followed. These findings reflect a division of roles and perspectives of nurses versus physicians in the medical decision-making process. This study demonstrates the ability of the questionnaire to reveal several key differences in perceptions of care. This information could be useful in developing forums for communication among the professionals to enhance mutual understanding.     

The quality of nursing home care in Taiwan

This study describes the quality of care in nursing homes in Taiwan using demographic data, functional status measures, resident clinical care outcomes, and resident's ratings of satisfaction with nursing home care. Three hundred and eight randomly selected elderly residents in 13 nursing homes were interviewed through a structured interview process and demographic and medical information was collected from their nursing home records. Nursing home residents were younger and less functional than their counterparts in the United States. Stroke and dementia were the most common primary diagnoses and more than 27% of the residents had a history of urinary tract infections while more than 25% had been physically restrained within the past 3 months. There was no correlation between the number of nursing home staff per resident and the prevalence of selected clinical care outcomes. A moderate level of satisfaction with nursing home care was reported with acceptance of family visits and nursing home cleanliness rating highest, and loss of personal belongings and life as boring rating lowest. Level of satisfaction with nursing home care was positively correlated with the number of RNs and nursing assistants (NAs) on staff. Recommendations for improving the quality of nursing home care in Taiwan include increased recruitment of multidisciplinary professional and technical nursing home staff; restrictions in the use of restraints with development of alternatives; and use of standardized resident assessment, care planning, and evaluation tools. The authors recommend continuing education in geriatric nursing and continued nursing research focusing on identifying structure and process variables that affect clinical care outcomes and satisfaction with nursing home care.     

The pain experience of cognitively impaired nursing home residents: perceptions of family members and certified nursing assistants.

Pain in cognitively impaired nursing home (NH) elders is difficult to detect. We report the results of the qualitative interview portion of a larger study that characterized the pain experience of cognitively impaired NH residents. Interviews were conducted with 16 family members or friends and 11 certified nursing assistants (CNAs) of 20 cognitively impaired NH residents experiencing pain. Analysis of the interviews yielded themes in family and CNA perceptions of pain in cognitively impaired NH residents. Family members and CNAs concurred that knowing the resident's usual behavior and daily habits was essential to being able to detect pain in cognitively impaired NH residents. Although a majority of family members reported that their relative was "stoic" about pain expression prior to NH placement, personal care information and historical information were perceived as helpful by nursing staff members. CNAs used facial and eye cues to detect pain and pain relief in their assigned residents. In addition, CNAs reported specific pain management strategies for their residents. Major themes related to pain detection in cognitively impaired NH residents identified in this investigation include: (a) knowing the resident; (b) importance of family input about previous pain behaviors in knowing the resident; (c) CNA reliance on face and eye cues for pain detection, particularly with residents who were nonverbal; and (d) the prevalence of pain with caregiving activities. Information from multiple sources can improve pain management strategies for cognitively impaired NH residents.     

Decision-making for acutely ill nursing home residents: nurses in the middle

Title.  Decision-making for acutely ill nursing home residents: nurses in the middle.
Aim.  This paper is a report of a study to generate a model of nursing behaviours and social processes inherent in decision-making for acutely ill nursing home residents.
Background.  Most research concerning clinical decision-making in nursing homes focuses on the perspectives of doctors. Much less is known about the perspectives and actions of nurses with regard to decision-making, despite the centrality of their roles in nursing homes.
Method.  Grounded theory was used. Data were collected in 2004 in four nursing homes in the United States of America using in-depth, semi-structured interviews, 74 hours of non-participant observation and informal conversational interviews with key nursing staff involved in decision-making.
Findings.  Nurses strive to create a plan of care acceptable to family members and doctors, consistent with wishes of residents and most comfortable for residents. A unifying theme of satisfying all sides emerged as representative of the negotiation strategies used by nurses to address these competing points of view. Four phases in this negotiation occurred: weighing the significance ; notifying the family ; feeling it out ; and playing the middleman . The outcome was either a decision for life-prolongation or for palliative care.
Conclusion.  Decisions for nursing home residents are complex and involve weighing and balancing the interests and preferences of many concerned participants, including residents, families and doctors. This process requires skill in clinical judgment, communication and collaboration.     

Staff and family relationships in end-of-life nursing home care

This article examines the involvement of residents and their relatives in end-of-life decisions and care in Norwegian nursing homes. It also explores challenges in these staff-family relationships. The article is based on a nationwide survey examining Norwegian nursing homes' end-of-life care at ward level. Only a minority of the participant Norwegian nursing home wards 'usually' explore residents' preferences for care and treatment at the end of their life, and few have written procedures on the involvement of family caregivers when their relative is in the terminal phase. According to the respondents, most staff seem to comfort relatives well. However, several challenges were described. The study revealed a need for better procedures in the involvement of residents and relatives in nursing home end-of-life care. The findings emphasize a need to strengthen both the involvement of nursing home physicians and staff communication skills.     

Changing to primary nursing in a nursing home in Finland: experiences of residents, their family members and nurses

AIM: The aim of the study was to find out how nursing home residents, their families and nurses experienced the change to primary nursing in the nursing home. BACKGROUND: This study was carried out in a nursing home in Finland. Following years of functional nursing, the change to primary nursing had started 18 months prior to data collection. The transition was preceded by staff training, planning for the change to primary nursing and discussions with staff members. Meetings were also arranged with family members to inform them of what was happening and why. Staff implemented the changeover independently with the support of the institution's management. METHODS: The data were gathered in focused interviews. There were five interview themes: change in the nursing home, the position of the resident in the nursing home, the relationship between the resident and nurse, the relationship between family member and nurse, and the role of the nurse as provider of nursing care. FINDINGS: Residents reported no major changes in nursing care or in their relationship with nurses. However, family members had noticed changes in the behaviour of the nursing staff. Staff members had become friendlier, spent more time with the residents and showed a strong job motivation. Cooperation between nurses and family members had changed very little. Some nurses in the early stages of the change tended to show signs of resistance. Others said that there had been many changes during the past year, that they acted more independently and could use their own decision-making authority more freely than before. They treated residents as individuals and gave them a greater say in decision-making. They felt responsible for the development of the workplace as a collectivity. CONCLUSIONS: Primary nursing is one way in which nurses and family members can work more closely in the best interests of older residents. The findings of this study speak in favour of making the change from functional to primary nursing and at the same time highlight certain problems and possibilities in this process.     

Caregivers' desired patterns of communication with nursing home staff- just TALKKK!

Individuals with cognitive impairment often represent a significant percentage of the residents in a nursing home nurse's care. With years of experience caring for their placed family members, caregivers of these residents are often experts in knowing the resident's needs, habits, behaviors, and moods. Caregivers often wish to convey this insider knowledge to nursing home staff. Furthermore, communication with caregivers promotes trust that personalized, safe, and effective care occurs when they are not there. Based on an interpretive study of the experiences of caregivers who place a family member with Alzheimer's disease in the nursing home, six preferred patterns of communication are presented in this article. The six patterns are represented by the acronym TALKKK (tell them; ask them; listen to them; know their family member by relating and communicating; be knowledgeable about dementia, its progression, dementia-specific care, and commonly used medications; and share that knowledge with them).     

Family members' responsibilities to nursing home residents: "she is the only mother I got"

Findings from this qualitative study indicate that family members of nursing home residents hold themselves responsible for overseeing the care of their loved one, representing the resident's perspective and history, and keeping the family connections. These role expectations can be assets to nursing homes. Nursing and social work staff are called on to be leaders among all staff to maximize constructive family involvement and minimize the stress families may experience if they are not able to fulfill their role expectations.     

Transferring dying nursing home residents to the hospital: DON perspectives on the nurse's role in transfer decisions.

This qualitative study elicits factors that influence decision-making by nurses about transferring a dying resident from the nursing home to the hospital. Focus groups with directors of nursing (DONs) from long-term care facilities revealed those decisions are influenced by knowledge (or lack thereof) of resident or family preferences, nurse interactions with physicians, nursing home technological and personnel resources, and nurse concerns about institutional liability. DONs can improve transfer decisions by communicating with all parties, clarifying nursing home processes for end-of-life care, and scheduling early and thorough conversations with residents and families about end-of-life care. DONs can implement improvements through staff education on communication issues, rigorous evaluation and performance outcome measures related to patient transfer, and conveyance to staff of the institution's mission and the nursing service's values.     

Assaultive behavior in Alzheimer's disease: identifying immediate antecedents during bathing

To identify immediate antecedents of bathing-related physical assaults against caregivers by nursing home residents with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, videotapes of nursing home residents who physically assaulted nursing assistants during baths were analyzed. Caregiver behaviors that occurred significantly (p < .01) more often during the 5 seconds preceding an assault included: calling the resident by name, confrontational communication, invalidation of the resident's feelings, failure to prepare the resident for a task, disrespectful speech, any touch, absence of physical restraint, and hurried pace of bath. Assaults were significantly more likely when caregivers sprayed water without a verbal prompt; the resident's feet, axilla, or perineum were touched; residents exhibited signs of temperature discomfort; and multiple caregivers were present. Improved caregiver training and individualized, gentler bathing methods should be investigated as methods of reducing assaults.     

Ambulatory hospice training in family medicine residency

End-of-life care has become an important competency for primary care physicians, and yet many family physicians feel unprepared in the areas of hospice and/or palliative medicine. In preparation for designing an ambulatory geriatrics rotation within a family medicine residency training program, a needs assessment revealed gaps in hospice training specific to the philosophy of hospice and the common settings in which it is practiced. A hospice-focused core curriculum unit was developed, using a community-based hospice experience and formal seminars. The resident's community-based experiences included home visits and nursing home contacts as part of a multispecialty hospice team. End-of-rotation resident assessments and rotations evaluations revealed enhanced resident understanding of hospice philosophy and venues, increased knowledge of the criteria for hospice admission and medical management of the dying patient and an increased intention to refer patients to a hospice program, although follow-up audits of referral patterns were inconclusive to date.     

Relatives' assessment of pain in cognitively impaired nursing home residents

To assess the utility of relatives' assessments of pain in cognitively impaired nursing home residents, the internal consistency of these assessments, and their relationship to other assessments of pain, was examined in a correlational study of 79 residents of a large suburban nursing home. The cohort was 85% female and had an average age of 87 years. The sample included moderately and severely cognitively impaired residents, some of whom were taking pain medication. The results demonstrated that relatives were less likely to rate the pain of the resident when the resident's cognitive level was more impaired and when they had a longer stay in the nursing home. The internal consistency of the relatives' ratings were good and, when only relatives who visited at least once a week were included, correlated significantly with most Minimum Data Set (MDS), resident, physician, and nursing staff ratings. They also correlated significantly with frequency of visits, higher cognitive function, type of relationship with the resident, and with a shorter stay in the nursing home. Relatives' ratings of pain and of past sources of pain may prove useful in the detection of pain in cognitively impaired persons. However, relative's pain ratings are only useful when relatives visit regularly. Like other informants, relatives have more difficulty rating pain when the resident is severely cognitively impaired.     

Attitudes of Egyptian nursing home residents towards staying in a nursing home: a qualitative study

Aim.  The aim of this study was to identify the attitudes of Egyptian nursing home residents towards staying in a nursing home and to differentiate between various types of these attitudes.
Background.  The number of older persons in Egypt who require nursing care is increasing. In response, nursing homes in bigger cities like Cairo were founded, although family care seems to be the prevalent norm.
Methods.  Semi-structured guideline interviews were performed with 21 residents from four different nursing homes in Cairo. Interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.
Findings.  One category of resident was those who were sent to the nursing home by persons closely related to them. Another category made their own decision to move to a nursing home. Relationships with social networks and self-help abilities are factors of importance in influencing decision-making.
Conclusion.  Nursing homes in Egypt fulfil different functions for different types of older persons. Charitable institutions are a last resort for those with no income and a disrupted social network. For better-off older persons, nursing homes may provide the benefits of socialising with peers and receiving medical treatment.     

Caring for a family member with Alzheimer's disease: coping with caregiver burden post-nursing home placement

Most nursing home research has focused on predictors for placement, the placement decision-making process, or the effects of placement on the nursing home resident. Little research is available on family caregivers' experiences after placing their loved ones in a nursing home. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify how family caregivers coped with the burden of post-nursing home placement of a family member with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Several factors that positively or negatively affected coping among family caregivers were identified. Family caregivers' interactions with their loved one, other nursing home residents, family and friends, nursing staff, and the nursing home-sponsored support group all contributed positively to their coping with the burden of post-nursing home placement. Factors that decreased family caregivers' coping were role disruption, guilt over placement, and uncertainty about the future.     

Death in the nursing home: resident, family, and staff perspectives

The actual experience of dying in the United States is far different from the expressed desires of most Americans. Although most Americans express a preference for dying at home, 73% of Americans die in medical institutions, with 23% dying in nursing homes (Teno, 2004). In this article, the author examines end-of-life care in the nursing home. A literature review identified more than 100 published articles relevant to end-of-life care in nursing homes. Of these, the author evaluated empirical research studies from the perspectives of residents, family members, and nursing home staff with findings specific to seriously ill nursing home residents. By identifying problematic issues and contributing factors, nurses can modify their practice to improve end-of-life care and substantially reduce suffering for nursing home residents and their families.     

Problems of nursing home residents: nurse and resident perceptions

The nurse's consideration of the nursing home resident's perspective of his or her problems conveys respect for the resident as an individual and as a valued source of information concerning his or her own needs. Such consideration facilitates mutual setting of goals for patient achievement. The purpose of this study was to determine the similarities and differences between the nurse's perception of the nursing home resident's problems and the resident's perception of his or her problems. Thirty-one residents and their nurses completed questionnaires to identify perceived needs for assistance with daily activities and to assess the presence and degree of specified common problems. Out of 45 items, significant differences between nurse and resident ratings were found for the following 7 items: assistance needed for bathing and grooming, appetite problems, loss of bladder control, difficulty breathing at rest, decreased sense of smell, and loss of usefulness. Implications for nursing practice and nursing staff education are discussed.     

Transferring dying nursing home residents to the hospital: DON perspectives on the nurse’s role in transfer decisions

This qualitative study elicits factors that influence decision-making by nurses about transferring a dying resident from the nursing home to the hospital. Focus groups with directors of nursing (DONs) from long-term care facilities revealed those decisions are influenced by knowledge (or lack thereof) of resident or family preferences, nurse interactions with physicians, nursing home technological and personnel resources, and nurse concerns about institutional liability. DONs can improve transfer decisions by communicating with all parties, clarifying nursing home processes for end-of-life care, and scheduling early and thorough conversations with residents and families about end-of-life care. DONs can implement improvements through staff education on communication issues, rigorous evaluation and performance outcome measures related to patient transfer, and conveyance to staff of the institution’s mission and the nursing service’s values. (Geriatr Nurs 2001;22:313-7)