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Sample records for home-based discharge program

  1. Home-based intermediate care program vs hospitalization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armstrong, Catherine Deri; Hogg, William E.; Lemelin, Jacques; Dahrouge, Simone; Martin, Carmel; Viner, Gary S.; Saginur, Raphael

    2008-01-01

    OBJECTIVE To explore whether a home-based intermediate care program in a large Canadian city lowers the cost of care and to look at whether such home-based programs could be a solution to the increasing demands on Canadian hospitals. DESIGN Single-arm study with historical controls. SETTING Department of Family Medicine at the Ottawa Hospital (Civic campus) in Ontario. PARTICIPANTS Patients requiring hospitalization for acute care. Participants were matched with historical controls based on case-mix, most responsible diagnosis, and level of complexity. INTERVENTIONS Placement in the home-based intermediate care program. Daily home visits from the nurse practitioner and 24-hour access to care by telephone. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Multivariate regression models were used to estimate the effect of the program on 5 outcomes: length of stay in hospital, cost of care substituted for hospitalization (Canadian dollars), readmission for a related diagnosis, readmission for any diagnosis, and costs incurred by community home-care services for patients following discharge from hospital. RESULTS The outcomes of 43 hospital admissions were matched with those of 363 controls. Patients enrolled in the program stayed longer in hospital (coefficient 3.3 days, P costs of home-based care were not significantly different from the costs of hospitalization (coefficient -$501, P = .11). CONCLUSION While estimated cost savings were not statistically significant, the limitations of our study suggest that we underestimated these savings. In particular, the economic inefficiencies of a small immature program and the inability to control for certain factors when selecting historical controls affected our results. Further research is needed to determine the economic effect of mature home-based programs. PMID:18208958

  2. Home discharge of technology-dependent children: evaluation of a respiratory-therapist driven family education program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tearl, Donna K; Hertzog, James H

    2007-02-01

    Initial hospital discharge to home of technology-dependent children requires extensive training and education of the family caregivers. Education of adult family members should promote positive interactions in a nonthreatening manner while facilitating the development of the knowledge and skills to competently and independently provide all aspects of the medical care. We utilize a training program for adult family members of children who have undergone tracheostomy to facilitate long-term mechanical ventilatory support and who are being prepared for their initial discharge from the hospital to home. A dedicated respiratory therapist family educator directs this program. Multiple teaching tools, activities, and training sessions, based on adult learning theory, are utilized to develop appropriate clinical skills to manage children with tracheostomies and the associated technological supports. We evaluated the effectiveness of our program by administering a written test to caregivers, at the start and the conclusion of their training. We also surveyed the caregivers about their satisfaction with the educational program and the respiratory therapist family educator's performance. We also surveyed employees of the durable medical equipment companies used by the families, regarding the caregivers' knowledge and competency in the home one month following discharge. Our program was associated with a statistically significant improvement in caregiver test performance, and the caregivers expressed a high degree of satisfaction with the program. The employees of the durable medical equipment companies perceived a high degree of knowledge and competence on the part of the home caregivers. Our training program appears to have a positive impact on the educational preparation of caregivers.

  3. Assessment of the effectiveness of a home-based care program for patients coinfected with tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus after discharge from a reference hospital in South-Eastern Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Alessandro Plá Bento

    Full Text Available The effectiveness of tuberculosis treatment delivered by a home-based care program to patients coinfected with HIV was compared with that of a service provided by outpatient departments. A retrospective study was made of a cohort of coinfected patients discharged from hospital between January 1998 and December 2002 who had been followed-up for one year within one of these programs. Two-hundred-and-forty-three patients who met the inclusion criteria were grouped according to their treatment program (group 1 received home-based care; group 2 attended outpatient departments and then paired one-to-one across the groups by gender, age and level of education. Only 48 patients from each group could be paired. Apart from the duration of HIV infection, there were no statistically significant differences (P < 0.05 between patients in the two groups with respect to social-demographic status and clinical or laboratory characteristics. In group 1, 75.0% of patients attained successful tuberculosis treatment compared with 72.9% of those in group 2 (P = 0.816. Treatment was abandoned by 22.9% of patients in group 1 and by 54.2% of those in group 2 (P = 0.008. The death rate within one year after discharge was 20.8% for group 1 compared with 6.3% for group 2 (P = 0.334. Although both programs achieved a similar success rate in the treatment of tuberculosis, patients receiving outpatient care were three to eight-times more likely to abandon the program. The importance of assigning patients at-risk of abandoning treatment to a home-based care program after discharge from hospital is emphasized.

  4. 45 CFR 1306.33 - Home-based program option.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Home-based program option. 1306.33 Section 1306.33... PROGRAM HEAD START STAFFING REQUIREMENTS AND PROGRAM OPTIONS Head Start Program Options § 1306.33 Home-based program option. (a) Grantees implementing a home-based program option must: (1) Provide one home...

  5. Early discharge hospital at home.

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    Gonçalves-Bradley, Daniela C; Iliffe, Steve; Doll, Helen A; Broad, Joanna; Gladman, John; Langhorne, Peter; Richards, Suzanne H; Shepperd, Sasha

    2017-06-26

    Early discharge hospital at home is a service that provides active treatment by healthcare professionals in the patient's home for a condition that otherwise would require acute hospital inpatient care. This is an update of a Cochrane review. To determine the effectiveness and cost of managing patients with early discharge hospital at home compared with inpatient hospital care. We searched the following databases to 9 January 2017: the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Group (EPOC) register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and EconLit. We searched clinical trials registries. Randomised trials comparing early discharge hospital at home with acute hospital inpatient care for adults. We excluded obstetric, paediatric and mental health hospital at home schemes.   DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We followed the standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane and EPOC. We used the GRADE approach to assess the certainty of the body of evidence for the most important outcomes. We included 32 trials (N = 4746), six of them new for this update, mainly conducted in high-income countries. We judged most of the studies to have a low or unclear risk of bias. The intervention was delivered by hospital outreach services (17 trials), community-based services (11 trials), and was co-ordinated by a hospital-based stroke team or physician in conjunction with community-based services in four trials.Studies recruiting people recovering from strokeEarly discharge hospital at home probably makes little or no difference to mortality at three to six months (risk ratio (RR) 0.92, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.57 to 1.48, N = 1114, 11 trials, moderate-certainty evidence) and may make little or no difference to the risk of hospital readmission (RR 1.09, 95% CI 0.71 to 1.66, N = 345, 5 trials, low-certainty evidence). Hospital at home may lower the risk of living in institutional setting at six months (RR 0.63, 96% CI

  6. Effectiveness of community-based rehabilitation after traumatic brain injury for 489 program completers compared with those precipitously discharged.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Altman, Irwin M; Swick, Shannon; Parrot, Devan; Malec, James F

    2010-11-01

    To evaluate outcomes of home- and community-based postacute brain injury rehabilitation (PABIR). Retrospective analysis of program evaluation data for treatment completers and noncompleters. Home- and community-based PABIR conducted in 7 geographically distinct U.S. cities. Patients (N=489) with traumatic brain injury who completed the prescribed course of rehabilitation (completed-course-of-treatment [CCT] group) compared with 114 who were discharged precipitously before program completion (precipitous-discharge [PD] group). PABIR delivered in home and community settings by certified professional staff on an individualized basis. Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory (MPAI-4) completed by means of professional consensus on admission and at discharge; MPAI-4 Participation Index at 3- and 12-month follow-up through telephone contact. Analysis of covariance (CCT vs PD group as between-subjects variable, admission MPAI-4 score as covariate) showed significant differences between groups at discharge on the full MPAI-4 (F=82.25; P<.001), Ability Index (F=50.24; P<.001), Adjustment Index (F=81.20; P<.001), and Participation Index (F=59.48; P<.001). A large portion of the sample was lost to follow-up; however, available data showed that group differences remained statistically significant at follow-up. Results provided evidence of the effectiveness of home- and community-based PABIR and that treatment effects were maintained at follow-up. Copyright © 2010 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Hospital-at-home Integrated Care Program for Older Patients With Orthopedic Processes: An Efficient Alternative to Usual Hospital-Based Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Closa, Conxita; Mas, Miquel À; Santaeugènia, Sebastià J; Inzitari, Marco; Ribera, Aida; Gallofré, Miquel

    2017-09-01

    To compare outcomes and costs for patients with orthogeriatric conditions in a home-based integrated care program versus conventional hospital-based care. Quasi-experimental longitudinal study. An acute care hospital, an intermediate care hospital, and the community of an urban area in the North of Barcelona, in Southern Europe. In a 2-year period, we recruited 367 older patients attended at an orthopedic/traumatology unit in an acute hospital for fractures and/or arthroplasty. Patients were referred to a hospital-at-home integrated care unit or to standard hospital-based postacute orthogeriatric unit, based on their social support and availability of the resource. We compared home-based care versus hospital-based care for Relative Functional Gain (gain/loss of function measured by the Barthel Index), mean direct costs, and potential savings in terms of reduction of stay in the acute care hospital. No differences were found in Relative Functional Gain, median (Q25-Q75) = 0.92 (0.64-1.09) in the home-based group versus 0.93 (0.59-1) in the hospital-based group, P =.333. Total health service direct cost [mean (standard deviation)] was significantly lower for patients receiving home-based care: €7120 (3381) versus €12,149 (6322), P home-based care [10.1 (7)] than in patients discharged to the postacute orthogeriatric hospital-based unit [15.3 (12) days, P home integrated care program was suitable for managing older patients with orthopedic conditions who have good social support for home care. It provided clinical care comparable to the hospital-based model, and it seems to enable earlier acute hospital discharge and lower direct costs. Copyright © 2017 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Rehabilitation in home care is associated with functional improvement and preferred discharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cook, Richard J; Berg, Katherine; Lee, Ker-Ai; Poss, Jeffrey W; Hirdes, John P; Stolee, Paul

    2013-06-01

    To investigate the impact of physiotherapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) services on long-stay home care patients with musculoskeletal disorders. Observational study. Home care programs. All long-stay home care patients between 2003 and 2008 (N=99,764) with musculoskeletal disorders who received a baseline Resident Assessment Instrument for Home Care assessment, 1 follow-up assessment, and had discharge or death records. PT and OT. The effects of PT and OT services on transitions in functional state, discharge from home care with service plans complete, institutionalization, and death were assessed via multistate Markov models. Home care patients with deficiencies in instrumental activities of daily living and/or activities of daily living at baseline and who received home-based rehabilitation had significantly increased odds of showing functional improvements by their next assessment (for a state 3 to state 2 transition: odds ratio [OR]=1.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-1.26; Pfunding for health care services, it is essential to provide the right services at the right time in a cost-effective manner. Long-stay home care patients who receive rehabilitation at home have improved outcomes and lower utilization of costly health services. Our findings suggest that investment in PT and OT services for relatively short periods may provide savings to the health care system over the longer term. Copyright © 2013 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. The effects of a home-visiting discharge education on maternal self-esteem, maternal attachment, postpartum depression and family function in the mothers of NICU infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahn, Young-Mee; Kim, Mi-Ran

    2004-12-01

    A quasi-experimental study was performed to investigate the effects of a home visiting discharge education program on the maternal self-esteem, attachment, postpartum depression and family function in 35 mothers of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) infants. Twenty-three mothers in the intervention group received the home visiting discharge education while 12 mothers in the control group received the routine, hospital discharge education. Baseline data was collected in both groups one day after delivery. The intervention group received the home visiting discharge education while the control group did the routine hospital-based discharge education. The questionnaire including the data on maternal self-esteem, attachment, postpartum depression and family function were collected within 1 week after the discharge by mail. The scores of maternal self-esteem, and attachment were significantly increased, and the postpartum depression and the family function score were decreased after the home visiting discharge education in intervention group. There were no changes in these variables before and after the routine hospital-based discharge education in control group. These results support the beneficial effects of home visiting discharge education on the maternal role adaptation and family function of the mothers of NICU infants.

  10. Telephone follow-up initiated by a hospital-based health professional for postdischarge problems in patients discharged from hospital to home.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mistiaen, P.; Poot, E.

    2003-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: To determine the effects of follow-up telephone calls (TFU) in the first month post discharge, initiated by hospital-based health professionals, to patients discharged from hospital to home, with regard to physical and psycho-social outcomes in the first three months post discharge. The

  11. SCI Hospital in Home Program: Bringing Hospital Care Home for Veterans With Spinal Cord Injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madaris, Linda L; Onyebueke, Mirian; Liebman, Janet; Martin, Allyson

    2016-01-01

    The complex nature of spinal cord injury (SCI) and the level of care required for health maintenance frequently result in repeated hospital admissions for recurrent medical complications. Prolonged hospitalizations of persons with SCI have been linked to the increased risk of hospital-acquired infections and development or worsening pressure ulcers. An evidence-based alternative for providing hospital-level care to patients with specific diagnoses who are willing to receive that level of care in the comfort of their home is being implemented in a Department of Veterans Affairs SCI Home Care Program. The SCI Hospital in Home (HiH) model is similar to a patient-centered interdisciplinary care model that was first introduced in Europe and later tested as part of a National Demonstration and Evaluation Study through Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and School of Public Health. This was funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The objectives of the program are to support veterans' choice and access to patient-centered care, reduce the reliance on inpatient medical care, allow for early discharge, and decrease medical costs. Veterans with SCI who are admitted to the HiH program receive daily oversight by a physician, daily visits by a registered nurse, access to laboratory services, oxygen, intravenous medications, and nursing care in the home setting. In this model, patients may typically access HiH services either as an "early discharge" from the hospital or as a direct admit to the program from the emergency department or SCI clinic. Similar programs providing acute hospital-equivalent care in the home have been previously implemented and are successfully demonstrating decreased length of stay, improved patient access, and increased patient satisfaction.

  12. Telephone follow-up initiated by a hospital-based health professional for postdischarge problems in patients discharged from hospital to home. (Review)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mistiaen, P.; Poot, E.

    2006-01-01

    Objectives: To determine the effects of follow-up telephone calls (TFU) in the first month post discharge, initiated by hospital-based health professionals, to patients discharged from hospital to home, with regard to physical and psycho-social outcomes in the first three months post discharge. The

  13. Early home-supported discharge after stroke

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Langhorne, P.; Jepsen, Birgitte G.; Larsen, Torben

    2014-01-01

    benefit most are likely to have moderate stroke severity and may be able to cooperate with rehabilitation in the home setting. Staffing requirements will vary according to several factors. These will include (a) the severity and complexity of stroke impairments, (b) the current level of community support......This report is a brief practical problem-based guide to support clinical management in the implementation of early home-supported discharge as an integrated part of stroke care. However, it is clear that skilled members of a multidisciplinary team are needed and they need to work in a coordinated......, (c) the duration of rehabilitation input, and (d) the rehabilitation targets planned. (C) 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health vertical bar Lippincott Williams & Wilkins....

  14. Intra-articular Analgesia and Discharge to Home Enhance Recovery Following Total Knee Replacement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duggal, Shivi; Flics, Susan; Cornell, Charles N

    2015-02-01

    The increasing demand for total knee arthroplasty (TKR) and the initiatives to reduce health care spending have put the responsibility for efficient care on hospitals and providers. Multidisciplinary care pathways have been shown to shorten length of stay and result in improved short-term outcomes. However, common problems such as post-op nausea, orthostasis, and quad weakness remain, while reliance on discharge to rehabilitation facilities may also prolong hospital stay. Our aim was to document that combined modifications of our traditional clinical pathway for unilateral TKR could lead to improved short-term outcomes. We pose the following research questions. Can pathway modifications which include intra-articular infusion and saphenous nerve block (SNB) provide adequate pain relief and eliminate common side effects promoting earlier mobilization? Can planning for discharge to home avoid in-patient rehab stays? Can these combined modifications decrease length of stay even in patients with complex comorbidities indicated by higher ASA class? Will discharge to home incur an increase in complications or a failure to achieve knee range of motion? A retrospective review was performed and identified two cohorts. Group A included 116 patients that underwent unilateral TKR for osteoarthritis between August 2009 and August 2010. Group B included 171 patients that underwent unilateral TKR for osteoarthritis between February 2012 to February 2013. Group A patients were treated with spinal anesthesia with patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA)/femoral nerve block (FNB) for the first 48 h after surgery. Discharge planning was initiated after admission. Group B had spinal anesthesia with SNB and received a continuous intra-articular infusion of 0.2% ropivicaine for 48 h post-op. Discharge planning was initiated with a case manager prior to hospitalization and discharge to home was declared the preferred approach. An intensive home PT program was made available through

  15. "I don't know what I was expecting": Home visits by neonatology fellows for infants discharged from the NICU.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hobbs, Janice E; Tschudy, Megan M; Hussey-Gardner, Brenda; Jennings, Jacky M; Boss, Renee D

    2017-12-01

    When families transition from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to the home, they become responsible for their infant's daily medical needs. Though neonatology physicians prepare families for hospital discharge, it is unclear how much clinicians understand about how their teaching and instructions translate into home care. The goal of this study was to evaluate the influence of a home visiting program on neonatology fellows' understanding of family needs soon after hospital discharge. Neonatology fellows conducted a home visit for an infant recently discharged. Before the visit, fellows reviewed their original discharge instructions, along with information about the family's neighborhood. During the home visit, fellows reviewed their discharge planning with families and discussed any challenges experienced. Afterwards, fellows completed a semi-structured interview; these transcriptions were manually coded for themes. Fellows identified several common women/family discharge challenges. These challenges fall into four domains: (1) inadequate discharge preparation, (2) medicalization of the home, (3) family adjustment to new "normal," and (4) the relevance of social context to discharge planning. Most (90%) fellows reported the home visit experience would affect their future NICU discharge practices and all agreed that home visits should be a part of neonatology training. Home visits allowed neonatology fellows to examine how their discharge preparation did, or did not, meet the family's needs. Incorporating home visits into neonatology training could help fellows learn about the relevance of social and community factors that are difficult to assess in the inpatient setting. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. Impact of Home Health Care on Health Care Resource Utilization Following Hospital Discharge: A Cohort Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Roy; Miller, Jacob A; Zafirau, William J; Gorodeski, Eiran Z; Young, James B

    2018-04-01

    As healthcare costs rise, home health care represents an opportunity to reduce preventable adverse events and costs following hospital discharge. No studies have investigated the utility of home health care within the context of a large and diverse patient population. A retrospective cohort study was conducted between 1/1/2013 and 6/30/2015 at a single tertiary care institution to assess healthcare utilization after discharge with home health care. Control patients discharged with "self-care" were matched by propensity score to home health care patients. The primary outcome was total healthcare costs in the 365-day post-discharge period. Secondary outcomes included follow-up readmission and death. Multivariable linear and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to adjust for covariates. Among 64,541 total patients, 11,266 controls were matched to 6,363 home health care patients across 11 disease-based Institutes. During the 365-day post-discharge period, home health care was associated with a mean unadjusted savings of $15,233 per patient, or $6,433 after adjusting for covariates (p Home health care independently decreased the hazard of follow-up readmission (HR 0.82, p home health care most benefited patients discharged from the Digestive Disease (death HR 0.72, p home health care was associated with significant reduction in healthcare utilization and decreased hazard of readmission and death. These data inform development of value-based care plans. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Determinants of Home Discharge Among Survivors of Necrotizing Fasciitis: A Population-Level Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oud, Lavi

    2016-07-01

    The majority of patients with necrotizing fasciitis (NF) in the United Sates survive their illness, and there is increasing interest in addressing the ability of survivors to return to their community following hospitalization. However, there are no data on the factors affecting home discharge among survivors of NF. We used the Texas Inpatient Public Use Data File to conduct a retrospective population-based examination of hospitalizations with NF aged 15 years or older between 2001 and 2010. Multivariate logistic regression modeling was used to explore predictors of home discharge among hospital survivors. There were 10,724 NF hospitalizations surviving to discharge during study period, of which 62.5% were discharged home. The following key predictors have adversely affected odds of home discharge (odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals): age ≥ 75 years (0.349 (0.292 - 0.417)), Medicare insurance (0.582 (0.510 - 0.663)), congestive heart failure (0.836 (0.719 - 0.972)), chronic liver disease (0.684 (0.522 - 0.895)), respiratory failure (0.464 (0.386 - 0.558)), neurological failure (0.573 (0.418 - 0.787)), and need for mechanical ventilation (0.339 (0.199 - 0.578)). Increased odds of home discharge were found among males (1.116 (1.058 - 1.285)), Hispanics (1.193 (1.056 - 1.349)), those lacking health insurance (2.161 (1.183 - 2.521)) or managed at a teaching hospital (1.264 (1.127 - 1.418)). In this first population-level examination of the determinants of home discharge among survivors of NF, older age, Medicare insurance, selected comorbidities, and development of organ failure decreased patients' odds of home discharge. Unexpectedly, male gender, Hispanic ethnicity, lack of health insurance, and being managed at a teaching hospital were associated with favorable impact on patients' discharge disposition. Further studies are warranted in other populations and healthcare environments to corroborate the present findings and to refine our understanding of the

  18. [Current Status of Home Visit Programs: Activities and Barriers of Home Care Nursing Services].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, Eui Geum; Lee, Hyun Joo; Kim, Yukyung; Sung, Ji Hyun; Park, Young Su; Yoo, Jae Yong; Woo, Soohee

    2015-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the current status of home care nursing services provided by community health nurses and to identify barriers to the services. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with three types of community health care nurses. Participants were 257 nurses, 46 of whom were hospital based home care nurses, 176 were community based visiting nurses, and 35 were long term care insurance based visiting nurses. A structured questionnaire on 7 domains of home care nursing services with a 4-point Likert scale was used to measure activities and barriers to care. Data were analyzed using SPSS WIN 21.0 program. Hospital based home care nurses showed a high level of service performance activity in the domain of clinical laboratory tests, medications and injections, therapeutic nursing, and education. Community based visiting nurses had a high level of service performance in the reference domain. Long term care insurance based visiting nurses showed a high level of performance in the service domains of fundamental nursing and counseling. The results show that although health care service provided by the three types of community health nurse overlapped, the focus of the service is differentiated. Therefore, these results suggest that existing home care services will need to be utilized efficiently in the development of a new nursing care service for patients living in the community after hospital discharge.

  19. Early Home Supported Discharge of Stroke Patients:

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Torben; Olsen, T. Skyhøj; Sørensen, Jan

    2006-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: A comprehensive and systematic assessment (HTA) of early home-supported discharge by a multidisciplinary team that plans, coordinates, and delivers care at home (EHSD) was undertaken and the results were compared with that of conventional rehabilitation at stroke units. METHODS......: A systematic literature search for randomized trials (RCTs) on "early supported discharge" was closed in April 2005. RCTs on EHSD without information on (i) death or institution at follow-up, (ii) change in Barthél Index, (iii) length of hospital stay, (iv) intensity of home rehabilitation, or (v) baseline...... are discussed. CONCLUSIONS: EHSD is evidenced as a dominant health intervention. However, financial barriers between municipalities and health authorities have to be overcome. For qualitative reasons, a learning path of implementation is recommended where one stroke unit in a region initiates EHSD...

  20. Factors associated with discharge to home versus discharge to institutional care after inpatient stroke rehabilitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Vu Q C; PrvuBettger, Janet; Guerrier, Tami; Hirsch, Mark A; Thomas, J George; Pugh, Terrence M; Rhoads, Charles F

    2015-07-01

    To examine sociodemographic and clinical characteristics independently associated with discharge home compared with discharge to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) after acute inpatient rehabilitation. Retrospective cohort study. Three tertiary accredited acute care rehabilitation facilities. Adult patients with stroke (N=2085). Not applicable. Not applicable. Of 2085 patients with stroke treated at 3 centers over a 4-year period, 78.2% (n=1631) were discharged home and 21.8% (n=454) discharged to an SNF. Findings from a multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that patients were less likely to be discharged home if they were older (odds ratio [OR], .98; 95% confidence interval [CI], .96-.99), separated or divorced (compared with married; OR, .61; 95% CI, .48-.79), or with Medicare health insurance (compared with private insurance; OR, .69; 95% CI, .55-.88), or had dysphagia (OR, .83; 95% CI, .71-.98) or cognitive deficits (OR, .79; 95% CI, .77-.81). The odds of being discharged home were higher for those admitted with a higher motor FIM score (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.09-1.11). The following were not associated with discharge disposition: sex, race, prestroke vocational status, availability of secondary health insurance, number of days from stroke onset to rehabilitation facility admission, stroke type, impairment group, cognitive FIM on admission, other stroke deficits (aphasia, ataxia, neglect, or speech disturbance), stroke complications of hyponatremia or urinary tract infection, or comorbid conditions. One in 5 patients with stroke were discharged to an SNF after inpatient rehabilitation. On admission, several sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were identified that could be considered as important factors in early discussions for discharge planning. Copyright © 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. The Hospital at Home program: no place like home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lippert, M; Semmens, S; Tacey, L; Rent, T; Defoe, K; Bucsis, M; Shykula, T; Crysdale, J; Lewis, V; Strother, D; Lafay-Cousin, L

    2017-02-01

    The treatment of children with cancer is associated with significant burden for the entire family. Frequent clinic visits and extended hospital stays can negatively affect quality of life for children and their families. Here, we describe the development of a Hospital at Home program (H@H) that delivers therapy to pediatric hematology, oncology, and blood and marrow transplant (bmt) patients in their homes. The services provided include short infusions of chemotherapy, supportive-care interventions, antibiotics, post-chemotherapy hydration, and teaching. From 2013 to 2015, the H@H program served 136 patients, making 1701 home visits, for patients mainly between the ages of 1 and 4 years. Referrals came from oncology in 82% of cases, from hematology in 11%, and from bmt in 7%. Since inception of the program, no adverse events have been reported. Family surveys suggested less disruption in daily routines and appreciation of specialized care by hematology and oncology nurses. Staff surveys highlighted a perceived benefit of H@H in contributing to early discharge of patients by supporting out-of-hospital monitoring and teaching. The development of a H@H program dedicated to the pediatric hematology, oncology, or bmt patient appears feasible. Our pilot program offers a potential contribution to improvement in patient quality of life and in cost-benefit for parents and the health care system.

  2. Pediatric cardiac surgery Parent Education Discharge Instruction (PEDI) program: a pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Staveski, Sandra L; Zhelva, Bistra; Paul, Reena; Conway, Rosalind; Carlson, Anna; Soma, Gouthami; Kools, Susan; Franck, Linda S

    2015-01-01

    In developing countries, more children with complex cardiac defects now receive treatment for their condition. For successful long-term outcomes, children also need skilled care at home after discharge. The Parent Education Discharge Instruction (PEDI) program was developed to educate nurses on the importance of discharge teaching and to provide them with a structured process for conducting parent teaching for home care of children after cardiac surgery. The aim of this pilot study was to generate preliminary data on the feasibility and acceptability of the nurse-led structured discharge program on an Indian pediatric cardiac surgery unit. A pre-/post-design was used. Questionnaires were used to evaluate role acceptability, nurse and parent knowledge of discharge content, and utility of training materials with 40 nurses and 20 parents. Retrospective audits of 50 patient medical records (25 pre and 25 post) were performed to evaluate discharge teaching documentation. Nurses' discharge knowledge increased from a mean of 81% to 96% (P = .001) after participation in the training. Nurses and parents reported high levels of satisfaction with the education materials (3.75-4 on a 4.00-point scale). Evidence of discharge teaching documentation in patient medical records improved from 48% (12 of 25 medical records) to 96% (24 of 25 medical records) six months after the implementation of the PEDI program. The structured nurse-led parent discharge teaching program demonstrated feasibility, acceptability, utility, and sustainability in the cardiac unit. Future studies are needed to examine nurse, parent, child, and organizational outcomes related to this expanded nursing role in resource-constrained environments. © The Author(s) 2014.

  3. Medical rehabilitation of leprosy patients discharged home in abia and ebonyi States of Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enwereji, Ezinne Ezinna; Ahuizi, Eke Reginald; Iheanocho, Okereke Chukwunenye; Enwereji, Kelechi Okechukwu

    2011-11-01

    To examine the extent to which medical coverage is available to discharged leprosy patients in communities. Evidence has shown that after care services, follow-up visits and national disease prevention programs are important components of medical rehabilitation to leprosy patients discharged home after treatment. Denying them accessibility to these services could expose them to multiple disabilities as well as several disease conditions including HIV/AIDS. These adverse health conditions could be averted if health workers extend healthcare services to discharged leprosy patients. This study was conducted to examine the extent to which discharged leprosy patients have access to healthcare services in the communities. All 33 leprosy patients who were fully treated with multi-drug therapy (MDT) and discharged home in the two leprosy settlements in Abia and Ebonyi States of Nigeria were included in this study. The list of discharged leprosy patients studied and their addresses were provided by the leprosy settlements where they were treated. Also, snowball-sampling method was used to identify some of the leprosy patients whose addresses were difficult to locate in the communities. Instruments for data collection were questionnaire, interview guide and checklist. These were administered because respondents were essentially those with no formal education. Analysis of data was done quantitatively and qualitatively. Findings showed that 20 (60.6%) of discharged patients did not receive health programs like HIV/AIDS prevention or family planning. Also, follow-up visits and after-care services were poor. About 14 (42.4%) of the patients live in dirty and overcrowded houses. On the whole, discharged patients were poorly medically rehabilitated (mean score: 4.7±1.1 out of total score of 7). Denying discharged leprosy patients opportunity of accessing health care services could increase prevalence of infectious diseases including HIV/AIDS among them. There is need to extend

  4. Pharmacists' barriers and facilitators on implementing a post-discharge home visit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ensing, Hendrik T; Koster, Ellen S; Sontoredjo, Timothy A A; van Dooren, Ad A; Bouvy, Marcel L

    Introducing a post-discharge community pharmacist home visit can secure continuity of care and prevent drug-related problems. Currently, this type of pharmaceutical care is not standard practice and implementation is challenging. Mapping the factors influencing the implementation of this new form of care is crucial to ensure successful embedding. To explore which barriers and facilitators influence community pharmacists' adoption of a post-discharge home visit. A mixed methods study was conducted with community pharmacists who had recently participated in a study that evaluated the effectiveness of a post-discharge home visit in identifying drug-related problems. Four focus groups were held guided by a topic guide based on the framework of Greenhalgh et al. After the focus groups, major barriers and facilitators were formulated into statements and presented to all participants in a scoring list to rank for relevance and feasibility in daily practice. Twenty-two of the eligible 26 pharmacists participated in the focus groups. Twenty pharmacists (91%) returned the scoring list containing 21 statements. Most of these statements were perceived as both relevant and feasible by the responding pharmacists. A small number scored high on relevance but low on feasibility, making these potential important barriers to overcome for broad implementation. These were the necessity of dedicated time for performing pharmaceutical care, implementing the home visit in pharmacists' daily routine and an adequate reimbursement fee for the home visit. The key to successful implementation of a post-discharge home visit may lay in two facilitators which are partly interrelated: changing daily routine and reimbursement. Reimbursement will be a strong incentive, but additional efforts will be needed to reprioritize daily routines. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Effects of a Tablet-Based Home Practice Program With Telepractice on Treatment Outcomes in Chronic Aphasia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurland, Jacquie; Liu, Anna; Stokes, Polly

    2018-05-17

    The aim of this study was to determine if a tablet-based home practice program with weekly telepractice support could enable long-term maintenance of recent treatment gains and foster new language gains in poststroke aphasia. In a pre-post group study of home practice outcomes, 21 individuals with chronic aphasia were examined before and after a 6-month home practice phase and again at follow-up 4 months later. The main outcome measure studied was change in naming previously treated or untreated, practiced or unpracticed pictures of objects and actions. Individualized home practice programs were created in iBooks Author with semantic, phonemic, and orthographic cueing in pictures, words, and videos in order to facilitate naming of previously treated or untreated pictures. Home practice was effective for all participants with severity moderating treatment effects, such that individuals with the most severe aphasia made and maintained fewer gains. There was a negative relationship between the amount of training required for iPad proficiency and improvements on practiced and unpracticed pictures and a positive relationship between practice compliance and same improvements. Unsupervised home practice with weekly video teleconferencing support is effective. This study demonstrates that even individuals with chronic severe aphasia, including those with no prior smart device or even computer experience, can attain independent proficiency to continue practicing and improving their language skills beyond therapy discharge. This could represent a low-cost therapy option for individuals without insurance coverage and/or those for whom mobility is an obstacle to obtaining traditional aphasia therapy.

  6. Home Antibiotics at Discharge for Pediatric Complicated Appendicitis: Friend or Foe?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, K Tinsley; Bartz-Kurycki, Marisa A; Kawaguchi, Akemi L; Austin, Mary T; Holzmann-Pazgal, Galit; Kao, Lillian S; Lally, Kevin P; Tsao, Kuojen

    2018-04-20

    The role of home antibiotics (HA) at discharge in children after perforated appendicitis is unclear. This study evaluates the outcomes of complicated appendicitis in patients being discharged with or without HA after initial operation and inpatient treatment. The 2015 and 2016 NSQIP-Pediatric database was queried for patients younger than 18 years of age with complicated appendicitis. Home antibiotics were prescribed or not (no home antibiotics [NHA]). Patients were stratified based on presence or absence of predischarge surgical site infection (SSI) and postoperative day of discharge (≤5 days or >5 days). The primary end point was 30-day postdischarge composite morbidity, including emergency department visit, readmission, postdischarge reoperation, and SSI. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust for baseline covariables. Of 6,412 patients with complicated appendicitis, the majority were discharged with HA (HA 56.4%; NHA 43.6%). Patients receiving HA had higher preoperative leukocytosis, longer procedures, higher incidence of sepsis, more predischarge SSIs, and longer length of stay than the NHA cohort (all p 5 days post operation (aOR 1.14; 95% CI 0.89 to 1.46). Although the majority of pediatric patients with complicated appendicitis are discharged with HA, NSQIP-Pediatric data suggest there is no evidence of a significant benefit. There might be a cohort of patients with more severe disease who require continued antibiotics. Copyright © 2018 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. High output stomas: ensuring safe discharge from hospital to home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Lisa

    High-output stomas are a challenge for the patient and all health professionals involved. This article discusses safe discharge home for this patient group, encouraging collaborative working practices between acute care trust and the community services. The authors also discuss the management of a high-output stoma and preparation and education of the patient before discharge home.

  8. Early Home Supported Discharge of Stroke Patients:

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Torben; Olsen, T. Skyhøj; Sørensen, Jan

    2006-01-01

    : A systematic literature search for randomized trials (RCTs) on "early supported discharge" was closed in April 2005. RCTs on EHSD without information on (i) death or institution at follow-up, (ii) change in Barthél Index, (iii) length of hospital stay, (iv) intensity of home rehabilitation, or (v) baseline...... data are excluded. Seven RCTs on EHSD with 1,108 patients followed 3-12 months after discharge are selected for statistical meta-analysis of outcomes. The costs are calculated as a function of the average number of home training sessions. Economic evaluation is organized as a test of dominance (both...... of death is not significant. Length of stay is significantly reduced by 10 days (CI, 2.6-18 days). All outcomes have a nonsignificant positive covariance. The median number of home sessions is eleven, and the average cost per EHSD is 1,340 USD. The "action mechanism" and financial barriers to EHSD...

  9. Early discharge and home care after unplanned cesarean birth: nursing care time.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brooten, D; Knapp, H; Borucki, L; Jacobsen, B; Finkler, S; Arnold, L; Mennuti, M

    1996-09-01

    This study examined the mean nursing time spent providing discharge planning and home care to women who delivered by unplanned cesarean birth and examined differences in nursing time required by women with and without morbidity. A secondary analysis of nursing time from a randomized trial of transitional care (discharge planning and home follow-up) provided to women after cesarean delivery. An urban tertiary-care hospital. The sample (N = 61) of black and white women who had unplanned cesarean births and their full-term newborn was selected randomly. Forty-four percent of the women had experienced pregnancy complications. Advanced practice nurses provided discharge planning and 8-week home follow-up consisting of home visits, telephone outreach, and daily telephone availability. Nursing time required was dictated by patient need and provider judgment rather than by reimbursement plan. More than half of the women required more than two home visits; mean home visit time was 1 hour. For women who experienced morbidity mean discharge planning time was 20 minutes more and mean home visit time 40 minutes more. Current health care services that provide one or two 1-hour home visits to childbearing women at high risk may not be meeting the education and resource needs of this group.

  10. The ALIVE program: developing a web-based professional development program for nursing leaders in the home healthcare sector.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lankshear, Sara; Huckstep, Sherri; Lefebre, Nancy; Leiterman, Janis; Simon, Deborah

    2010-05-01

    Home healthcare nurses often work in isolation and rarely have the opportunity to meet or congregate in one location. As a result, nurse leaders must possess unique leadership skills to supervise and manage a dispersed employee base from a distance. The nature of this dispersed workforce creates an additional challenge in the ability to identify future leaders, facilitate leadership capacity, and enhance skill development to prepare them for future leadership positions. The ALIVE (Actively Leading In Virtual Environments) web-based program was developed to meet the needs of leaders working in virtual environments such as the home healthcare sector. The program, developed through a partnership of three home healthcare agencies, used nursing leaders as content experts to guide program development and as participants in the pilot. Evaluation findings include the identification of key competencies for nursing leaders in the home healthcare sector, development of program learning objectives and participant feedback regarding program content and delivery.

  11. Home Quick – Occupational Therapy Home Visits Using mHealth, to Facilitate Discharge from Acute Admission Back to the Community

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacqueline Nix

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This article reports upon an initiative to improve the timeliness of occupational therapy home visits for discharge planning by implementing technology solutions while maintaining patient safety. A community hospital in Queensland, Australia, hosted a process evaluation that examined which aspects of home visiting could be replaced or augmented by alternative technologies. Strategies were trialled, implemented and assessed using the number of home visits completed and the time from referral to completion as outcomes. A technology-enhanced solution called “Home Quick” was developed using technology to facilitate pre-discharge home visits. The implementation of Home Quick resulted in an increase in the number of home visits conducted prior to discharge (50% increase from 145 to 223 and significantly increased the number of patients seen earlier following referral (X2=69.3; p<0.001. The substitution of direct home visits with technology-enabled remote visits is suitable for a variety of home visiting scenarios traditionally performed by occupational therapists.

  12. Effect of Home Exercise Program Performance in Patients with Osteoarthritis of the Knee or the Spine on the Visual Analog Scale after Discharge from Physical Therapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Hamilton; Onishi, Kentaro

    2012-01-01

    The aim of our study was to assess the effect of the frequency of home exercise program (HEP) performance on pain [10-point visual analog scale (VAS)] in patients with osteoarthritis of the spine or knee after more than 6 months discharge from physical therapy (PT). We performed a retrospective chart review of 48 adult patients with a clinical…

  13. National Structural Survey of Veterans Affairs Home-Based Primary Care Programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karuza, Jurgis; Gillespie, Suzanne M; Olsan, Tobie; Cai, Xeuya; Dang, Stuti; Intrator, Orna; Li, Jiejin; Gao, Shan; Kinosian, Bruce; Edes, Thomas

    2017-12-01

    To describe the current structural and practice characteristics of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC) program. We designed a national survey and surveyed HBPC program directors on-line using REDCap. We received 236 surveys from 394 identified HBPC sites (60% response rate). HBPC site characteristics were quantified using closed-ended formats. HBPC program directors were most often registered nurses, and HBPC programs primarily served veterans with complex chronic illnesses that were at high risk of hospitalization and nursing home care. Primary care was delivered using interdisciplinary teams, with nurses, social workers, and registered dietitians as team members in more than 90% of the sites. Most often, nurse practitioners were the principal primary care providers (PCPs), typically working with nurse case managers. Nearly 60% of the sites reported dual PCPs involving VA and community-based physicians. Nearly all sites provided access to a core set of comprehensive services and programs (e.g., case management, supportive home health care). At the same time, there were variations according to site (e.g., size, location (urban, rural), use of non-VA hospitals, primary care models used). HBPC sites reflected the rationale and mission of HBPC by focusing on complex chronic illness of home-based veterans and providing comprehensive primary care using interdisciplinary teams. Our next series of studies will examine how HBPC site structural characteristics and care models are related to the processes and outcomes of care to determine whether there are best practice standards that define an optimal HBPC structure and care model or whether multiple approaches to HBPC better serve the needs of veterans. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

  14. The Efficacy of Telemedicine-Supported Discharge Within an In Home Model of Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenup, Edwin P; McCusker, Melissa; Potts, Boyd A; Bryett, Andrew

    2017-09-01

    To determine if mobile videoconferencing technology can facilitate the discharge of low-acuity patients receiving in-home care without compromising short-term health outcomes. A 6-month trial commenced in July 2015 with 345 patients considered unsuited to Criteria Led Discharge (CLD) receiving in-home care included as participants. Nurses providing clinical support to patients in their homes were supplied with a tablet computer (Apple iPad) with Internet connectivity (Telstra 4G Network) and videoconferencing software (Cisco Jabber for Telepresence). Device usage data combined with hospital admission records were collected to determine (a) instances where a telemedicine-facilitated discharge occurred and (b) if the accepted measure of short-term health outcomes (readmission within 28 days) was adversely affected by this alternative method. Telemedicine technology facilitated the discharge of 10.1% (n = 35) of patients considered unsuitable for CLD from the Hospital in the Home model during the trial period. Statistically insignificant differences in rates of readmission between patients discharged in person versus those participating in the telemedicine-supported model suggest that the clinical standards of the service have been maintained. The results of evaluating telemedicine support for nurses providing low-acuity in-home care indicate that patients may be discharged remotely while maintaining the existing clinical standards of the service.

  15. Patient-pharmacist communication during a post-discharge pharmacist home visit.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ensing, H.T.; Vervloet, M.; Dooren, A.A. van; Bouvy, M.L.; Koster, E.S.

    2018-01-01

    Background With the shifting role of community pharmacists towards patient education and counselling, they are wellpositioned to conduct a post-discharge home visit which could prevent or solve drug-related problems. Gaining insight into the communication during these home visits could be valuable

  16. 'Physical activity at home (PAAH)', evaluation of a group versus home based physical activity program in community dwelling middle aged adults: rationale and study design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freene, Nicole; Waddington, Gordon; Chesworth, Wendy; Davey, Rachel; Goss, John

    2011-11-24

    It is well recognised that the adoption and longer term adherence to physical activity by adults to reduce the risk of chronic disease is a challenge. Interventions, such as group and home based physical activity programs, have been widely reported upon. However few studies have directly compared these interventions over the longer term to determine their adherence and effectiveness. Participant preference for home based or group interventions is important. Some evidence suggests that home based physical activity programs are preferred by middle aged adults and provide better long term physical activity adherence. Physiotherapists may also be useful in increasing physical activity adherence, with limited research on their impact. 'Physical Activity at Home' is a 2 year pragmatic randomised control trial, with a non-randomised comparison to group exercise. Middle-aged adults not interested in, or unable to attend, a group exercise program will be targeted. Sedentary community dwelling 50-65 year olds with no serious medical conditions or functional impairments will be recruited via two mail outs using the Australian federal electoral roll. The first mail out will invite participants to a 6 month community group exercise program. The second mail out will be sent to those not interested in the group exercise program inviting them to take part in a home based intervention. Eligible home based participants will be randomised into a 6 month physiotherapy-led home based physical activity program or usual care. Outcome measures will be taken at baseline, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. The primary outcome is physical activity adherence via exercise diaries. Secondary outcomes include the Active Australia Survey, accelerometry, aerobic capacity (step test), quality of life (SF-12v2), blood pressure, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio and body mass index. Costs will be recorded prospectively and qualitative data will be collected. The planned 18 month follow-up post

  17. A Randomised Controlled Trial of Two Early Intervention Programs for Young Children with Autism: Centre-Based with Parent Program and Home-Based

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, Jacqueline; Williams, Katrina; Carter, Mark; Evans, David; Parmenter, Trevor; Silove, Natalie; Clark, Trevor; Warren, Anthony

    2011-01-01

    This study compares outcomes of early intervention programs for young children with autism; an individualised home-based program (HB), a small group centre-based program for children combined with a parent training and support group (CB) and a non-treatment comparison group (WL). Outcome measures of interest include social and communication skill…

  18. A study of an intensive home-based treatment program and its ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Adele

    Key words: Intensive home based program, health services, admission, outpatient, inpatient, aged care. Received: ... vate agencies were sometimes also used and funded by APS or more .... result of other structural changes in the system.

  19. Community-based home-care program for the management of pre-eclampsia: an alternative.

    OpenAIRE

    Helewa, M; Heaman, M; Robinson, M A; Thompson, L

    1993-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety, acceptability and cost of a community-based home-care program for the management of mild pre-eclampsia. DESIGN: A descriptive study of outcomes between Apr. 1, 1985, and Dec. 31, 1989. SETTING: St. Boniface General Hospital, Winnipeg. PATIENTS: Urban Winnipeg residents between 27 and 40 weeks' gestation with mild pre-eclampsia who demonstrated acceptance and compliance with home-care management; 321 patients of 1330 were enrolled in the program. INTERVENTION...

  20. Women undergoing aortic surgery are at higher risk for unplanned readmissions compared with men especially when discharged home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flink, Benjamin J; Long, Chandler A; Duwayri, Yazan; Brewster, Luke P; Veeraswamy, Ravi; Gallagher, Katherine; Arya, Shipra

    2016-06-01

    Women undergoing vascular surgery have higher morbidity and mortality. Our study explores gender-based differences in patient-centered outcomes such as readmission, length of stay (LOS), and discharge destination (home vs nonhome facility) in aortic aneurysm surgery. Patients were identified from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Project database (2011-2013) undergoing abdominal, thoracic, and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (N = 17,763), who were discharged and survived their index hospitalization. The primary outcome was unplanned readmission, and secondary outcomes were discharge to a nonhome facility, LOS, and reasons for unplanned readmission. Univariate, multivariate, and stratified analyses based on gender and discharge destination were used. Overall, 1541 patients (8.7%) experienced an unplanned readmission, with a significantly higher risk in women vs men (10.8% vs 8%; P women compared with men persisted in multivariate analysis after controlling for covariates (odds ratio [OR], 1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-1.4). Similarly, the rate of discharge to a nonhome facility was nearly double in women compared with men (20.6% vs 10.7%; P women compared with men occurred in patients who were discharged home (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.02-1.4) but not in those who were discharged to a nonhome facility (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.8-1.4). Significant differences in LOS were seen in patients who were discharged home. No gender differences were found in reasons for readmission with the three most common reasons being thromboembolic events, wound infections, and pneumonia. Gender disparity exists in the risk of unplanned readmission among aortic aneurysm surgery patients. Women who were discharged home have a higher likelihood of unplanned readmission despite longer LOS than men. These data suggest that further study into the discharge planning processes, social factors, and use of rehabilitation services is needed for women

  1. [A study of home care needs of patients at discharge and effects of home care--centered on patients discharged from a rural general hospital].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Y S; Kim, D H; Storey, M; Kim, C J; Kang, K S

    1992-01-01

    The study was carried out at W. hospital, an affiliated hospital of Y university, involved a total of 163 patients who were discharged from the hospital between May 1990 and March 1991. Data collection was twice, just prior to discharge and a minimum of three months post discharge. Thirty patients who lived within a hour travel time of the hospital received home care during the three months post discharge. Nursing diagnoses and nursing interventions for these patients were analyzed in this study. The results of the study are summarized as follows: 1. Discharge needs for the subjects of the study were analyzed using Gordon's eleven functional categories and it was found that 48.3% of the total sample had identified nursing needs. Of these, the needs most frequently identified were in the categories of sexuality, 79.3%, health perception, 68.2% self concept, 62.5%, and sleep and rest 62.5%. Looking at the nursing diagnosis that were made for the 30 patients receiving home care, the following diagnoses were the most frequently given; alteration in sexual pattern 79.3%, alterations in health maintenance, 72.6%, alteration in comfort, 68.0%, depression, 64.0%, noncompliance with diet therapy, 63.7%, alteration in self concept, 55.6%, and alteration in sleep pattern, 53%. 2. In looking at the effects of home nursing care as demonstrated by changes in the functional categories over the three month period, it was found that of the 11 functional categories, the need level for health perception, nutrition, activity and self concept decreased slightly over the three month period. On the average sleep patterns improved, but restfulness was slightly less and bowel elimination patterns improved but satisfaction with urinary elimination was slightly less. On the other hand, role enactment, sexuality, stress management and spirituality decreased slightly. The only results that were statistically significant at the 0.05 level were improvement in digestion and decrease in pain. No

  2. Ostomy Home Skills Program

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Ostomy Home Skills Program Ostomy Home Skills Program Adult Ostomy Pediatric Ostomy Programa de Destrezas para manejo Doméstico de Ostomía Ostomy Home Skills Program Adult Ostomy Pediatric Ostomy Programa de Destrezas para manejo ...

  3. Time providing care outside visits in a home-based primary care program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pedowitz, Elizabeth J; Ornstein, Katherine A; Farber, Jeffrey; DeCherrie, Linda V

    2014-06-01

    To assess how much time physicians in a large home-based primary care (HBPC) program spend providing care outside of home visits. Unreimbursed time and patient and provider-related factors that may contribute to that time were considered. Mount Sinai Visiting Doctors (MSVD) providers filled out research forms for every interaction involving care provision outside of home visits. Data collected included length of interaction, mode, nature, and with whom the interaction was for 3 weeks. MSVD, an academic home-visit program in Manhattan, New York. All primary care physicians (PCPs) in MSVD (n = 14) agreed to participate. Time data were analyzed using a comprehensive estimate and conservative estimates to quantify unbillable time. Data on 1,151 interactions for 537 patients were collected. An average 8.2 h/wk was spent providing nonhome visit care for a full-time provider. Using the most conservative estimates, 3.6 h/wk was estimated to be unreimbursed per full-time provider. No significant differences in interaction times were found between patients with and without dementia, new and established patients, and primary-panel and covered patients. Home-based primary care providers spend substantial time providing care outside home visits, much of which goes unrecognized in the current reimbursement system. These findings may help guide practice development and creation of new payment systems for HBPC and similar models of care. © 2014, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2014, The American Geriatrics Society.

  4. Impact of Pharmacists in a Community-Based Home Care Service: A Pilot Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walus, Ashley N; Woloschuk, Donna M M

    2017-01-01

    Historically, pharmacists have not been included on home care teams, despite the fact that home care patients frequently experience medication errors. Literature describing Canadian models of pharmacy practice in home care settings is limited. The optimal service delivery model and distribution of clinical activities for home care pharmacists remain unclear. The primary objective was to describe the impact of a pharmacist based at a community home care office and providing home visits, group education, and telephone consultations. The secondary objective was to determine the utility of acute care clinical pharmacy key performance indicators (cpKPIs) in guiding home care pharmacy services, in the absence of validated cpKPIs for ambulatory care. The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority hired a pharmacist to develop and implement the pilot program from May 2015 to July 2016. A referral form, consisting of consultation criteria used in primary care practices, was developed. The pharmacist also reviewed all patient intakes and all patients waiting in acute care facilities for initiation of home care services, with the goal of addressing issues before admission to the Home Care Program. A password-protected database was built for data collection and analysis, and the data are presented in aggregate. A total of 197 referrals, involving 184 patients, were received during the pilot program; of these, 62 were excluded from analysis. The majority of referrals (95 [70.4%]) were for targeted medication reviews, and 271 drug therapy problems were identified. Acceptance rates for the pharmacist's recommendations were 90.2% (74 of 82 recommendations) among home care staff and 47.0% (55 of 117 recommendations) among prescribers and patients. On average, 1.5 cpKPIs were identified for each referral. The pilot program demonstrated a need for enhanced access to clinical pharmacy services for home care patients, although the best model of service provision remains unclear. More research

  5. Comparison of Home Retrofit Programs in Wisconsin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cunningham, Kerrie [Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States). NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership; Hannigan, Eileen [Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States). NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership

    2013-03-01

    To explore ways to reduce customer barriers and increase home retrofit completions, several different existing home retrofit models have been implemented in the state of Wisconsin. This study compared these programs' performance in terms of savings per home and program cost per home to assess the relative cost-effectiveness of each program design. However, given the many variations in these different programs, it is difficult to establish a fair comparison based on only a small number of metrics. Therefore, the overall purpose of the study is to document these programs' performance in a case study approach to look at general patterns of these metrics and other variables within the context of each program. This information can be used by energy efficiency program administrators and implementers to inform home retrofit program design. Six different program designs offered in Wisconsin for single-family energy efficiency improvements were included in the study. For each program, the research team provided information about the programs' approach and goals, characteristics, achievements and performance. The program models were then compared with performance results-program cost and energy savings-to help understand the overall strengths and weaknesses or challenges of each model.

  6. Comparison of Home Retrofit Programs in Wisconsin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cunningham, K.; Hannigan, E.

    2013-03-01

    To explore ways to reduce customer barriers and increase home retrofit completions, several different existing home retrofit models have been implemented in the state of Wisconsin. This study compared these programs' performance in terms of savings per home and program cost per home to assess the relative cost-effectiveness of each program design. However, given the many variations in these different programs, it is difficult to establish a fair comparison based on only a small number of metrics. Therefore, the overall purpose of the study is to document these programs' performance in a case study approach to look at general patterns of these metrics and other variables within the context of each program. This information can be used by energy efficiency program administrators and implementers to inform home retrofit program design. Six different program designs offered in Wisconsin for single-family energy efficiency improvements were included in the study. For each program, the research team provided information about the programs' approach and goals, characteristics, achievements and performance. The program models were then compared with performance results -- program cost and energy savings -- to help understand the overall strengths and weaknesses or challenges of each model.

  7. Why Hospitals and Payers are Recommending Home Care Upon Discharge Instead of SNF or Traditional Home Health Services--Alternative Payment Model Hospital Incentives Aligning with Patient Choice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luke, Josh

    2016-01-01

    Seniors and other hospital patients in the United States have traditionally had the option of being discharged to a skilled nursing facility (convalescent home) for post-acute services, or home with nursing and therapy services provided in the home setting. Traditionally, these home based services have been referred to as "home health." As more Americans have retired, home health services have expanded and are readily accessible. This growth put tremendous stress on the Medicare fund which pays for senior care services. However, "Home Care," which traditionally has been viewed as non-medical home based services, has also become a booming industry for the cost conscious in recent years as more Americans reach retirement age. With the passing of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, providers and payers are now finding themselves responsible for post-acute care and continuous patient health, so cost efficient solutions for post-acute care are thriving. For the first time in history, American hospitals and Insurers are recognizing Home Care as an effective model that achieves the Triple Aim of Health Care reform. Home Care, which is no longer completely non-medical services, has proven to be an integral part of the care continuum for seniors in recent years and is now becoming a viable solution for keeping patients well, while still honoring their desire to age and heal at home. This paper analyzes the benefits and risks of home care and provides a clear understanding as to why American hospitals are emphasizing SNF Avoidance and skipping home health, opting instead to refer patients directly to home care as the preferred discharge solution in a value based model.

  8. The challenge of home discharge with a total artificial heart: the La Pitie Salpetriere experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demondion, Pierre; Fournel, Ludovic; Niculescu, Michaela; Pavie, Alain; Leprince, Pascal

    2013-11-01

    The total artificial heart (TAH) helps to counteract the current decrease in heart donors and is likely to bridge patients to transplant under favourable conditions. Today's mobile consoles facilitate home discharge. The aim of this study was to report on the La Pitie Hospital experience with CardioWest TAH recipients, and more particularly, on generally successful outpatient' management. A retrospective analysis was performed on clinical and biological data from patients implanted with a TAH between December 2006 and July 2010 in a single institution. Morbi-mortality during hospital stay, number and causes of rehospitalizations, quality of life during home discharge, bridge to transplant results and survival have all been analysed. Twenty-seven patients were implanted with the CardioWest. Fifteen patients (55.5%) died during support. Prior to home discharge, the most frequent cause of death was multi-organ failure (46.6%). Twelve patients were discharged home from hospital within a median of 88 days [range 35-152, interquartile range 57] postimplantation. Mean rehospitalization rate was 1.2 by patient, on account of device infection (n = 7), technical problems with the console (n = 3) and other causes (n = 4). Between discharge and transplant, patients spent 87% of their support time out of hospital. All patients who returned home with the TAH were subsequently transplanted, and 1 died in post-transplant. Despite the morbidity and mortality occurring during the postimplantation period, home discharge with a TAH is possible. Portables drivers allow for a safe return home. Aside from some remaining weak points such as infectious complications or noise, CardioWest TAH allows for successful rehabilitation of graft candidates, and assures highly satisfactory transplant results.

  9. Ostomy Home Skills Program

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... ACS Careers at ACS About ACS Career Types Working at ACS ... Education Patients and Family Skills Programs Ostomy Home Skills Program Ostomy Home Skills Program Adult Ostomy ...

  10. Outcome Criteria for Discharging the Patient With a New Ostomy From Home Health Care: A WOCN Society Consensus Conference.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colwell, Janice C; Kupsick, Phyllis T; McNichol, Laurie L

    2016-01-01

    The Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society hosted a consensus panel of expert ostomy clinicians who were tasked with identifying minimal discharge criteria for home care patients with a new fecal or urinary diversion. Shortened hospital inpatient stays, higher patient acuity, and limited access to ostomy specialists send patients with new ostomies home with multiple educational and adjustment needs related to a new stoma. The Society recognized the lack of evidence-based ostomy practice and supported the work of the panel to develop statements that defined elements of the care plan for the patient or caregiver in home care who is adapting to living with a stoma. Eighteen statements were developed that provide minimum discharge criteria for the patient with a new ostomy in the home care setting. Support based upon current evidence as well as expert opinion with implementation strategies are offered for each statement.

  11. Ostomy Home Skills Program

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Resources Educational Resources E-Learning Entering Resident Readiness Assessment Evidence-Based Decisions in Surgery Medical Student Resources ... checklist Evaluation (Complete the Ostomy Patient Survey . We need your opinion!) Program outcomes The ACS Ostomy Home ...

  12. Facility and market factors affecting transitions from nursing home to community.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arling, Greg; Abrahamson, Kathleen A; Cooke, Valerie; Kane, Robert L; Lewis, Teresa

    2011-09-01

    Research into nursing home transitions has given limited attention to the facility or community contexts. To identify facility and market factors affecting transitions of nursing home residents back to the community. Multilevel models were used to estimate effects of facility and market factors on facility-level community discharge rates after controlling for resident demographic, health, and functional conditions. Facility discharge rates were adjusted using Empirical Bayes estimation. Annual cohort of first-time admissions (N=24,648) to 378 Minnesota nursing facilities in 75 nursing home markets from July 2005 to June 2006. Community discharge within 90 days of admission; facility occupancy, payer mix, ownership, case-mix acuity, size, admissions from hospitals, nurse staffing level, and proportion of admissions preferring or having support to return to the community; and nursing market population size, average occupancy, market concentration, and availability of home and community-based services. Rates of community discharge (Empirical Bayes residual) were highest in facilities with more residents preferring community discharge, more Medicare days, higher nurse staffing levels, and higher occupancy. In addition, facilities had higher community discharge rates if they were located in markets with a greater ratio of home and community-based services recipients to nursing home residents and with larger populations. State Medicaid programs should undertake system-level interventions that encourage nursing facilities to reduce unused bed capacity, balance the mix of payers, invest in nurse staffing, and take other steps to promote community discharges. In addition, states should increase home and community-based services, particularly in markets with low community discharge rates.

  13. Contemporary trends and predictors of postacute service use and routine discharge home after stroke.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prvu Bettger, Janet; McCoy, Lisa; Smith, Eric E; Fonarow, Gregg C; Schwamm, Lee H; Peterson, Eric D

    2015-02-23

    Returning home after the hospital is a primary aim for healthcare; however, additional postacute care (PAC) services are sometimes necessary for returning stroke patients to their pre-event status. Recent trends in hospital discharge disposition specifying PAC use have not been examined across age groups or health insurance types. We examined trends in discharge to inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs), skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), home with home health (HH), and home without services for 849 780 patients ≥18 years of age with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke at 1687 hospitals participating in Get With The Guidelines-Stroke. Multivariable analysis was used to identify factors associated with discharge to any PAC (IRF, SNF, or HH) versus discharge home without services. From 2003 to 2011, there was a 2.1% increase (unadjusted P=0.001) in PAC use after a stroke hospitalization. Change was greatest in SNF use, an 8.3% decrease over the period. IRF and HH increased 6.9% and 3.6%, respectively. The 2 strongest clinical predictors of PAC use after acute care were patients not ambulating on the second day of their hospital stay (ambulation odds ratio [OR], 3.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.86 to 3.23) and those who failed a dysphagia screen or had an order restricting oral intake (OR, 2.48; 95% CI, 2.37 to 2.59). Four in 10 stroke patients are discharged home without services. Although little has changed overall in PAC use since 2003, further research is needed to explain the shift in service use by type and its effect on outcomes. © 2015 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.

  14. Home-based music therapy--a systematic overview of settings and conditions for an innovative service in healthcare.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmid, Wolfgang; Ostermann, Thomas

    2010-10-14

    Almost every Western healthcare system is changing to make their services more centered around out-patient care. In particular, long-term or geriatric patients who have been discharged from the hospital often require home-based care and therapy. Therefore, several programs have been developed to continue the therapeutic process and manage the special needs of patients after discharge from hospital. Music therapy has also moved into this field of healthcare service by providing home-based music therapy (HBMT) programs. This article reviews and summarizes the settings and conditions of HBMT for the first time. The following databases were used to find articles on home-based music therapy: AMED, CAIRSS, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsychINFO, and PSYNDEX. The search terms were "home-based music therapy" and "mobile music therapy". Included articles were analyzed with respect to participants as well as conditions and settings of HBMT. Furthermore, the date of publication, main outcomes, and the design and quality of the studies were investigated. A total of 20 international publications, 11 clinical studies and nine reports from practice, mainly from the United States (n = 8), were finally included in the qualitative synthesis. Six studies had a randomized controlled design and included a total of 507 patients. The vast majority of clients of HBMT are elderly patients living at home and people who need hospice and palliative care. Although settings were heterogeneous, music listening programs played a predominant role with the aim to reduce symptoms like depression and pain, or to improve quality of life and the relationship between patients and caregivers as primary endpoints. We were able to show that HBMT is an innovative service for future healthcare delivery. It fits with the changing healthcare system and its conditions but also meets the therapeutic needs of the increasing number of elderly and severely impaired people. Apart from music therapists, patients and their

  15. Home-based music therapy - a systematic overview of settings and conditions for an innovative service in healthcare

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ostermann Thomas

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Almost every Western healthcare system is changing to make their services more centered around out-patient care. In particular, long-term or geriatric patients who have been discharged from the hospital often require home-based care and therapy. Therefore, several programs have been developed to continue the therapeutic process and manage the special needs of patients after discharge from hospital. Music therapy has also moved into this field of healthcare service by providing home-based music therapy (HBMT programs. This article reviews and summarizes the settings and conditions of HBMT for the first time. Methods The following databases were used to find articles on home-based music therapy: AMED, CAIRSS, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsychINFO, and PSYNDEX. The search terms were "home-based music therapy" and "mobile music therapy". Included articles were analyzed with respect to participants as well as conditions and settings of HBMT. Furthermore, the date of publication, main outcomes, and the design and quality of the studies were investigated. Results A total of 20 international publications, 11 clinical studies and nine reports from practice, mainly from the United States (n = 8, were finally included in the qualitative synthesis. Six studies had a randomized controlled design and included a total of 507 patients. The vast majority of clients of HBMT are elderly patients living at home and people who need hospice and palliative care. Although settings were heterogeneous, music listening programs played a predominant role with the aim to reduce symptoms like depression and pain, or to improve quality of life and the relationship between patients and caregivers as primary endpoints. Conclusions We were able to show that HBMT is an innovative service for future healthcare delivery. It fits with the changing healthcare system and its conditions but also meets the therapeutic needs of the increasing number of elderly and severely

  16. Home-based music therapy - a systematic overview of settings and conditions for an innovative service in healthcare

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    Background Almost every Western healthcare system is changing to make their services more centered around out-patient care. In particular, long-term or geriatric patients who have been discharged from the hospital often require home-based care and therapy. Therefore, several programs have been developed to continue the therapeutic process and manage the special needs of patients after discharge from hospital. Music therapy has also moved into this field of healthcare service by providing home-based music therapy (HBMT) programs. This article reviews and summarizes the settings and conditions of HBMT for the first time. Methods The following databases were used to find articles on home-based music therapy: AMED, CAIRSS, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsychINFO, and PSYNDEX. The search terms were "home-based music therapy" and "mobile music therapy". Included articles were analyzed with respect to participants as well as conditions and settings of HBMT. Furthermore, the date of publication, main outcomes, and the design and quality of the studies were investigated. Results A total of 20 international publications, 11 clinical studies and nine reports from practice, mainly from the United States (n = 8), were finally included in the qualitative synthesis. Six studies had a randomized controlled design and included a total of 507 patients. The vast majority of clients of HBMT are elderly patients living at home and people who need hospice and palliative care. Although settings were heterogeneous, music listening programs played a predominant role with the aim to reduce symptoms like depression and pain, or to improve quality of life and the relationship between patients and caregivers as primary endpoints. Conclusions We were able to show that HBMT is an innovative service for future healthcare delivery. It fits with the changing healthcare system and its conditions but also meets the therapeutic needs of the increasing number of elderly and severely impaired people. Apart from

  17. Home safe home: Evaluation of a childhood home safety program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stewart, Tanya Charyk; Clark, Andrew; Gilliland, Jason; Miller, Michael R; Edwards, Jane; Haidar, Tania; Batey, Brandon; Vogt, Kelly N; Parry, Neil G; Fraser, Douglas D; Merritt, Neil

    2016-09-01

    The London Health Sciences Centre Home Safety Program (HSP) provides safety devices, education, a safety video, and home safety checklist to all first-time parents for the reduction of childhood home injuries. The objective of this study was to evaluate the HSP for the prevention of home injuries in children up to 2 years of age. A program evaluation was performed with follow-up survey, along with an interrupted time series analysis of emergency department (ED) visits for home injuries 5 years before (2007-2013) and 2 years after (2013-2015) implementation. Spatial analysis of ED visits was undertaken to assess differences in home injury rates by dissemination areas controlling differences in socioeconomic status (i.e., income, education, and lone-parent status) at the neighborhood level. A total of 3,458 first-time parents participated in the HSP (a 74% compliance rate). Of these, 20% (n = 696) of parents responded to our questionnaire, with 94% reporting the program to be useful (median, 6; interquartile range, 2 on a 7-point Likert scale) and 81% learning new strategies for preventing home injuries. The median age of the respondent's babies were 12 months (interquartile range, 1). The home safety check list was used by 87% of respondents to identify hazards in their home, with 95% taking action to minimize the risk. The time series analysis demonstrated a significant decline in ED visits for home injuries in toddlers younger than2 years of age after HSP implementation. The declines in ED visits for home injuries remained significant over and above each socioeconomic status covariate. Removing hazards, supervision, and installing safety devices are key facilitators in the reduction of home injuries. Parents found the HSP useful to identify hazards, learn new strategies, build confidence, and provide safety products. Initial finding suggests that the program is effective in reducing home injuries in children up to 2 years of age. Therapeutic/care management study

  18. Ostomy Home Skills Program

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Careers at ACS Careers at ACS About ACS Career Types Working at ACS ... American College of Surgeons Education Patients and Family Skills Programs Ostomy Home Skills Program Ostomy Home Skills ...

  19. Ostomy Home Skills Program

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... JACS Jobs Events Find a Surgeon Patients and Family Contact My Profile Shop ( 0 ) Cart Donate American College of Surgeons Education Patients and Family Skills Programs Ostomy Home Skills Program Ostomy Home ...

  20. Home audit program: management manual

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1980-09-01

    Many public power systems have initiated home energy audit programs in response to the requests of their consumers. The manual provides smaller public power systems with the information and specific skills needed to design and develop a program of residential energy audits. The program is based on the following precepts: locally owned public systems are the best, and in many cases the only agencies available to organize and coordinate energy conservation programs in many smaller communities; consumers' rights to energy conservation information and assistance should not hinge on the size of the utility that serves them; in the short run, public power systems of all sizes should offer residential energy conservation assistance to their consumers, because such assistance is desirable, necessary, and in the public interest; and in the long run, such programs will complement national energy goals and will produce economic benefits for both consumers and the public power system. A detailed description of home audit program planning, organization, and management are given. (MCW)

  1. 38 CFR 17.46 - Eligibility for hospital, domiciliary or nursing home care of persons discharged or released from...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ..., domiciliary or nursing home care of persons discharged or released from active military, naval, or air service... Hospital, Domiciliary and Nursing Home Care § 17.46 Eligibility for hospital, domiciliary or nursing home care of persons discharged or released from active military, naval, or air service. (a) In furnishing...

  2. A tailored counseling and home-based rehabilitation program to increase physical activity and improve mobility among community-dwelling older people after hospitalization: protocol of a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turunen, K; Aaltonen, L; Kumpumäki, J; Portegijs, E; Keikkala, S; Kinnunen, M-L; Finni, T; Sipilä, S; Nikander, R

    2017-11-21

    Physical activity (PA) decreases during hospitalization. In particular, the amount of PA engaged in by older people who are hospitalized following musculoskeletal injury is likely to be limited for months after discharge home. Given the importance of an active lifestyle for their recovery and the prevention of future adverse outcomes, there is clearly a need for interventions to increase PA. This article describes the protocol of a randomized controlled trial set up to investigate the effects of a physical activity oriented home rehabilitation program (ProPA) on PA and the restoration of mobility in community-dwelling older people. Men and women aged 60 years or older hospitalized due to a musculoskeletal injury or disorder in the back or lower limbs are recruited. After discharge from hospital to home, participants are randomized into a six-month ProPA program or a standard care (control) group. The ProPA program consists of a motivational interview, goal attainment process, guidance for safe walking, a progressive home exercise program and physical activity counseling. In addition, frail participants who are not able to go outdoors alone receive support from volunteers. Primary outcomes are PA measured using a 3-dimentional accelerometer, and mobility assessed by the Short Physical Performance Battery and self-reports. Secondary outcomes are life space mobility, participation restriction, fear of falling, pain, mood, and grip strength. Information on barriers to and enablers of PA participation are also collected. Data on mortality and use of health services are collected from the national register. In this 6-month intervention, all participants are assessed in their homes at baseline and after three and six months, and at 12 months after randomization they will receive a follow-up questionnaire. This study investigates the effects of a rehabilitation program on PA and mobility among older people at risk for increased sedentary time and mobility problems. If

  3. 38 CFR 52.80 - Enrollment, transfer and discharge rights.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ...) Diagnosis of clinical depression. (vi) Recent discharge from nursing home or hospital. (vii) Significant... (CONTINUED) PER DIEM FOR ADULT DAY HEALTH CARE OF VETERANS IN STATE HOMES Standards § 52.80 Enrollment, transfer and discharge rights. (a) Participants in the adult day health care program must meet the...

  4. Hospital-at-Home Programs for Patients With Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCurdy, BR

    2012-01-01

    , results were pooled using Review Manager 5 Version 5.1; otherwise, results were summarized descriptively. Data from RCTs were analyzed using intention-to-treat protocols. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was done assigning all missing data/withdrawals to the event. P values less than 0.05 were considered significant. A priori subgroup analyses were planned for the acuity of hospital-at-home program, type of hospital-at-home program (early discharge or admission avoidance), and severity of the patients’ COPD. Additional subgroup analyses were conducted as needed based on the identified literature. Post hoc sample size calculations were performed using STATA 10.1. Quality of Evidence The quality of each included study was assessed, taking into consideration allocation concealment, randomization, blinding, power/sample size, withdrawals/dropouts, and intention-to-treat analyses. The quality of the body of evidence was assessed as high, moderate, low, or very low according to the GRADE Working Group criteria. The following definitions of quality were used in grading the quality of the evidence: High Further research is very unlikely to change confidence in the estimate of effect. Moderate Further research is likely to have an important impact on confidence in the estimate of effect and may change the estimate. Low Further research is very likely to have an important impact on confidence in the estimate of effect and is likely to change the estimate. Very Low Any estimate of effect is very uncertain. Summary of Findings Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review: 1 health technology assessment, 5 systematic reviews, and 7 RCTs. The following conclusions are based on low to very low quality of evidence. The reviewed evidence was based on RCTs that were inadequately powered to observe differences between hospital-at-home and inpatient hospital care for most outcomes, so there is a strong possibility of type II error. Given the low to very

  5. Can opportunities be enhanced for vaccinating children in home visiting programs? A population-based cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isaac, Michael R; Chartier, Mariette; Brownell, Marni; Chateau, Dan; Nickel, Nathan C; Martens, Patricia; Katz, Alan; Sarkar, Joykrishna; Hu, Milton; Burland, Elaine; Goh, ChunYan; Taylor, Carole

    2015-07-07

    Home visiting programs focused on improving early childhood environments are commonplace in North America. A goal of many of these programs is to improve the overall health of children, including promotion of age appropriate vaccination. In this study, population-based data are used to examine the effect of a home visiting program on vaccination rates in children. Home visiting program data from Manitoba, Canada were linked to several databases, including a provincial vaccination registry to examine vaccination rates in a cohort of children born between 2003 and 2009. Propensity score weights were used to balance potential confounders between a group of children enrolled in the program (n = 4,562) and those who were eligible but not enrolled (n = 5,184). Complete and partial vaccination rates for one and two year old children were compared between groups, including stratification into area-level income quintiles. Complete vaccination rates from birth to age 1 and 2 were higher for those enrolled in the Families First program [Average Treatment Effect Risk Ratio (ATE RR) 1.06 (95 % CI 1.03-1.08) and 1.10 (95 % CI 1.05-1.15) respectively]. No significant differences were found between groups having at least one vaccination at age 1 or 2 [ATE RR 1.01 (95 % CI 1.00-1.02) and 1.00 (95 % CI 1.00-1.01) respectively). The interaction between program and income quintiles was not statistically significant suggesting that the program effect did not differ by income quintile. Home visiting programs have the potential to increase vaccination rates for children enrolled, despite limited program content directed towards this end. Evidence-based program enhancements have the potential to increase these rates further, however more research is needed to inform policy makers of optimal approaches in this regard, especially with respect to cost-effectiveness.

  6. The Use of Computer-Assisted Home Exercises to Preserve Physical Function after a Vestibular Rehabilitation Program: A Randomized Controlled Study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brandt, Michael Smærup; Læssøe, Uffe; Grönvall, Erik

    2016-01-01

    . Materials and Methods. Single-blind, randomized, controlled follow-up study. Fifty-seven elderly patients with chronic dizziness were randomly assigned to a computer-assisted home exercise program or to home exercises as described in printed instructions and followed for tree month after discharge from......, and quality of life three months following discharge from hospital. In this specific setup, no greater effect was found by introducing a computer-assisted training program, when compared to standard home training guided by printed instructions. This trial is registered with NCT01344408.......Objective. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether elderly patients with vestibular dysfunction are able to preserve physical functional level, reduction in dizziness, and the patient's quality of life when assistive computer technology is used in comparison with printed instructions...

  7. Home | SREL Herpetology Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savannah River Ecology Laboratory Herpetology Program Herp Home Research Publications Herps of SC /GA P.A.R.C. Outreach SREL Home powered by Google Search Herpetology at SREL The University of SREL herpetology research programs have always included faculty of the University of Georgia, post

  8. Home care after early discharge: impact on healthy mothers and newborns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Askelsdottir, Björk; Lam-de Jonge, Willemien; Edman, Gunnar; Wiklund, Ingela

    2013-08-01

    to compare early discharge with home care versus standard postpartum care in terms of mothers' sense of security; contact between mother, newborn and partner; emotions towards breast feeding; and breast-feeding duration at one and three months after birth. retrospective case-control study. a labour ward unit in Stockholm, Sweden handling both normal and complicated births. 96 women with single, uncomplicated pregnancies and births, and their healthy newborns. early discharge at 12-24 hours post partum with 2-3 home visits during the first week after birth. The intervention group consisted of women who had a normal vaginal birth (n=45). This group was compared with healthy controls who received standard postnatal care at the hospital (n=51). mothers' sense of security was measured using the Parents' Postnatal Sense of Security Scale. Contact between mother, child and father, and emotions towards breast feeding were measured using the Alliance Scale, and breast-feeding rates at one and three months post partum were recorded. women in the intervention group reported a greater sense of security in the first postnatal week but had more negative emotions towards breast feeding compared with the control group. At three months post partum, 74% of the newborns in the intervention group were fully breast fed versus 93% in the control group (p=0.021). Contact between the mother, newborn and partner did not differ between the groups. early discharge with home care is a feasible option for healthy women and newborns, but randomised controlled studies are needed to investigate the effects of home care on breast-feeding rates. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Developing a Home-Based Early Intervention Personnel Training Program in Southeast China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Huichao; Chen, Ching-I; Chen, Chieh-Yu; Squires, Jane; Li, Wenge; Liu, Tian

    2017-01-01

    China is expected to have a rapid growth in specialized early intervention (EI) services for young children ages birth to 6 and their families. A major barrier in the provision of EI services in China is the shortage of well-trained EI personnel. In 2013, a Home-Based Early Intervention Program (HBEIP) was started at South China Normal University…

  10. Designing an Elderly Assistance Program Based-on Home Care

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umusya'adah, L.; Juwaedah, A.; Jubaedah, Y.; Ratnasusanti, H.; Puspita, R. H.

    2018-02-01

    PKH (Program Keluarga Harapan) is a program of Indonesia’s Government through the ministry of social directorate to accelerate the poverty reduction and the achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) target as well as the policies development in social protection and social welfare domain or commonly referred to as Indonesian Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Program. This research is motivated that existing participants of the family expectation program (PKH) that already exist in Sumedang, Indoensia, especially in the South Sumedang on the social welfare components is only limited to the health checking, while for assisting the elderly based Home Care program there has been no structured and systematic, where as the elderly still need assistance, especially from the family and community environment. This study uses a method of Research and Development with Model Addie which include analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation. Participants in this study using purposive sampling, where selected families of PKH who provide active assistance to the elderly with 82 participants. The program is designed consists of program components: objectives, goals, forms of assistance, organizing institutions and implementing the program, besides, program modules include assisting the elderly. Form of assistance the elderly cover physical, social, mental and spiritual. Recommended for families and companions PKH, the program can be implemented to meet the various needs of the elderly. For the elderly should introspect, especially in the health and follow the advice recommended by related parties

  11. [Development of a web-based education program for nurses working in nursing homes on human rights of older adults].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Ki-Kyong

    2010-08-01

    This study was done to develop a web-based education program for nurses working in nursing homes. The focus was on the rights of older adults. The program was designed based on the Network-Based Instructional System Design (NBISD) model and was operated and evaluated between July 2007 and June 2008. Out of nursing records of 40 residents from a nursing home, the final 7 cases were deducted through classification using the Resource Utilization Group (RUG)-III. The data on needs for education was collected from 28 nurses working in 15 nursing homes located in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, who agreed to complete a self-report questionnaire. A comprehensive review of the literature and two focus groups interviews were used to search for risk factors and guidelines for protection of human rights. The education program was developed based on Kolb's experiential learning model and composed of 5 units, which included content on types of human rights and rights to death with dignity, elder abuse, physical liberty, and self-determination. The program was positively evaluated showing a score of 3.35 (SD=0.37) out of 4. The educational program developed in this study should promote nurses' sensitivity to the rights of elders and improve nurses' behaviors in protecting the rights of elders residing in nursing homes.

  12. Home-based alcohol prevention program for parents and children: A randomized controlled trial

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mares, S.H.W.; Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A.; Verdurmen, J.E.E.; Schulten, I.G.H.; Engels, R.C.M.E.

    2016-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a home-based alcohol prevention program to delay initiation of alcohol use in children. Methods: In 2011, a total of 1349 sixth-grade children (M = 12.15, SD = 0.47) and their mothers who could read and write Dutch were recruited from primary schools in

  13. Outcomes of home-based employment service programs for people with disabilities and their related factors--a preliminary study in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Yi-Jiun; Huang, I-Chun; Wang, Yun-Tung

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this exploratory study is to gain an understanding of the outcomes of home-based employment service programs for people with disabilities and their related factors in Taiwan. This study used survey method to collect 132 questionnaires. Descriptive and two-variable statistics including chi-square (χ(2)), independent sample t-test and analysis of variance were employed. The results found that 36.5% of the subjects improved their employment status and 75.8% of them improved in employability. Educational level and and vocational categories including "web page production", "e-commerce", "internet marketing", "on-line store" and "website set-up and management" were significantly "positively" associated with either of the two outcome indicators - change of employment status and employability. This study is the first evidence-based study about the outcomes of home-based employment service programs and their related factors for people with disabilities in Taiwan. The outcomes of the home-based employment service programs for people with disabilities were presented. Implications for Rehabilitation Home-based rehabilitation for people with disabilities can be effective. A programme of this kind supports participants in improving or gaining employment status as well as developing employability skills. Further consideration should be given to developing cost-effective home-based programmes and evaluating their effectiveness.

  14. Predictors of Discharge to Home after Thrombolytic Treatment in Right Hemisphere Infarct Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E-I. Ruuskanen

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Background The aim of the study was to assess the association between thrombolysis and length of hospital stay after right hemisphere (RH infarct, and to identify which cognitive functions were predictive of discharge. Methods The study group consisted of 75 acute RH patients. Thirty-three patients had thrombolysis. Neuropsychologicalexaminations were performed within 11 days of stroke onset. The cognitive predictors were visual neglect, visual memory, visual search and reasoning and visuoconstructive abilities. The outcome variable was time from stroke to discharge to home. Results Thrombolysis emerged as a statistically significant predictor of discharge time in patients with moderate/severe stroke (NIHSS ≥5. In the total series of patients and in patients with mild stroke (NIHSS <5, thrombolysiswas not significantly associated with discharge time. Milder visuoconstructive defects shortened the hospital stay of the whole patient group and of patients with moderate/severe stroke. In all patient groups, independence in activitiesof daily living (ADL was a significant single predictor of a shorter hospital stay. The best combination of predictors for discharge was independence in ADL in the total series of patients and in patients with mild stroke, and thrombolysis and independence in ADL in patients with moderate/severe stroke. Conclusions Thrombolytic treatment was a significant predictor of earlier discharge to home in patients with moderate/severe RH infarct, while cognitive functions had less predictive power.

  15. Early home-supported discharge for patients with stroke in Portugal

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Santana, Silvina; Rente, José; Neves, Conceição

    2017-01-01

    Measure at six months after stroke. Results: We randomised 190 patients of whom 34 were lost to follow-up. There were no significant differences (p > 0.5) in the average scores of Functional Independence Measure between the early home-supported discharge (69 ±22; mean ±SD) and the control groups (71 ±17...

  16. Fall Risk, Supports and Services, and Falls Following a Nursing Home Discharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noureldin, Marwa; Hass, Zachary; Abrahamson, Kathleen; Arling, Greg

    2017-09-04

    Falls are a major source of morbidity and mortality among older adults; however, little is known regarding fall occurrence during a nursing home (NH) to community transition. This study sought to examine whether the presence of supports and services impacts the relationship between fall-related risk factors and fall occurrence post NH discharge. Participants in the Minnesota Return to Community Initiative who were assisted in achieving a community discharge (N = 1459) comprised the study sample. The main outcome was fall occurrence within 30 days of discharge. Factor analyses were used to estimate latent models from variables of interest. A structural equation model (SEM) was estimated to determine the relationship between the emerging latent variables and falls. Fifteen percent of participants fell within 30 days of NH discharge. Factor analysis of fall-related risk factors produced three latent variables: fall concerns/history; activities of daily living impairments; and use of high-risk medications. A supports/services latent variable also emerged that included caregiver support frequency, medication management assistance, durable medical equipment use, discharge location, and receipt of home health or skilled nursing services. In the SEM model, high-risk medications use and fall concerns/history had direct positive effects on falling. Receiving supports/services did not affect falling directly; however, it reduced the effect of high-risk medication use on falling (p risk of falling post NH discharge. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  17. Comprehension and compliance with the discharge advice and quality of life at home among the postoperative neurosurgery patients discharged from PGIMER, Chandigarh, India

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Vishal; Singh, Amarjeet; Tewari, Manoj K.; Kaur, Sukhpal

    2016-01-01

    Problem Statement: Neurosurgical patients require special care not only in the hospital but also after their discharge from the hospital. Comprehension and compliance to the instructions given by the doctors/nurses at the time of discharge is important in home care of these patients. Many such patients suffer from various co-morbidities. Variable periods of convalescence affect health-related quality of life in these patients. Purpose of the Study: To determine the degree of compliance of neurosurgery patients and their family caregivers with the discharge advice given by the consultantsTo evaluate the quality of life of these patientsTo know the problems faced by these patients at home. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional interview-based descriptive study was conducted in 2010 in Chandigarh. These patients were visited at their home. A scale was evolved to evaluate comprehension and compliance to the advice given at the time of discharge, according to the criteria developed by Clark et al. Lawton Brody instrumental activity of daily life and Spitzer quality of life index were used to assess patients' quality of life after the operation. Verbatim responses were recorded for the purpose of qualitative research. Results: Overall, 58 patients and their caregivers were interviewed at home. Mean age of the patients was 38.9 years. Out of 37 patients, 35 showed good comprehension and 33 patients had a good compliance with the instructions given for medication. The condition of 74.1% patients improved after the operation. Depression was reported in 31% of the patients. Many (36.2%) patients had to quit their job due to the disease. Almost half (47.4%) of the patients were independent in daily activities of their life while being evaluated on Barthel activity of daily life index. Conclusion and Recommendations: It is in the long term that the true complexity and impact of operations become apparent. After operation, such patients are likely to have a range of

  18. Reassessment of suicide attempters at home, shortly after discharge from hospital.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verwey, B.; Waarde, J.A. van; Bozdag, M.A.; Rooij, I.A.L.M. van; Beurs, E. de; Zitman, F.G.

    2010-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Assessment of suicide attempters in a general hospital may be influenced by the condition of the patient and the unfavorable circumstances of the hospital environment. AIMS: To determine whether the results of a reassessment at home shortly after discharge from hospital differ from the

  19. Hospitals will send an integrated nurse home with each discharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morrow, Thomas

    2015-01-01

    Hospitals must adapt to the rapidly changing environment of risk by changing the health behavior of their population. There is only one way to do this efficiently and at scale; send a nurse home with every patient at the time of discharge. That nurse can ensure adherence to medication and slowly, over time, transform personal behavior to evidence based levels ... basically taking their medication as prescribed, changing eating habits, increasing exercise, getting people to throw away their cigarettes, teaching them how to cope, improving their sleep and reducing their stress. But, this approach will require a nurse to basically "live" with the patient for prolonged periods of time, as bad health behaviors are quick to start but slow to change or end. The rapid developments in artificial intelligence and natural language understanding paired with cloud based computing and integrated with a variety of data sources has led to a new marketplace comprised of cognitive technologies that can emulate even the most creative, knowledgeable and effective nurse. Termed the Virtual Health Assistant, your patients can literally talk to these agents using normal conversational language. The possibility to send a nurse home with each patient to maintain adherence and prevent readmissions has arrived. The technology is available. Who will step forward to reap the rewards first?

  20. Transitioning home: A four-stage reintegration hospital discharge program for adolescents hospitalized for eating disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dror, Sima; Kohn, Yoav; Avichezer, Mazal; Sapir, Benjamin; Levy, Sharon; Canetti, Laura; Kianski, Ela; Zisk-Rony, Rachel Yaffa

    2015-10-01

    Treatment for adolescents with eating disorders (ED) is multidimensional and extends after hospitalization. After participating in a four-step reintegration plan, treatment success including post-discharge community and social reintegration were examined from perspectives of patients, family members, and healthcare providers. Six pairs of patients and parents, and seven parents without their children were interviewed 2 to 30 months following discharge. All but two adolescents were enrolled in, or had completed school. Five worked in addition to school, and three completed army or national service. Twelve were receiving therapeutic care in the community. Adolescents with ED can benefit from a systematic reintegration program, and nurses should incorporate this into care plans. © 2015, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. Creating a meaningful infection control program: one home healthcare agency's lessons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poff, Renee McCoy; Browning, Sarah Via

    2014-03-01

    Creating a meaningful infection control program in the home care setting proved to be challenging for agency leaders of one hospital-based home healthcare agency. Challenges arose when agency leaders provided infection control (IC) data to the hospital's IC Committee. The IC Section Chief asked for national benchmark comparisons to align home healthcare reporting to that of the hospital level. At that point, it was evident that the home healthcare IC program lacked definition and structure. The purpose of this article is to share how one agency built a meaningful IC program.

  2. Designing, testing, and implementing a sustainable nurse home visiting program: right@home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldfeld, Sharon; Price, Anna; Kemp, Lynn

    2018-05-01

    Nurse home visiting (NHV) offers a potential platform to both address the factors that limit access to services for families experiencing adversity and provide effective interventions. Currently, the ability to examine program implementation is hampered by a lack of detailed description of actual, rather than expected, program development and delivery in published studies. Home visiting implementation remains a black box in relation to quality and sustainability. However, previous literature would suggest that efforts to both report and improve program implementation are vital for NHV to have population impact and policy sustainability. In this paper, we provide a case study of the design, testing, and implementation of the right@home program, an Australian NHV program and randomized controlled trial. We address existing gaps related to implementation of NHV programs by describing the processes used to develop the program to be trialed, summarizing its effectiveness, and detailing the quality processes and implementation evaluation. The weight of our evidence suggests that NHV can be a powerful and sustainable platform for addressing inequitable outcomes, particularly when the program focuses on parent engagement and partnership, delivers evidence-based strategies shown to improve outcomes, includes fidelity monitoring, and is adapted to and embedded within existing service delivery systems. © 2018 The Authors. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The New York Academy of Sciences.

  3. Protocol for a home-based integrated physical therapy program to reduce falls and improve mobility in people with Parkinson’s disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Morris Meg E

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The high incidence of falls associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD increases the risk of injuries and immobility and compromises quality of life. Although falls education and strengthening programs have shown some benefit in healthy older people, the ability of physical therapy interventions in home settings to reduce falls and improve mobility in people with Parkinson’s has not been convincingly demonstrated. Methods/design 180 community living people with PD will be randomly allocated to receive either a home-based integrated rehabilitation program (progressive resistance strength training, movement strategy training and falls education or a home-based life skills program (control intervention. Both programs comprise one hour of treatment and one hour of structured homework per week over six weeks of home therapy. Blinded assessments occurring before therapy commences, the week after completion of therapy and 12 months following intervention will establish both the immediate and long-term benefits of home-based rehabilitation. The number of falls, number of repeat falls, falls rate and time to first fall will be the primary measures used to quantify outcome. The economic costs associated with injurious falls, and the costs of running the integrated rehabilitation program from a health system perspective will be established. The effects of intervention on motor and global disability and on quality of life will also be examined. Discussion This study will provide new evidence on the outcomes and cost effectiveness of home-based movement rehabilitation programs for people living with PD. Trial registration The trial is registered on the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12608000390381.

  4. Does an 8-week home-based exercise program affect physical capacity, quality of life, sick leave, and use of psychotropic drugs in patients with pulmonary embolism? Study protocol for a multicenter randomized clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rolving, Nanna; Brocki, Barbara C; Mikkelsen, Hanne R; Ravn, Pernille; Bloch-Nielsen, Jannie Rhod; Frost, Lars

    2017-05-30

    The existing evidence base in pulmonary embolism (PE) is primarily focused on diagnostic methods, medical treatment, and prognosis. Only a few studies have investigated how everyday life is affected by PE, although many patients are negatively affected both physically and emotionally after hospital discharge. Currently, no documented rehabilitation options are available for these patients. We aim to examine whether an 8-week home-based exercise intervention can influence physical capacity, quality of life, sick leave, and use of psychotropic drugs in patients medically treated for PE. One hundred forty patients with incident first-time PE will be recruited in five hospitals. After inclusion, patients will be randomly allocated to either the control group, receiving usual care, or the intervention group, who will be exposed to an 8-week home-based exercise program in addition to usual care. The intervention includes an initial individual exercise planning session with a physiotherapist, leading to a recommended exercise program of a minimum of three weekly training sessions of 30-60 minutes' duration. The patients have regular telephone contact with the physiotherapist during the 8-week program. At the time of inclusion, after 2 months, and after 6 months, the patients' physical capacity is measured using the Incremental Shuttle Walk test. Furthermore the patients' quality of life, sick leave, and use of psychotropic drugs is measured using self-reported questionnaires. In both randomization arms, all follow-up measurements and visits will take place at the hospital from which the patient was discharged. Levels of eligibility, consent, adherence, and retention will be used as indicators of study feasibility. We expect that the home-based exercise program will improve the physical capacity and quality of life for the patients in the intervention group. The study will furthermore contribute significantly to the limited knowledge about the optimal rehabilitation of

  5. Using conflict theory to explore the role of nursing home social workers in home- and community-based service utilization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fogler, Sarah

    2009-11-01

    Nursing home social work (NHSW) practitioners are central to home- and community-based service (HCBS) utilization. They assist residents with long-term care (LTC) decision-making and coordinate community-based LTC supports and services for older adults transitioning back into the community after a rehabilitative nursing home (NH) stay. As members of multiple groups, they must simultaneously balance the needs of NH residents, the NH organization, and social policies related to LTC. To date, policy research on HCBS has been atheoretical in that it has not accounted for the possible inherent conflicts that adversely affect the discharge planning practices of NHSW practitioners. This article applies the Conflict Theory to (a) explore the competing interests of the NH industry and the nation's government, (b) examine the potential effect of these competing interests on the effectiveness of NHSW discharge planning practices, and (c) present a conceptual framework to further investigate the relationship between NHSW and both individual LTC outcomes and national policy initiatives aimed at increasing HCBS utilization.

  6. Effects of a physical therapy home-based exercise program for Parkinson's disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Viviane Vieira Santos

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Parkinson's disease (PD is a neurological disorder that causes loss of functional abilities and independence. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a physical therapist-supervised home-based exercise program in patients with PD using the UPDRS scale. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-three PD patients in the 1.5 to 3 Hoehn and Yahr stages participated in the trial. The patients and their relatives received a booklet with a 12-week home program, with a series of strengthening, stretching and flexibility exercises. The patients were trained by a physical therapist, and each session took 60 minutes, three times a week. RESULTS: We classified our patients in four groups: Group 1 - patients under 60 years of age and less than five years of PD; Group 2 - patients under 60 years of age and more than five years of PD; Group 3 - patients over 60 years of age and less than five years of the disease; and Group 4 - patients over 60 years of age and more than five years of PD. Significant improvement was found in group 1 in mentation, activities of daily living and motor function (p > 0.05. Group 3 presented statistically significant differences in motor function subscale (p > 0.05 and Group 4 showed no worsening in mentation subscale (p > 0.05. Group 2, however, presented no difference in all subscales (p < 0.05. CONCLUSION: Although not all patients improved their UPDRS scores, our data support the use of a home program as an alternative method of physical therapy treatment for PD patients.

  7. "Giving us hope": Parent and neonatal staff views and expectations of a planned family-centred discharge process (Train-to-Home).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ingram, Jenny; Redshaw, Maggie; Manns, Sarah; Beasant, Lucy; Johnson, Debbie; Fleming, Peter; Pontin, David

    2017-08-01

    Preparing families and preterm infants for discharge is relatively unstructured in many UK neonatal units (NNUs). Family-centred neonatal care and discharge planning are recommended but variable. Qualitative interviews with 37 parents of infants in NNUs, and 18 nursing staff and 5 neonatal consultants explored their views of discharge planning and perceptions of a planned family-centred discharge process (Train-to-Home). Train-to-Home facilitates communication between staff and parents throughout the neonatal stay, using a laminated train and parent booklets. Parents were overwhelmingly positive about Train-to-Home. They described being given hope, feeling in control and having something visual to show their baby's progress. They reported positive involvement of fathers and families, how predicted discharge dates helped them prepare for home and ways staff engaged with Train-to-Home when communicating with them. Nursing staff reactions were mixed-some were uncertain about when to use it, but found the visual images powerful. Medical staff in all NNUs were positive about the intervention recognizing that it helped in communicating better with parents. Using a parent-centred approach to communication and informing parents about the needs and progress of their preterm infant in hospital is welcomed by parents and many staff. This approach meets the recommended prioritization of family-centred care for such families. Predicted discharge dates helped parents prepare for home, and the ways staff engaged with Train-to-Home when communicating with them helped them feel more confident as well as having something visual to show their baby's progress. © 2016 The Authors. Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Process evaluation of two home-based bimanual training programs in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (the COAD-study): protocol for a mixed methods study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beckers, Laura; van der Burg, Jan; Janssen-Potten, Yvonne; Rameckers, Eugène; Aarts, Pauline; Smeets, Rob

    2018-04-24

    As part of the COAD-study two home-based bimanual training programs for young children with unilateral Cerebral Palsy (uCP) have been developed, both consisting of a preparation phase and a home-based training phase. Parents are coached to use either an explicit or implicit motor learning approach while teaching bimanual activities to their child. A process evaluation of these complex interventions is crucial in order to draw accurate conclusions and provide recommendations for implementation in clinical practice and further research. The aim of the process evaluation is to systematically assess fidelity of the home-based training programs, to examine the mechanisms that contribute to their effects on child-related and parent-related outcomes, and to explore the influence of contextual factors. A mixed methods embedded design is used that emerges from a pragmatism paradigm. The qualitative strand involves a generic qualitative approach. The process evaluation components fidelity (quality), dose delivered (completeness), dose received (exposure and satisfaction), recruitment and context will be investigated. Data collection includes registration of attendance of therapists and remedial educationalists to a course regarding the home-based training programs; a questionnaire to evaluate this course by the instructor; a report form concerning the preparation phase to be completed by the therapist; registration and video analyses of the home-based training; interviews with parents and questionnaires to be filled out by the therapist and remedial educationalist regarding the process of training; and focus groups with therapists and remedial educationalists as well as registration of drop-out rates and reasons, to evaluate the overall home-based training programs. Inductive thematic analysis will be used to analyse qualitative data. Qualitative and quantitative findings are merged through meta-inference. So far, effects of home-based training programs in paediatric

  9. Ostomy Home Skills Program

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... de Destrezas para manejo Doméstico de Ostomía Ostomy Home Skills Program Adult Ostomy Pediatric Ostomy Programa de Destrezas para manejo Doméstico de Ostomía The Ostomy Home Skills Kit supports patients with educational and simulation ...

  10. Trial Protocol: Home-based exercise programs to prevent falls and upper limb dysfunction among community-dwelling older people: study protocol for the BEST (Balance Exercise Strength Training at Home randomised, controlled trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amanda Bates

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Falling when older is a major public health issue. There is compelling evidence to show that specific exercise programs can reduce the risk and rate of falls in community-dwelling older people. Another major health issue for older people living in the community is upper limb dysfunction, including shoulder pain. Home-based exercise programs appeal to some older people, due to their convenience. Research questions: This trial aims to determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a home-based lower limb exercise program compared with a home-based upper limb exercise program to prevent falls and upper limb dysfunction among community-dwelling people aged 65+ years. Design: Randomised, controlled trial. Participants and setting: A total of 576 community-dwelling people will be recruited from the Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions of New South Wales, Australia. Intervention: Participants will be randomised to either a home-based lower limb exercise intervention or a home-based upper limb exercise intervention. The lower limb program is designed to improve balance and strength in the lower limbs. The upper limb program is designed to improve upper limb strength and mobility. Participants will attend three group-based instruction sessions to learn and progress the exercises, and will be instructed to perform the exercises three times per week at home for 12 months. Outcome measures: The two primary outcomes will be fall rates, recorded with monthly calendars for a 12-month period, and upper limb dysfunction, measured with the Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire. Secondary outcomes will include: lower limb strength and balance; shoulder strength and mobility; physical activity; quality of life; attitudes to exercise; proportion of fallers; fear of falling; and health and community service use. The cost-effectiveness of both exercise programs from a health and community service provider perspective will be evaluated

  11. Trial Protocol: Home-based exercise programs to prevent falls and upper limb dysfunction among community-dwelling older people: study protocol for the BEST (Balance Exercise Strength Training) at Home randomised, controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bates, Amanda; Furber, Susan; Tiedemann, Anne; Ginn, Karen; van den Dolder, Paul; Howard, Kirsten; Bauman, Adrian; Chittenden, Catherine; Franco, Lisa; Kershaw, Michelle; Sherrington, Catherine

    2018-04-01

    Falling when older is a major public health issue. There is compelling evidence to show that specific exercise programs can reduce the risk and rate of falls in community-dwelling older people. Another major health issue for older people living in the community is upper limb dysfunction, including shoulder pain. Home-based exercise programs appeal to some older people, due to their convenience. This trial aims to determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a home-based lower limb exercise program compared with a home-based upper limb exercise program to prevent falls and upper limb dysfunction among community-dwelling people aged 65+ years. Randomised, controlled trial. A total of 576 community-dwelling people will be recruited from the Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions of New South Wales, Australia. Participants will be randomised to either a home-based lower limb exercise intervention or a home-based upper limb exercise intervention. The lower limb program is designed to improve balance and strength in the lower limbs. The upper limb program is designed to improve upper limb strength and mobility. Participants will attend three group-based instruction sessions to learn and progress the exercises, and will be instructed to perform the exercises three times per week at home for 12 months. The two primary outcomes will be fall rates, recorded with monthly calendars for a 12-month period, and upper limb dysfunction, measured with the Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire. Secondary outcomes will include: lower limb strength and balance; shoulder strength and mobility; physical activity; quality of life; attitudes to exercise; proportion of fallers; fear of falling; and health and community service use. The cost-effectiveness of both exercise programs from a health and community service provider perspective will be evaluated. Negative binomial regression models will be used to estimate the between-group difference in fall rates. Modified

  12. Effectiveness of an Internet-based learning program on venous leg ulcer nursing care in home health care--study protocol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ylönen, Minna; Viljamaa, Jaakko; Isoaho, Hannu; Junttila, Kristiina; Leino-Kilpi, Helena; Suhonen, Riitta

    2015-10-01

    To describe the study protocol for a study of the effectiveness of an internet-based learning program on venous leg ulcer nursing care (eVLU) in home health care. The prevalence of venous leg ulcers is increasing as population age. The majority of these patients are treated in a municipal home healthcare setting. However, studies show nurses' lack of knowledge of ulcer nursing care. Quasi-experimental study with pre- and postmeasurements and non-equivalent intervention and comparison groups. During the study, nurses taking care of patients with a chronic leg ulcer in home health care in one Finnish municipality will use the eVLU. Nurses working in home health care in another Finnish municipality will not use it providing standard care. Nurses will complete three questionnaires during the study and they will also be observed three times at patients' homes. Nurses' perceived and theoretical knowledge is the primary outcome of the study. Funding for this study was received from the Finnish Foundation for Nursing Education in 2014. Data from this study will provide information about the effectiveness of an internet-based educational program. After completing the program nurses will be accustomed to using internet-based resources that can aid them in the nursing care of patients with a VLU. Nurses will also have better knowledge of VLU nursing care. This study is registered with the International Clinical Trials Registry, identifier NCT02224300. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. New care home admission following hospitalisation: How do older people, families and professionals make decisions about discharge destination? A case study narrative analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rhynas, Sarah J; Garrido, Azucena Garcia; Burton, Jennifer K; Logan, Gemma; MacArthur, Juliet

    2018-03-24

    To gain an in-depth understanding of the decision-making processes involved in the discharge of older people admitted to hospital from home and discharged to a care home, as described in the case records. The decision for an older person to move into a care home is significant and life-changing. The discharge planning literature for older people highlights the integral role of nurses in supporting and facilitating effective discharge. However, little research has been undertaken to explore the experiences of those discharged from hospital to a care home or the processes involved in decision-making. A purposive sample of 10 cases was selected from a cohort of 100 individuals admitted to hospital from home and discharged to a care home. Cases were selected to highlight important personal, relational and structural factors thought to affect the decision-making process. Narrative case studies were created and were thematically analysed to explore the perspectives of each stakeholder group and the conceptualisations of risk which influenced decision-making. Care home discharge decision-making is a complex process involving stakeholders with a range of expertise, experience and perspectives. Decisions take time and considerable involvement of families and the multidisciplinary team. There were significant deficits in documentation which limit the understanding of the process and the patient's voice is often absent from case records. The experiences of older people, families and multidisciplinary team members making care home decisions in the hospital setting require further exploration to identify and define best practice. Nurses have a critical role in the involvement of older people making discharge decisions in hospital, improved documentation of the patient's voice is essential. Health and social care systems must allow older people time to make significant decisions about their living arrangements, adapting to changing medical and social needs. © 2018 John Wiley

  14. Ostomy Home Skills Program

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Centers National Cancer Database National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer Oncology Medical Home Accreditation Program Stereotactic Breast ... collaboration with the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS), American Urological Association (AUA), Certified Enterostomal ...

  15. CULTURAL ADAPTATIONS OF EVIDENCE-BASED HOME-VISITATION MODELS IN TRIBAL COMMUNITIES.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiratsuka, Vanessa Y; Parker, Myra E; Sanchez, Jenae; Riley, Rebecca; Heath, Debra; Chomo, Julianna C; Beltangady, Moushumi; Sarche, Michelle

    2018-05-01

    The Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (Tribal MIECHV) Program provides federal grants to tribes, tribal consortia, tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations to implement evidence-based home-visiting services for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) families. To date, only one evidence-based home-visiting program has been developed for use in AI/AN communities. The purpose of this article is to describe the steps that four Tribal MIECHV Programs took to assess community needs, select a home-visiting model, and culturally adapt the model for use in AI/AN communities. In these four unique Tribal MIECHV Program settings, each program employed a rigorous needs-assessment process and developed cultural modifications in accordance with community strengths and needs. Adaptations occurred in consultation with model developers, with consideration of the conceptual rationale for the program, while grounding new content in indigenous cultures. Research is needed to improve measurement of home-visiting outcomes in tribal and urban AI/AN settings, develop culturally grounded home-visiting interventions, and assess the effectiveness of home visiting in AI/AN communities. © 2018 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

  16. Medicaid program; state plan home and community-based services, 5-year period for waivers, provider payment reassignment, and home and community-based setting requirements for Community First Choice and home and community-based services (HCBS) waivers. Final rule.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-16

    This final rule amends the Medicaid regulations to define and describe state plan section 1915(i) home and community-based services (HCBS) under the Social Security Act (the Act) amended by the Affordable Care Act. This rule offers states new flexibilities in providing necessary and appropriate services to elderly and disabled populations. This rule describes Medicaid coverage of the optional state plan benefit to furnish home and community based-services and draw federal matching funds. This rule also provides for a 5-year duration for certain demonstration projects or waivers at the discretion of the Secretary, when they provide medical assistance for individuals dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare benefits, includes payment reassignment provisions because state Medicaid programs often operate as the primary or only payer for the class of practitioners that includes HCBS providers, and amends Medicaid regulations to provide home and community-based setting requirements related to the Affordable Care Act for Community First Choice State plan option. This final rule also makes several important changes to the regulations implementing Medicaid 1915(c) HCBS waivers.

  17. A learning-based agent for home neurorehabilitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lydakis, Andreas; Meng, Yuanliang; Munroe, Christopher; Wu, Yi-Ning; Begum, Momotaz

    2017-07-01

    This paper presents the iterative development of an artificially intelligent system to promote home-based neurorehabilitation. Although proper, structured practice of rehabilitation exercises at home is the key to successful recovery of motor functions, there is no home-program out there which can monitor a patient's exercise-related activities and provide corrective feedback in real time. To this end, we designed a Learning from Demonstration (LfD) based home-rehabilitation framework that combines advanced robot learning algorithms with commercially available wearable technologies. The proposed system uses exercise-related motion information and electromyography signals (EMG) of a patient to train a Markov Decision Process (MDP). The trained MDP model can enable an agent to serve as a coach for a patient. On a system level, this is the first initiative, to the best of our knowledge, to employ LfD in an health-care application to enable lay users to program an intelligent system. From a rehabilitation research perspective, this is a completely novel initiative to employ machine learning to provide interactive corrective feedback to a patient in home settings.

  18. Developing Home-Based Virtual Reality Therapy Interventions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Janice; Kelleher, Caitlin L; Engsberg, Jack R

    2013-02-01

    Stroke is one of the leading causes of serious long-term disability. However, home exercise programs given at rehabilitation often lack in motivational aspects. The purposes of this pilot study were (1) create individualized virtual reality (VR) games and (2) determine the effectiveness of VR games for improving movement in upper extremities in a 6-week home therapy intervention for persons with stroke. Participants were two individuals with upper extremity hemiparesis following a stroke. VR games were created using the Looking Glass programming language and modified based on personal interests, goals, and abilities. Participants were asked to play 1 hour each day for 6 weeks. Assessments measured upper extremity movement (range of motion and Action Research Arm Test [ARAT]) and performance in functional skills (Canadian Occupational Performance Measure [COPM] and Motor Activity Log [MAL]). Three VR games were created by a supervised occupational therapist student. The participants played approximately four to six times a week and performed over 100 repetitions of movements each day. Participants showed improvement in upper extremity movement and participation in functional tasks based on results from the COPM, ARAT, and MAL. Further development in the programming environment is needed to be plausible in a rehabilitation setting. Suggestions include graded-level support and continuation of creating a natural programming language, which will increase the ability to use the program in a rehabilitation setting. However, the VR games were shown to be effective as a home therapy intervention for persons with stroke. VR has the potential to advance therapy services by creating a more motivating home-based therapy service.

  19. A comparison of discharge functional status after rehabilitation in skilled nursing, home health, and medical rehabilitation settings for patients after lower-extremity joint replacement surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mallinson, Trudy R; Bateman, Jillian; Tseng, Hsiang-Yi; Manheim, Larry; Almagor, Orit; Deutsch, Anne; Heinemann, Allen W

    2011-05-01

    To examine differences in outcomes of patients after lower-extremity joint replacement across 3 post-acute care (PAC) rehabilitation settings. Prospective observational cohort study. Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs; n=5), inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs; n=4), and home health agencies (HHAs; n=6) from 11 states. Patients with total knee (n=146) or total hip replacement (n=84) not related to traumatic injury. None. Self-care and mobility status at PAC discharge measured by using the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Patient Assessment Instrument. Based on our study sample, HHA patients were significantly less dependent than SNF and IRF patients at admission and discharge in self-care and mobility. IRF and SNF patients had similar mobility levels at admission and discharge and similar self-care at admission, but SNF patients were more independent in self-care at discharge. After controlling for differences in patient severity and length of stay in multivariate analyses, HHA setting was not a significant predictor of self-care discharge status, suggesting that HHA patients were less medically complex than SNF and IRF patients. IRF patients were more dependent in discharge self-care even after controlling for severity. For the full discharge mobility regression model, urinary incontinence was the only significant covariate. For the patients in our U.S.-based study, direct discharge to home with home care was the optimal strategy for patients after total joint replacement surgery who were healthy and had social support. For sicker patients, availability of 24-hour medical and nursing care may be needed, but intensive therapy services did not seem to provide additional improvement in functional recovery in these patients. Copyright © 2011 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. A home-based body weight supported treadmill training program for children with cerebral palsy: A case series.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kenyon, Lisa K; Westman, Marci; Hefferan, Ashley; McCrary, Peter; Baker, Barbara J

    2017-07-01

    Contemporary approaches to the treatment of cerebral palsy (CP) advocate a task-specific approach that emphasizes repetition and practice of specific tasks. Recent studies suggest that body-weight-supported treadmill training (BWSTT) programs may be beneficial in clinical settings. The purposes of this case series were to explore the outcomes and feasibility of a home-based BWSTT program for three children with CP. Three children with CP at Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) Levels III or IV participated in this case series. Examination included the Functional Assessment Questionnaire (FAQ), the 10-meter walk test, the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-66), and the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory-Computer Adaptive Test (PEDI-CAT). A harness system was used to conduct the BWSTT program over an 8-12 week period. All of the families reported enjoying the BWSTT program and found the harness easy to use. Participant 2 increased from a 2 to a 4 on the FAQ, while Participant 3 increased from a 6 to a 7. Two of the participants demonstrated post-intervention improvements in functional mobility. In addition to mobility outcomes, future research should explore the potential health benefits of a home-based BWSTT program.

  1. Older persons' experiences of a home-based exercise program with behavioral change support.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arkkukangas, Marina; Sundler, Annelie J; Söderlund, Anne; Eriksson, Staffan; Johansson, Ann-Christin

    2017-12-01

    It is a challenge to promote exercise among older persons. Knowledge is needed regarding the maintenance of exercise aiming at preventing falls and promoting health and well-being in older persons. This descriptive study used a qualitative inductive approach to describe older persons' experiences of a fall-preventive, home-based exercise program with support for behavioral change. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 elderly persons aged 75 years or older, and a qualitative content analysis was performed. Four categories emerged: facilitators of performing exercise in everyday life, the importance of support, perceived gains from exercise, and the existential aspects of exercise. With support from physiotherapists (PTs), home-based exercise can be adapted to individual circumstances in a meaningful way. Including exercises in everyday life and daily routines could support the experience of being stronger, result in better physical functioning, and give hope for an extended active life in old age.

  2. Decreasing In-home Smoking of Adults-Results from a School-based Intervention Program in Viet Nam.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huong, Le Thi Thanh; Long, Tran Khanh; Anh, Le Vu; Cook, Margaret; Capra, Mike

    2016-01-01

    It is indicated that children are involuntarily exposed to secondhand smoke from adults, mainly at their home environment. This study aimed at describing the effectiveness of the school-based intervention to decrease the in-home smoking situation of adults so as to decrease children's exposure to secondhand smoke at home during the year 2011-2012 in a rural district in Hanoi, Viet Nam. This school-based intervention program (intervention and control group) involved 804 children aged 8 to 11 years from August 2011 to May 2012 in a rural district of Hanoi, Viet Nam. Children were taught in class about the harmful effects of secondhand smoke and about how to negotiate with fathers not to smoke in-home. Then children applied what they learnt, including staying away from secondhand smoke and persuading fathers not to smoke in-home in order to decrease children's exposure to secondhand smoke. Chi square test, t-test and multinominal logistic regression were applied in data analysis. The results showed that children's reported their father's in-home smoking decreased from 83.0% pre-intervention to 59.8% post-intervention ( p Viet Nam to increase children's awareness on the adverse health effects of secondhand smoke and to help them to be able to avoid their exposure to secondhand smoke at their home environment.

  3. Effect of preceding home-visit nursing on time to discharge in hospitalization for the treatment of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia among patients with limited familial care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kitamura, Tatsuru; Shiota, Shigehito; Jinkawa, Shigetoshi; Kitamura, Maki; Hino, Shoryoku

    2018-01-01

    During hospitalization for behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), it is imperative to build a support system for each patient in the community for after they obtain symptom remission. To this end, patients lacking adequate family support are less likely to be discharged to their own homes and need stronger support systems to be established. This study therefore investigated the effects of home-visit nursing before admission on time to home discharge among patients with limited familial care who were hospitalized for treatment of BPSD. A single-centre chart review study was conducted on consecutive patients admitted from home between April 2013 and September 2015 for treatment of BPSD and who had lived alone or with a working family member. Time to home discharge was compared between patients who had home-visit nursing before their admission and those who did not. In total, 58 patients were enrolled in the study, of whom 12 had preceding home-visit nursing (PHN group) and 46 did not (non-PHN group). Patients in the PHN group were younger (77.7 ± 4.9 vs. 84.1 ± 6.1 years, P = 0.0011) and had higher Mini-Mental State Examination scores (16.8 ± 7.2 vs 11.8 ± 7.3, P = 0.0287). A multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis adjusted for age and Mini-Mental State Examination scores showed a higher likelihood of discharge to home in the PHN group (hazard ratio: 3.85; 95% confidence interval: 1.27-11.6;, P = 0.017) than in the non-PHN group. Home-visit nursing before admission of BPSD patients for treatment could improve the rate of discharge to home among patients with limited familial care after subsequent hospitalization. Home-visit nursing could also enhance collaborative relationships between social and hospital-based care systems, and early implementation could improve the likelihood of vulnerable patient types remaining in their own homes for as long as possible. © 2018 Japanese Psychogeriatric

  4. Home-Based versus Hospital-Based Rehabilitation Program after Total Knee Replacement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Remedios López-Liria

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives. To compare home-based rehabilitation with the standard hospital rehabilitation in terms of improving knee joint mobility and recovery of muscle strength and function in patients after a total knee replacement. Materials and Methods. A non-randomised controlled trial was conducted. Seventy-eight patients with a prosthetic knee were included in the study and allocated to either a home-based or hospital-based rehabilitation programme. Treatment included various exercises to restore strength and joint mobility and to improve patients’ functional capacity. The primary outcome of the trial was the treatment effectiveness measured by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC. Results. The groups did not significantly differ in the leg side (right/left or clinical characteristics (P>0.05. After the intervention, both groups showed significant improvements (P<0.001 from the baseline values in the level of pain (visual analogue scale, the range of flexion-extension motion and muscle strength, disability (Barthel and WOMAC indices, balance, and walking. Conclusions. This study reveals that the rehabilitation treatments offered either at home or in hospital settings are equally effective.

  5. Structures, processes and outcomes of the Aussie Heart Guide Program: A nurse mentor supported, home based cardiac rehabilitation program for rural patients with acute coronary syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frohmader, Terence J; Lin, Frances; Chaboyer, Wendy P

    2018-03-01

    Cardiac rehabilitation has a number of benefits for patients, yet participation in it is sub-optimal, especially in regional Australia. Innovative models of cardiac rehabilitation are needed to improve participation. Providing nurse mentors to support patients transitioning from hospital to home represents a new model of service delivery in Australia. To explore the impact of a home-based cardiac rehabilitation program in assisting patients to recover from Acute Coronary Syndrome and meeting the expectations of nurse mentors delivering the program. This case study was underpinned by the structure, process and outcomes model and occurred in three Australian hospitals 2008-2011. Thirteen patients recovering from acute coronary syndrome were interviewed by telephone and seven nurse mentors completed a survey after completing the program. Mentor perceptions concerning the structures of the home-based CR program included the timely recruitment of patients, mentor training to operationalise the program, commitment to development of the mentor role, and the acquisition of knowledge and skills about cognitive behavioural therapy and patient centred care. Processes included the therapeutic relationship between mentors and patients, suitability of the program and the promotion of healthier lifestyle behaviours. Outcomes identified that patients were satisfied with the program's audiovisual resources, and the level of support and guidance provided by their nurse mentors. Mentors believed that the program was easy to use in terms of its delivery. Patients believed the program assisted their recovery and were satisfied with the information, guidance and support received from mentors. There were positive signs that the program influenced patients' decisions to change unhealthy lifestyle behaviours. Outcomes highlighted both rewards and barriers associated with mentoring patients in their homes by telephone. Experience gained from developing a therapeutic relationship with

  6. Mobile-phone-based home exercise training program decreases systemic inflammation in COPD: a pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chun-Hua; Chou, Pai-Chien; Joa, Wen-Ching; Chen, Li-Fei; Sheng, Te-Fang; Ho, Shu-Chuan; Lin, Horng-Chyuan; Huang, Chien-Da; Chung, Fu-Tsai; Chung, Kian Fan; Kuo, Han-Pin

    2014-08-30

    Moderate-intensity exercise training improves skeletal muscle aerobic capacity and increased oxidative enzyme activity, as well as exercise tolerance in COPD patients. To investigate whether the home-based exercise training program can reduce inflammatory biomarkers in patients with COPD, twelve patients using mobile phone assistance and 14 with free walk were assessed by incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT), spirometry, strength of limb muscles, and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and inflammatory cytokines. Patients in the mobile phone group improved their ISWT walking distance, with decrease in serum CRP after 2 months, and sustained at 6 months. Patients in the control group had no improvement. Serum IL-8 in the mobile phone group was significantly reduced at 2, 3 and 6 months after doing home exercise training compared to baseline. IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly elevated at 3 and 6 months in control group, while there were no changes in mobile phone group. The strength of limb muscles was significantly greater compared to baseline at 3 and 6 months in the mobile phone group. A mobile-phone-based system can provide an efficient home endurance exercise training program with improved exercise capacity, strength of limb muscles and a decrease in serum CRP and IL-8 in COPD patients. Decreased systemic inflammation may contribute to these clinical benefits. (Clinical trial registration No.: NCT01631019).

  7. "It's Changed Everything": Voices of Veterans in the Veteran-Directed Home and Community Based Services Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahoney, Ellen K; Milliken, Aimee; Mahoney, Kevin J; Edwards-Orr, Merle; Willis, Danny G

    2018-04-05

    The purpose of this study was to understand the value and impact of the Veteran-Directed Home and Community Based Services program (VD-HCBS) on Veterans' lives in their own voices. Focus groups and individual interviews by telephone were conducted to elicit participant perspectives on what was most meaningful, and what difference VD-HCBS made in their lives. Transcripts were analyzed using content analysis. The sample included 21 Veterans, with a mean age of 66±14, enrolled in VD-HCBS an average of 20.8 months. All were at risk of institutional placement based on their level of disability. Five major categories captured the information provided by participants: What a Difference Choice Makes; I'm a Person!; It's a Home-Saver; Coming Back to Life; and Keeping Me Healthy & Safe. Participants described the program as life changing. This study is the first time that Veterans themselves have identified the ways in which VD-HCBS impacted their lives, uncovering the mechanisms underlying positive outcomes. These categories revealed new ways of understanding VD-HCBS as an innovative approach to meeting the person-centered needs of Veterans wishing to remain at home, while experiencing quality care and leading meaningful lives, areas identified as priorities for improving long term services and supports.

  8. Outcomes, infectiousness, and transmission dynamics of patients with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis and home-discharged patients with programmatically incurable tuberculosis: a prospective cohort study

    KAUST Repository

    Dheda, Keertan; Limberis, Jason D; Pietersen, Elize; Phelan, Jody; Esmail, Aliasgar; Lesosky, Maia; Fennelly, Kevin P; te Riele, Julian; Mastrapa, Barbara; Streicher, Elizabeth M; Dolby, Tania; Abdallah, Abdallah; Ben Rached, Fathia; Simpson, John; Smith, Liezel; Gumbo, Tawanda; van Helden, Paul; Sirgel, Frederick A; McNerney, Ruth; Theron, Grant; Pain, Arnab; Clark, Taane G; Warren, Robin M

    2017-01-01

    Background: The emergence of programmatically incurable tuberculosis threatens to destabilise control efforts. The aim of this study was to collect prospective patient-level data to inform treatment and containment strategies. Methods: In a prospective cohort study, 273 South African patients with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, or resistance beyond extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, were followed up over a period of 6 years. Transmission dynamics, infectiousness, and drug susceptibility were analysed in a subset of patients from the Western Cape using whole-genome sequencing (WGS; n=149), a cough aerosol sampling system (CASS; n=26), and phenotypic testing for 18 drugs (n=179). Findings: Between Oct 1, 2008, and Oct 31, 2012, we enrolled and followed up 273 patients for a median of 20·3 months (IQR 9·6-27·8). 203 (74%) had programmatically incurable tuberculosis and unfavourable outcomes (treatment failure, relapse, default, or death despite treatment with a regimen based on capreomycin, aminosalicylic acid, or both). 172 (63%) patients were discharged home, of whom 104 (60%) had an unfavourable outcome. 54 (31%) home-discharged patients had failed treatment, with a median time to death after discharge of 9·9 months (IQR 4·2-17·4). 35 (20%) home-discharged cases were smear-positive at discharge. Using CASS, six (23%) of 26 home-discharged cases with data available expectorated infectious culture-positive cough aerosols in the respirable range (<5 μm), and most reported inter-person contact with suboptimal protective mask usage. WGS identified 17 (19%) of the 90 patients (with available sequence data) that were discharged home before the diagnosis of 20 downstream cases of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis with almost identical sequencing profiles suggestive of community-based transmission (five or fewer single nucleotide polymorphisms different and with identical resistance-encoding mutations for 14 drugs). 11 (55%) of these downstream

  9. Outcomes, infectiousness, and transmission dynamics of patients with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis and home-discharged patients with programmatically incurable tuberculosis: a prospective cohort study

    KAUST Repository

    Dheda, Keertan

    2017-01-19

    Background: The emergence of programmatically incurable tuberculosis threatens to destabilise control efforts. The aim of this study was to collect prospective patient-level data to inform treatment and containment strategies. Methods: In a prospective cohort study, 273 South African patients with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, or resistance beyond extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, were followed up over a period of 6 years. Transmission dynamics, infectiousness, and drug susceptibility were analysed in a subset of patients from the Western Cape using whole-genome sequencing (WGS; n=149), a cough aerosol sampling system (CASS; n=26), and phenotypic testing for 18 drugs (n=179). Findings: Between Oct 1, 2008, and Oct 31, 2012, we enrolled and followed up 273 patients for a median of 20·3 months (IQR 9·6-27·8). 203 (74%) had programmatically incurable tuberculosis and unfavourable outcomes (treatment failure, relapse, default, or death despite treatment with a regimen based on capreomycin, aminosalicylic acid, or both). 172 (63%) patients were discharged home, of whom 104 (60%) had an unfavourable outcome. 54 (31%) home-discharged patients had failed treatment, with a median time to death after discharge of 9·9 months (IQR 4·2-17·4). 35 (20%) home-discharged cases were smear-positive at discharge. Using CASS, six (23%) of 26 home-discharged cases with data available expectorated infectious culture-positive cough aerosols in the respirable range (<5 μm), and most reported inter-person contact with suboptimal protective mask usage. WGS identified 17 (19%) of the 90 patients (with available sequence data) that were discharged home before the diagnosis of 20 downstream cases of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis with almost identical sequencing profiles suggestive of community-based transmission (five or fewer single nucleotide polymorphisms different and with identical resistance-encoding mutations for 14 drugs). 11 (55%) of these downstream

  10. Outpatient rehabilitation care process factors and clinical outcomes among patients discharged home following unilateral total knee arthroplasty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brennan, Gerard P; Fritz, Julie M; Houck, L T C Kevin M; Hunter, Stephen J

    2015-05-01

    Research examining care process variables and their relationship to clinical outcomes after total knee arthroplasty has focused primarily on inpatient variables. Care process factors related to outpatient rehabilitation have not been adequately examined. We conducted a retrospective review of 321 patients evaluating outpatient care process variables including use of continuous passive motion, home health physical therapy, number of days from inpatient discharge to beginning outpatient physical therapy, and aspects of outpatient physical therapy (number of visits, length of stay) as possible predictors of pain and disability outcomes of outpatient physical therapy. Only the number of days between inpatient discharge and outpatient physical therapy predicted better outcomes, suggesting that this may be a target for improving outcomes after total knee arthroplasty for patients discharged directly home. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Ostomy Home Skills Program

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    Full Text Available ... Advocate at Home Program State Legislative Action Center Leadership & Advocacy Summit Webinars Practice Management Practice Management Practice Management CPT Coding Bulletin Articles ...

  12. Development of a Clinical Tool to Predict Home Death of a Discharged Cancer Patient in Japan: a Case-Control Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukui, Sakiko; Morita, Tatsuya; Yoshiuchi, Kazuhiro

    2017-08-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of a clinical tool to predict whether discharged cancer patients die at home, comparing groups of case who died at home and control who died in hospitals or other facilities. We conducted a nationwide case-control study to identify the determinants of home death for a discharged cancer patient. We randomly selected nurses in charge of 2000 home-visit nursing agencies from all 5813 agencies in Japan by referring to the nationwide databases in January 2013. The nurses were asked to report variables of their patients' place of death, patients' and caregivers' clinical statuses, and their preferences for home death. We used logistic regression analysis and developed a clinical tool to accurately predict it and investigated their predictive values. We identified 466 case and 478 control patients. Five predictive variables of home death were obtained: patients' and caregivers' preferences for home death [OR (95% CI) 2.66 (1.99-3.55)], availability of visiting physicians [2.13 (1.67-2.70)], 24-h contact between physicians and nurses [1.68 (1.30-2.18)], caregivers' experiences of deathwatch at home [1.41 (1.13-1.75)], and patients' insights as to their own prognosis [1.23 (1.02-1.50)]. We calculated the scores predicting home death for each variable (range 6-28). When using a cutoff point of 16, home death was predicted with a sensitivity of 0.72 and a specificity of 0.81 with the Harrell's c-statistic of 0.84. This simple clinical tool for healthcare professionals can help predict whether a discharged patient is likely to die at home.

  13. Adherence to and effectiveness of an individually tailored home-based exercise program for frail older adults, driven by mobility monitoring: design of a prospective cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geraedts, Hilde A E; Zijlstra, Wiebren; Zhang, Wei; Bulstra, Sjoerd; Stevens, Martin

    2014-06-07

    With the number of older adults in society rising, frailty becomes an increasingly prevalent health condition. Regular physical activity can prevent functional decline and reduce frailty symptoms. In particular, home-based exercise programs can be beneficial in reducing frailty of older adults and fall risk, and in improving associated physiological parameters. However, adherence to home-based exercise programs is generally low among older adults. Current developments in technology can assist in enlarging adherence to home-based exercise programs. This paper presents the rationale and design of a study evaluating the adherence to and effectiveness of an individually tailored, home-based physical activity program for frail older adults driven by mobility monitoring through a necklace-worn physical activity sensor and remote feedback using a tablet PC. Fifty transitionally frail community-dwelling older adults will join a 6-month home-based physical activity program in which exercises are provided in the form of exercise videos on a tablet PC and daily activity is monitored by means of a necklace-worn motion sensor. Participants exercise 5 times a week. Exercises are built up in levels and are individually tailored in consultation with a coach through weekly telephone contact. The physical activity program driven by mobility monitoring through a necklace-worn sensor and remote feedback using a tablet PC is an innovative method for physical activity stimulation in frail older adults. We hypothesize that, if participants are sufficiently adherent, the program will result in higher daily physical activity and higher strength and balance assessed by physical tests compared to baseline. If adherence to and effectiveness of the program is considered sufficient, the next step would be to evaluate the effectiveness with a randomised controlled trial. The knowledge gained in this study can be used to develop and fine-tune the application of innovative technology in home-based

  14. Hospital-based home care for children with cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansson, Eva Helena; Kjaergaard, Hanne; Johansen, Christoffer

    2013-01-01

    BACKGROUND: To assess the feasibility and psychosocial impact of a hospital-based home care (HBHC) program for children with cancer. PROCEDURE: A HBHC program was carried out with 51 children (0-18 years) with cancer to assess its feasibility in terms of satisfaction, care preferences, safety...... children and 43 parents in the home care group, and 47 children and 66 parents receiving standard hospital care. RESULTS: All parents in the HBHC program were satisfied and preferred home care. There were no serious adverse events associated with HBHC, and costs did not increase. When adjusting for age......, gender, diagnosis and time since diagnosis, we found significant higher HRQOL scores in parent-reported physical health (P = 0.04; 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.2-19.5) and worry (P = 0.04; 95% CI: -0.4-20.6) in the home-care group indicating better physical health and less worry for children...

  15. The Use of Computer-Assisted Home Exercises to Preserve Physical Function after a Vestibular Rehabilitation Program: A Randomized Controlled Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael Smaerup

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether elderly patients with vestibular dysfunction are able to preserve physical functional level, reduction in dizziness, and the patient’s quality of life when assistive computer technology is used in comparison with printed instructions. Materials and Methods. Single-blind, randomized, controlled follow-up study. Fifty-seven elderly patients with chronic dizziness were randomly assigned to a computer-assisted home exercise program or to home exercises as described in printed instructions and followed for tree month after discharge from an outpatient clinic. Results. Both groups had maintained their high functional levels three months after finishing the outpatient rehabilitation. No statistically significant difference was found in outcome scores between the two groups. In spite of moderate compliance levels, the patients maintained their high functional level indicating that the elderly should not necessarily exercise for the first three months after termination of the training in the outpatient clinic. Conclusion. Elderly vestibular dysfunction patients exercising at home seem to maintain their functional level, level of dizziness, and quality of life three months following discharge from hospital. In this specific setup, no greater effect was found by introducing a computer-assisted training program, when compared to standard home training guided by printed instructions. This trial is registered with NCT01344408.

  16. Ostomy Home Skills Program

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    Full Text Available ... of Surgeons Professional Association Advocate at Home Program State Legislative Action Center Leadership & Advocacy Summit Webinars Practice Management Practice Management Practice Management CPT Coding Bulletin Articles ...

  17. Ostomy Home Skills Program

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    Full Text Available ... ACS ACS and Veterans Diversity at ACS Benefits ... Profile Shop ( 0 ) Cart Donate American College of Surgeons Education Patients and Family Skills Programs Ostomy Home Skills ...

  18. Ostomy Home Skills Program

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    Full Text Available ... login or create account first) Skills Kits Broadcast Rights for Hospitals Ostomy Home Skills Hospital Quality Improvement Package The standardized interactive program has been developed by the ...

  19. Ostomy Home Skills Program

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    Full Text Available ... at ACS ACS and Veterans Diversity at ACS Benefits ... Profile Shop ( 0 ) Cart Donate American College of Surgeons Education Patients and Family Skills Programs Ostomy Home Skills ...

  20. A home-based individualized information communication technology training program for older adults: a demonstration of effectiveness and value.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arthanat, Sajay; Vroman, Kerryellen G; Lysack, Catherine

    2016-01-01

    To demonstrate the effectiveness and value of a home-based information communication technology (ICT) training program for older adults. Thirteen older adults were provided in-home ICT training by graduate occupational therapy students using an iPad. The breadth and frequency of ICT use, perspectives on technology, and perceived independence were recorded at baseline, during the 3-month training and at follow-up, along with an end-of-study questionnaire. Non-parametric Friedman analysis was conducted to verify trends in the outcome measures. The qualitative data were examined by content analysis. Participants' breadth of ICT activities showed a significant trend across 6 months. Leisure accounted for the significant increase, while health management and social connections activities increased modestly. A positive trend in participants' perspectives on technology was evident along with a marginal increase in perceived independence. Participants' perspectives were thematically categorized as technology experiences, interactions with coach, training approach, and specific activities. As reflection of the training program's value, 12 of the 13 participants took ownership of the iPad at the end of the study. Building capacity of older adults to utilize the multifaceted potential of ICT is critical in addressing declines in health, impending disabilities, and social isolation. Implications for Rehabilitation A one-on-one home-based individualized information communication technology (ICT) training program for older adults could result in a progressive increase in the breadth of online activities carried out by them. Specifically, the increase in their usage of ICT could be expected in leisure-based online activities. Individualized training programs designed based on needs, priorities, and learning style of older adults could have a positive impact on their technological perspectives and intrinsic motivation to adopt ICT.

  1. Ostomy Home Skills Program

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    Full Text Available ... for Hospitals Ostomy Home Skills Hospital Quality Improvement Package The standardized interactive program has been developed by the American College of Surgeons ... and Associates Medical Students International Surgeons ...

  2. Home Discharge and Out-of-Hospital Follow-Up of Total Artificial Heart Patients Supported by a Portable Driver System

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    To enhance ambulation and facilitate hospital discharge of total artificial heart (TAH)–supported patients, we adapted a mobile ventricular assistance device (VAD) driver (Excor) for TAH use and report on the performance of Excor-driven TAH patients discharged home. Ten patients stabilized on a TAH, driven by the CSS (“Circulatory Support System”), were progressively switched over to the Excor in hospital over 14 days as a pilot, with daily hemodynamics and laboratory parameters measured. Twenty-two stable TAH patients were subsequently placed on the Excor, trained, and discharged home. Clinical and hemodynamic parameters were followed. All pilot study patients were clinically stable on the Excor, with no decrease in TAH output noted (6.3 + 0.3 L/min [day 1] vs. 5.8 + 0.2 L/min [day 14], p = 0.174), with a trend suggesting improvement of both hepatic and renal function. Twenty-two TAH patients were subsequently successfully discharged home on the portable driver and were supported out of hospital for up to 598 days (range, 2–598; mean = 179 ± 140 days), remaining ambulatory, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class I or II, and free of readmission for 88.5% of the time of support. TAH patients may be effectively and safely supported by a mobile drive system. As such, the utility of the TAH may be extended to support patients beyond the hospital, at home, with overall ambulatory freedom. PMID:24577369

  3. Determining the Reach of a Home-Based Physical Activity Program for Older Adults within the Context of a Randomized Controlled Trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harden, Samantha M.; Fanning, Jason T.; Motl, Robert W.; McAuley, Edward; Estabrooks, Paul A.

    2014-01-01

    Determining the reach of physical activity (PA) programs is challenging due to inconsistent reporting across studies. The purpose of this study was to document multiple indicators of program reach for a 6-month, Digital Versatile Disc (DVD)-delivered home-based PA program. Radio, newspaper and direct mailing advertisements were tracked to…

  4. Evaluation of a Home-Based Hospice and Palliative Care Program in a Community Health Center in Korea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Su Hyun Kim

    2009-03-01

    Conclusions: A home-based palliative service program delivered by the community health center appears to be an appropriate care model for managing physical symptoms. Reinforcing services for psychosocial and spiritual counseling and encouraging affiliation with free-standing inpatient healthcare providers are warranted. [Asian Nursing Research 2009;3(1:24–30

  5. [Feasibility and results of at-home follow-up after early postpartum discharge from maternity units in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ouattara, S; Some, D A; Toure, B; Ouattara, Z A; Dembele, A; Bambara, M; Dao, B

    2014-01-01

    to describe the feasibility and results of at-home follow-up of mothers and newborns discharged early from the maternity ward after normal childbirth. This prospective descriptive study took place during a one month period (April 1-30, 2011) in five maternity units in Bobo-Dioulasso, the second largest city in Burkina Faso. Mothers with normal vaginal deliveries and no complications at the sixth hour postpartum were included in the study with their newborns after informed oral consent. The discharge took place between 12 and 48 hours after delivery. The follow-up took place by telephone, home visits, and emergency hospital visits in cases of complications. A postnatal hospital visit was systematically planned for day 7. The study included 630 mothers and their babies. There were 1567 phone calls made: 27 women could not be reached by telephone after discharge, and 140 home visits took place, either at the mother's request or because of the failure to reach her by telephone. Complications were observed in 55 mothers and 135 babies. Postnatal follow-up at home is required for mothers and their newborns discharged early from the maternity ward after normal childbirth in view of the possibility of complications. This ensures continuity of care to improve survival of mothers and babies. As cell phones become more and more available, they may play an important role as a tool for such follow up.

  6. Medicare and Medicaid Programs; CY 2017 Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update; Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model; and Home Health Quality Reporting Requirements. Final rule.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-11-03

    This final rule updates the Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) payment rates, including the national, standardized 60-day episode payment rates, the national per-visit rates, and the non-routine medical supply (NRS) conversion factor; effective for home health episodes of care ending on or after January 1, 2017. This rule also: Implements the last year of the 4-year phase-in of the rebasing adjustments to the HH PPS payment rates; updates the HH PPS case-mix weights using the most current, complete data available at the time of rulemaking; implements the 2nd-year of a 3-year phase-in of a reduction to the national, standardized 60-day episode payment to account for estimated case-mix growth unrelated to increases in patient acuity (that is, nominal case-mix growth) between CY 2012 and CY 2014; finalizes changes to the methodology used to calculate payments made under the HH PPS for high-cost "outlier" episodes of care; implements changes in payment for furnishing Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) using a disposable device for patients under a home health plan of care; discusses our efforts to monitor the potential impacts of the rebasing adjustments; includes an update on subsequent research and analysis as a result of the findings from the home health study; and finalizes changes to the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model, which was implemented on January 1, 2016; and updates to the Home Health Quality Reporting Program (HH QRP).

  7. Effects of a simple home-based exercise program on fall prevention in older adults: A 12-month primary care setting, randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boongird, Chitima; Keesukphan, Prasit; Phiphadthakusolkul, Soontraporn; Rattanasiri, Sasivimol; Thakkinstian, Ammarin

    2017-11-01

    To investigate the effects of a simple home-based exercise program on falls, physical functioning, fear of falling and quality of life in a primary care setting. Participants (n = 439), aged ≥65 years with mild-to-moderate balance dysfunction were randomly assigned to an exercise (n = 219) or control (n = 220) group. The program consisted of five combined exercises, which progressed in difficulty, and a walking plan. Controls received fall prevention education. Physical functioning and other outcomes were measured at 3- and 6-month follow-up visits. Falls were monitored with fall diaries and phone interviews at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months respectively. The 12 months of the home-based exercise program showed the incidence of falls was 0.30 falls per person year in the exercise group, compared with 0.40 in the control group. The estimated incidence rate ratio was 0.75 (95% CI 0.55-1.04), which was not statistically significant. The fear of falling (measured by the Thai fall efficacy scale) was significantly lower in the exercise than control group (24.7 vs 27.0, P = 0.003). Also, the trend of program adherence increased in the exercise group. (29.6% to 56.8%). This simple home-based exercise program showed a reduction in fear of falling and a positive trend towards exercise adherence. Further studies should focus on factors associated with exercise adherence, the benefits of increased home visits and should follow participants longer in order to evaluate the effects of the program. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 2157-2163. © 2017 Japan Geriatrics Society.

  8. A comparison of home care clients and nursing home residents: can community based care keep the elderly and disabled at home?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shugarman, L R; Fries, B E; James, M

    1999-01-01

    Admission cohorts from the Michigan Medicaid Home and Community-Based Waiver program and Ohio nursing homes were compared on measures of resource utilization including a modified Resource Utilization Groups (RUG-III) system, Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), and overall case mix. We found that, contrary to previous research, the two samples were remarkably similar across RUG-III categories. However, the nursing home sample was more functionally impaired on measures of ADL functioning and overall case mix. Results of this study may inform policymakers and providers of the potential for maintaining the appropriate population in the home with government-funded home care.

  9. Helping Older Adults Sustain Their Physical Therapy Gains: A Theory-Based Intervention to Promote Adherence to Home Exercise Following Rehabilitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallagher, Kristel M

    2016-01-01

    The benefits of exercise gained by older adults during physical therapy are often not maintained once the program is over. This lack of sustained benefits is thought to be partially the result of poor adherence to the prescribed home exercise program to be continued once therapy is completed. Most of what is known about older adults' adherence to physical therapy and home exercise comes from research seeking to identify and understand predictors of adherence, rather than trying to enhance adherence explicitly. The purpose of this study was to test a theoretically grounded approach to promoting adherence to home exercise programs in older adults. Sixty older adults (M age = 69.3 (6.87) years) in a program of physical therapy received 1 of 2 print messages and magnets promoting adherence to home exercise. The content of the messages was informed by the goal-specific tenets of socioemotional selectivity theory-one message described the emotional and meaningful benefits of home exercise, such as time with loved ones and independence, and one message described facts and information about physiological benefits, such as balance and strength. Adherence to home exercise was measured 2 weeks after participants were discharged from physical therapy by calculating the percentage of the prescribed exercises participants reported completing at home. An analysis of covariance indicated that there was no statistically significant difference in adherence rates between participants receiving either message. However, a 2×2 analysis of covariance did reveal a significant interaction between the type of message participants received and the time at which they received that message. Post hoc analyses separately examined the rates of adherence in participants who received the intervention message with time remaining in their therapy program and participants who received the intervention message on the day of discharge. In the subset of participants who received their intervention

  10. Transition from hospital to home: Parents' perception of their preparation and readiness for discharge with their preterm infant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aydon, Laurene; Hauck, Yvonne; Murdoch, Jamee; Siu, Daphne; Sharp, Mary

    2018-01-01

    To explore the experiences of parents with babies born between 28-32 weeks' gestation during transition through the neonatal intensive care unit and discharge to home. Following birth of a preterm baby, parents undergo a momentous journey through the neonatal intensive care unit prior to their arrival home. The complexity of the journey varies on the degree of prematurity and problems faced by each baby. The neonatal intensive care unit environment has many stressors and facilitating education to assist parents to feel ready for discharge can be challenging for all health professionals. Qualitative descriptive design. The project included two phases, pre- and postdischarge, to capture the experiences of 20 couples (40 parents), whilst their baby was a neonatal intensive care unit inpatient and then after discharge. Face-to-face interviews, an online survey and telephone interviews were employed to gather parent's experiences. Constant comparative analysis was used to identify commonalities between experiences. Recruitment and data collection occurred from October 2014-February 2015. Overlapping themes from both phases revealed three overarching concepts: effective parent staff communication; feeling informed and involved; and being prepared to go home. Our findings can be used to develop strategies to improve the neonatal intensive care unit stay and discharge experience for parents. Proposed strategies would be to improve information transfer, promote parental contact with the multidisciplinary team, encourage input from fathers to identify their needs and facilitate parental involvement according to individual needs within families. Providing information to parents during their time in hospital, in a consistent and timely manner is an essential component of their preparation when transitioning to home. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Individualised dietary counselling for nutritionally at-risk older patients following discharge from acute hospital to home

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Munk, T; Tolstrup, U; Beck, A M

    2016-01-01

    Background: Many older patients are undernourished after hospitalisation. Undernutrition impacts negatively on physical function and the ability of older patients to perform activities of daily living at home after discharge from acute hospital. The present study aimed to evaluate the evidence...... for an effect of individualised dietary counselling following discharge from acute hospital to home on physical function, and, second, on readmissions, mortality, nutritional status, nutritional intake and quality of life (QoL), in nutritionally at-risk older patients. Methods: A systematic review of randomised......% CI = 0.08-1.95, P = 0.03). Meta-analyses revealed no significant effect on physical function assessed using hand grip strength, and similarly on mortality. Narrative summation of effects on physical function using other instruments revealed inconsistent effects. Meta-analyses were not conducted on Qo...

  12. Design of smart home gateway based on Wi-Fi and ZigBee

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yang

    2018-04-01

    With the increasing demand for home lifestyle, the traditional smart home products have been unable to meet the needs of users. Aim at the complex wiring, high cost and difficult operation problems of traditional smart home system, this paper designs a home gateway for smart home system based on Wi-Fi and ZigBee. This paper first gives a smart home system architecture base on cloud server, Wi-Fi and ZigBee. This architecture enables users to access the smart home system remotely from Internet through the cloud server or through Wi-Fi at home. It also offers the flexibility and low cost of ZigBee wireless networking for home equipment. This paper analyzes the functional requirements of the home gateway, and designs a modular hardware architecture based on the RT5350 wireless gateway module and the CC2530 ZigBee coordinator module. Also designs the software of the home gateway, including the gateway master program and the ZigBee coordinator program. Finally, the smart home system and home gateway are tested in two kinds of network environments, internal network and external network. The test results show that the designed home gateway can meet the requirements, support remote and local access, support multi-user, support information security technology, and can timely report equipment status information.

  13. Implementation of evidence-based home visiting programs aimed at reducing child maltreatment: A meta-analytic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casillas, Katherine L; Fauchier, Angèle; Derkash, Bridget T; Garrido, Edward F

    2016-03-01

    In recent years there has been an increase in the popularity of home visitation programs as a means of addressing risk factors for child maltreatment. The evidence supporting the effectiveness of these programs from several meta-analyses, however, is mixed. One potential explanation for this inconsistency explored in the current study involves the manner in which these programs were implemented. In the current study we reviewed 156 studies associated with 9 different home visitation program models targeted to caregivers of children between the ages of 0 and 5. Meta-analytic techniques were used to determine the impact of 18 implementation factors (e.g., staff selection, training, supervision, fidelity monitoring, etc.) and four study characteristics (publication type, target population, study design, comparison group) in predicting program outcomes. Results from analyses revealed that several implementation factors, including training, supervision, and fidelity monitoring, had a significant effect on program outcomes, particularly child maltreatment outcomes. Study characteristics, including the program's target population and the comparison group employed, also had a significant effect on program outcomes. Implications of the study's results for those interested in implementing home visitation programs are discussed. A careful consideration and monitoring of program implementation is advised as a means of achieving optimal study results. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. An e-learning program to prevent pressure ulcers in adults with spinal cord injury: a pre- and post- pilot test among rehabilitation patients following discharge to home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schubart, Jane

    2012-10-01

    Pressure ulcers (PrUs) are the most common medical complication following spinal cord injury (SCI), as well as costly and potentially life-threatening. Every individual with SCI is at life-long risk for developing PrUs, yet many lack access to readily available, understandable, and effective PrU prevention strategies and practices. To address barriers to adequate PrU prevention education, an interactive e-learning program to educate adults with SCI about PrU prevention and management was developed and previously pilot-tested among inpatients. This recent pilot study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of using the learning portion of the program by adults with SCI following discharge to home among 15 outpatients with SCI. Fourteen patients (nine men, five women, median age 37 years) completed the program intervention and pre- and follow-up questionnaires. The median score for pre-program knowledge and skin care management practice was 96 (possible score: 0 to 120; range 70-100). Post-program use median score was 107 (range 97-114). The greatest improvement was in the responses to knowledge and practice questions about skin checks and preventing skin problems (P effect of this e-learning program on PrU incidence. Internet interventions that are proven effective hold tremendous potential for bringing prevention education to groups who would otherwise not receive it.

  15. Surface discharge of raw wastewater among unsewered homes in central Alabama

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elliott, M.; Das, P.; Blackwell, A.; Aytekin, E.; Hu, Y.; White, K.; Jones, R.; Lu, Y.

    2017-12-01

    Discussions of future water and wastewater challenges in the US typically focus on crumbling infrastructure. However, another major challenge has been almost entirely neglected. A growing body of evidence indicates that household discharge of untreated wastewater to the surface (through so-called "straight pipes") is widespread in poor rural communities of Appalachia and the southeastern US. The US Census included water and wastewater questions until 1990. However, the census questions do not appear to differentiate clearly between legal onsite treatment and discharge of raw wastewater to the ground (EPA, 1999; US Census, 2015). Although straight pipes are illegal, many reports from the southern US and Appalachia indicate that the practice is still common in poor rural areas (e.g., EPA Region 4, 2002; du Albuquerque, 2011). A representative, county-scale report on straight pipes in Madison County, NC (Baldwin, 2000) found that 5.6% of unsewered rural households directly discharged raw wastewater and a 2005 study of Bibb County, AL, reported 15% straight pipe among households not connected to sewer (White and Jones, 2006). We focused on two Alabama counties (Hale and Wilcox) with high rates of rural poverty (26.6% and 39.2% of households in poverty, respectively) and soils unsuited for conventional septic systems. We used two main methods (1) site-by-site inspections of a random sample of unsewered rural homes and (2) water sample collection and analysis from impacted streams. We found high rates of straight pipe use and substantial impacts on water quality in local streams. For example, in Wilcox Co., 60% of unsewered households had a visible straight pipe; conservatively, these homes discharge 500,000 gallons of raw sewage to the ground in Wilcox Co. each day. Water sampling upstream and downstream of an unsewered town with many straight pipes indicated major impacts on surface water quality. Additionally, the literature reveals possible health impacts from onsite

  16. Promoting an Alcohol-Free Childhood: A Novel Home-Based Parenting Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dickinson, Denise M.; Hayes, Kim A.; Jackson, Christine; Ennett, Susan T.; Lawson, Caroline

    2014-01-01

    Few alcohol prevention programs focus on elementary school-aged youth, yet children develop expectancies and norms about alcohol use during the elementary school years, and many elementary school children are allowed to have sips or tastes of alcohol at home. Research on consequences of early alcohol use indicates that it can put children at…

  17. The cost of starting and maintaining a large home hemodialysis program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Komenda, Paul; Copland, Michael; Makwana, Jay; Djurdjev, Ogdjenka; Sood, Manish M; Levin, Adeera

    2010-06-01

    Home extended hours hemodialysis improves some measurable biological and quality-of-life parameters over conventional renal replacement therapies in patients with end-stage renal disease. Published small studies evaluating costs have shown savings in terms of ongoing operating costs with this modality. However, all estimates need to include the total costs, including infrastructure, patient training, and maintenance; patient attrition by death, transplantation, technique failure; and the necessity of in-center dialysis. We describe a comprehensive funding model for a large centrally administered but locally delivered home hemodialysis program in British Columbia, Canada that covered 122 patients, of which 113 were still in the program at study end. The majority of patients performed home nocturnal hemodialysis in this 2-year retrospective study. All training periods, both in-center and in-home dialysis, medications, hospitalizations, and deaths were captured using our provincial renal database and vital statistics. Comparative data from the provincial database and pricing models were used for costing purposes. The total comprehensive costs per patient-incorporating startup, home, and in-center dialysis; medications; home remodeling; and consumables-was $59,179 for years 2004-2005 and $48,648 for 2005-2006. The home dialysis patients required multiple in-center dialysis runs, significantly contributing to the overall costs. Our study describes a valid, comprehensive funding model delineating reliable cost estimates of starting and maintaining a large home-based hemodialysis program. Consideration of hidden costs is important for administrators and planners to take into account when designing budgets for home hemodialysis.

  18. Ostomy Home Skills Program

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Stay Up to Date with ACS Association Management Jobs Events Find a Surgeon Patients and Family Contact My Profile Shop ( 0 ) Cart Donate American College of Surgeons Education Patients and Family Skills Programs Ostomy Home Skills ...

  19. Ostomy Home Skills Program

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Up to Date with ACS Association Management JACS Jobs Events Find a Surgeon Patients and Family Contact My Profile Shop ( 0 ) Cart Donate American College of Surgeons Education Patients and Family Skills Programs Ostomy Home Skills ...

  20. Feasibility study design and methods for a home-based, square-stepping exercise program among older adults with multiple sclerosis: The SSE-MS project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sebastião, Emerson; McAuley, Edward; Shigematsu, Ryosuke; Motl, Robert W

    2017-09-01

    We propose a randomized controlled trial (RCT) examining the feasibility of square-stepping exercise (SSE) delivered as a home-based program for older adults with multiple sclerosis (MS). We will assess feasibility in the four domains of process, resources, management and scientific outcomes. The trial will recruit older adults (aged 60 years and older) with mild-to-moderate MS-related disability who will be randomized into intervention or attention control conditions. Participants will complete assessments before and after completion of the conditions delivered over a 12-week period. Participants in the intervention group will have biweekly meetings with an exercise trainer in the Exercise Neuroscience Research Laboratory and receive verbal and visual instruction on step patterns for the SSE program. Participants will receive a mat for home-based practice of the step patterns, an instruction manual, and a logbook and pedometer for monitoring compliance. Compliance will be further monitored through weekly scheduled Skype calls. This feasibility study will inform future phase II and III RCTs that determine the actual efficacy and effectiveness of a home-based exercise program for older adults with MS.

  1. Validation of Evidence-Based Fall Prevention Programs for Adults with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disorders: A Modified Otago Exercise Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Renfro, Mindy; Bainbridge, Donna B; Smith, Matthew Lee

    2016-01-01

    Evidence-based fall prevention (EBFP) programs significantly decrease fall risk, falls, and fall-related injuries in community-dwelling older adults. To date, EBFP programs are only validated for use among people with normal cognition and, therefore, are not evidence-based for adults with intellectual and/or developmental disorders (IDD) such as Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, cerebral vascular accident, or traumatic brain injury. Adults with IDD experience not only a higher rate of falls than their community-dwelling, cognitively intact peers but also higher rates and earlier onset of chronic diseases, also known to increase fall risk. Adults with IDD experience many barriers to health care and health promotion programs. As the lifespan for people with IDD continues to increase, issues of aging (including falls with associated injury) are on the rise and require effective and efficient prevention. A modified group-based version of the Otago Exercise Program (OEP) was developed and implemented at a worksite employing adults with IDD in Montana. Participants were tested pre- and post-intervention using the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Stopping Elderly Accidents Deaths and Injuries (STEADI) tool kit. Participants participated in progressive once weekly, 1-h group exercise classes and home programs over a 7-week period. Discharge planning with consumers and caregivers included home exercise, walking, and an optional home assessment. Despite the limited number of participants ( n  = 15) and short length of participation, improvements were observed in the 30-s Chair Stand Test, 4-Stage Balance Test, and 2-Minute Walk Test. Additionally, three individuals experienced an improvement in ambulation independence. Participants reported no falls during the study period. Promising results of this preliminary project underline the need for further study of this modified OEP among adults with IDD. Future multicenter study should include more

  2. Generic care pathway for elderly patients in need of home care services after discharge from hospital: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Røsstad, Tove; Salvesen, Øyvind; Steinsbekk, Aslak; Grimsmo, Anders; Sletvold, Olav; Garåsen, Helge

    2017-04-17

    Improved discharge arrangements and targeted post-discharge follow-up can reduce the risk of adverse events after hospital discharge for elderly patients. Although more care is to shift from specialist to primary care, there are few studies on post-discharge interventions run by primary care. A generic care pathway, Patient Trajectory for Home-dwelling elders (PaTH) including discharge arrangements and follow-up by primary care, was developed and introduced in Central Norway Region in 2009, applying checklists at defined stages in the patient trajectory. In a previous paper, we found that PaTH had potential of improving follow-up in primary care. The aim of this study was to establish the effect of PaTH-compared to usual care-for elderly in need of home care services after discharge from hospital. We did an unblinded, cluster randomised controlled trial with 12 home care clusters. Outcomes were measured at the patient level during a 12-month follow-up period for the individual patient and analysed applying linear and logistic mixed models. Primary outcomes were readmissions within 30 days and functional level assessed by Nottingham extended ADL scale. Secondary outcomes were number and length of inpatient hospital care and nursing home care, days at home, consultations with the general practitioners (GPs), mortality and health related quality of life (SF-36). One-hundred and sixty-three patients were included in the PaTH group (six clusters), and 141 patients received care as usual (six clusters). We found no statistically significant differences between the groups for primary and secondary outcomes except for more consultations with the GPs in PaTH group (p = 0.04). Adherence to the intervention was insufficient as only 36% of the patients in the intervention group were assessed by at least three of the four main checklists in PaTH, but this improved over time. Lack of adherence to PaTH rendered the study inconclusive regarding the elderly's functional level

  3. A Home-Based Palliative Care Consult Service for Veterans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golden, Adam G; Antoni, Charles; Gammonley, Denise

    2016-11-01

    We describe the development and implementation of a home-based palliative care consult service for Veterans with advanced illness. A retrospective chart review was performed on 73 Veterans who received a home-based palliative care consult. Nearly one-third were 80 years of age or older, and nearly one-third had a palliative diagnosis of cancer. The most common interventions of the consult team included discussion of advance directives, completion of a "do not resuscitate" form, reduction/stoppage of at least 1 medication, explanation of diagnosis, referral to home-based primary care program, referral to hospice, and assessment/support for caregiver stress. The home-based consult service was therefore able to address clinical and psychosocial issues that can demonstrate a direct benefit to Veterans, families, and referring clinicians. © The Author(s) 2015.

  4. Physical activity and nutrition behavioural outcomes of a home-based intervention program for seniors: a randomized controlled trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Burke Linda

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background This intervention aimed to ascertain whether a low-cost, accessible, physical activity and nutrition program could improve physical activity and nutrition behaviours of insufficiently active 60–70 year olds residing in Perth, Australia. Methods A 6-month home-based randomised controlled trial was conducted on 478 older adults (intervention, n = 248; control, n = 230 of low to medium socioeconomic status. Both intervention and control groups completed postal questionnaires at baseline and post-program, but only the intervention participants received project materials. A modified fat and fibre questionnaire measured nutritional behaviours, whereas physical activity was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Generalised estimating equation models were used to assess the repeated outcomes over both time points. Results The final sample consisted of 176 intervention participants and 199 controls (response rate 78.5% with complete data. After controlling for demographic and other confounding factors, the intervention group demonstrated increased participation in strength exercise (p Conclusions A minimal contact, low-cost and home-based physical activity program can positively influence seniors’ physical activity and nutrition behaviours. Trial registration anzctr.org.au Identifier: ACTRN12609000735257

  5. Home-based bimanual training based on motor learning principles in children with unilateral cerebral palsy and their parents (the COAD-study): rationale and protocols.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schnackers, Marlous; Beckers, Laura; Janssen-Potten, Yvonne; Aarts, Pauline; Rameckers, Eugène; van der Burg, Jan; de Groot, Imelda; Smeets, Rob; Geurts, Sander; Steenbergen, Bert

    2018-04-18

    Home-based training is considered an important intervention in rehabilitation of children with unilateral cerebral palsy. Despite consensus on the value of home-based upper limb training, no evidence-based best practice exists. Promoting compliance of children to adhere to an intensive program while keeping parental stress levels low is an important challenge when designing home-based training programs. Incorporating implicit motor learning principles emerges to be a promising method to resolve this challenge. Here we describe two protocols for home-based bimanual training programs, one based on implicit motor learning principles and one based on explicit motor learning principles, for children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy aged 2 through 7 years. Children receive goal-oriented, task-specific bimanual training in their home environment from their parents for 3.5 h/week for 12 weeks according to an individualized program. Parents will be intensively coached by a multidisciplinary team, consisting of a pediatric therapist and remedial educationalist. Both programs consist of a preparation phase (goal setting, introductory meetings with coaching professionals, design of individualized program, instruction of parents, home visit) and home-based training phase (training, video-recordings, registrations, and telecoaching and home visits by the coaching team). The programs contrast with respect to the teaching strategy, i.e. how the parents support their child during training. In both programs parents provide their child with instructions and feedback that focus on the activity (i.e. task-oriented) or the result of the activity (i.e. result-oriented). However, in the explicit program parents are in addition instructed to give exact instructions and feedback on the motor performance of the bimanual activities, whereas in the implicit program the use of both hands and the appropriate motor performance of the activity are elicited via manipulation of the

  6. Ostomy Home Skills Program

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... The Ostomy Home Skills Kit supports patients with educational and simulation materials to learn and practice the skills needed for optimal postoperative recovery. The kit supports the entire surgical team with quality, comprehensive education. The standardized interactive program has been ...

  7. [Shortened hospital stay for elective cesarean section after initiation of a fast-track program and midwifery home-care].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gunnarsdottir, Johanna; Bjornsdottir, Thorbjörg Edda; Halldorsson, Thorhallur Ingi; Halldorsdottir, Gudrun; Geirsson, Reynir Tomas

    2011-07-01

    To audit whether hospital stay shortened without increasing readmissions after implementation of fast-track methodology for elective cesarean section and characterize what influences length of stay. A fast-track program was initiated in November 2008, with a one year clinical audit and satisfaction survey. Discharge criteria were predefined and midwife home visits included if discharge was within 48 hours. Hospital stay by parity for women with elective section for singleton pregnancy between 1.11. 2008 - 31.10. 2009 (n=213, fast-track 182) was compared to 2003 (n=199) and 2007 (n=183). Readmissions and outpatient visits 2007 and 2008-9 were counted. Reasons for longer stay were recorded in fast-track, and body mass index. Median hospital stay decreased significantly from 81 to 52 hours between 2007 and 2008-9. Readmissions were four in each period and outpatient visit rates similar. In 2008-9, 66% of all women were discharged within 48 hours. Women in the fast-track program were satisfied with early discharge. Hospital stay for parous women was shorter in 2007 compared to 2003, but unchanged for nulliparas. Parity had a minimal influence on length of stay in 2008-9, although nulliparous women ≤ 25 years were more likely to stay >48 hours. Body mass index did not correlate with length of stay. Pain was rarely the reason for a longer stay in the fast-track program and 90% were satisfied with pain-medication after discharge. Most healthy women can be discharged early after singleton birth by elective cesarean, without increasing readmissions.

  8. ACED Allegheny Home Improvement Loan Program (AHILP)

    Data.gov (United States)

    Allegheny County / City of Pittsburgh / Western PA Regional Data Center — The Allegheny Home Improvement Loan Program (AHILP) is the most affordable way for eligible Allegheny County residents to rehabilitate and improve their homes....

  9. Discharge Dialogue

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Horsbøl, Anders

    2012-01-01

    For several years, efforts have been made to strengthen collaboration between health professionals with different specializations and to improve patient transition from hospital to home (care). In the Danish health care system, these efforts have concentrated on cancer and heart diseases, whereas...... coordinator, employed at the hospital, is supposed to anticipate discharge and serve as mediator between the hospital and the municipal home care system. Drawing on methods from discourse and interaction analysis, the paper studies the practice of the discharge coordinator in two encounters between patients...... how the home context provides different resources for identification of patient needs and mutual decision making....

  10. Pregnancy and Village Outreach Tibet: a descriptive report of a community- and home-based maternal-newborn outreach program in rural Tibet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dickerson, Ty; Crookston, Benjamin; Simonsen, Sara E; Sheng, Xiaoming; Samen, Arlene; Nkoy, Flory

    2010-01-01

    The Pregnancy and Village Outreach Tibet (PAVOT) program, a model for community- and home-based maternal-newborn outreach in rural Tibet, is presented. This article describes PAVOT, including the history, structure, content, and activities of the program, as well as selected program outcome measures and demographic characteristics, health behaviors, and pregnancy outcomes of women who recently participated in the program. The PAVOT program was developed to provide health-related services to pregnant rural Tibetan women at risk of having an unattended home birth. The program involves training local healthcare workers and laypersons to outreach pregnant women and family members. Outreach includes basic maternal-newborn health education and simple obstetric and neonatal life-saving skills training. In addition, the program distributes safe and clean birth kits, newborn hats, blankets, and maternal micronutrient supplements (eg, prenatal vitamins and minerals). More than 980 pregnant women received outreach during the study period. More than 92% of outreach recipients reported receiving safe pregnancy and birth education, clean birthing and uterine massage skills instruction, and clean umbilical cord care training. Nearly 80% reported basic newborn resuscitation skills training. Finally, nearly 100% of outreach recipients received maternal micronutrient supplements and safe and clean birth kits. The PAVOT program is a model program that has been proven to successfully provide outreach to rural-living Tibetans by delivering maternal-newborn health education, skills training, and resources to the home.

  11. Parents and Young Children with Disabilities: The Effects of a Home-Based Music Therapy Program on Parent-Child Interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yen-Hsuan

    2016-01-01

    Responsive parenting style and synchronous parent-child interactions have a positive impact on children in terms of language, cognitive, and social-emotional development. Despite widely documented benefits of music therapy on parent-child interactions, empirical evidence for the effects of music therapy on parent-child synchrony is lacking. To examine effects of parent-child dyads' participation in a six-week home-based music therapy program on parent response, child initiation, and parent-child synchrony, as well as parents' daily use of musical activities with their child. Twenty-six parent-child dyads participated in this pretest-posttest within-subject single-group design study. Participating dyads included parents and their child with disabilities or developmental delays (ages 1-3 years inclusive). Parent-child dyads participated in a home-based music therapy program that included six weekly 40-minute sessions, and incorporated five responsive teaching strategies (i.e., affect, match, reciprocity, shared control, and contingency). Observational data were recorded for parent-child interactions and parent-child synchrony. Parents' positive physical and verbal responses, as well as children's positive verbal initiations, increased significantly pre- to post-intervention; however, children's positive physical initiations did not increase significantly. Parent-child synchrony also improved significantly pre- to post-intervention. Findings support the use of home-based music therapy programs to facilitate parent-child interactions in the areas of parental responsiveness and child-initiated communication, as well as parent-child synchrony. © the American Music Therapy Association 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  12. Ostomy Home Skills Program

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    Full Text Available ... Contact My Profile Shop ( 0 ) Cart Donate American College of Surgeons Education Patients and Family Skills Programs Ostomy Home Skills ... facs.org Copyright © 1996-2018 by the American College of Surgeons, Chicago, IL 60611-3295 | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use

  13. Use of outcome measures in stroke rehabilitation in the transition from hospital to home-based rehabilitation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Maribo, Thomas; Nielsen, Claus Vinther

    Relevance: Stroke is one of the major chronic diseases leading to long-term disability. Stroke treatment has improved and in-hospital stays have been reduced, leading to increasing emphasis on home-based rehabilitation. The transition from hospital to home-based rehabilitation is critical, as vital...... are vague. Purpose: The purpose was to examine the use of outcome measures used in clinical practice in the transition from hospital to home-based rehabilitation. Methods/Analysis: A questionnaire were sent to the heads of 26 hospitals discharging patients with stroke and 52 municipalities' health services...... rehabilitation, especially in the transition between hospital and home-based rehabilitation. A nationwide, interprofessional and intersectional group is currently discussing recommendations for the use of outcome measures in stroke rehabilitation. Results from this group will be presented at the conference...

  14. Engaging military parents in a home-based reintegration program: a consideration of strategies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ross, Abigail M; DeVoe, Ellen R

    2014-02-01

    For more than a decade, the long wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have placed tremendous and cumulative strain on U.S. military personnel and their families. The high operational tempo, length, and number of deployments-and greater in-theater exposure to threat-have resulted in well-documented psychological health concerns among service members and veterans. In addition, there is increasing and compelling evidence describing the significant deleterious impact of the deployment cycle on family members, including children, in military-connected families. However, rates of engagement and service utilization in prevention and intervention services continue to lag far below apparent need among service members and their families, because of both practical and psychological barriers. The authors describe the dynamic and ultimately successful process of engaging military families with young children in a home-based reintegration program designed to support parenting and strengthen parent-child relationships as service member parents move back into family life. In addition to the integration of existing evidence-based engagement strategies, the authors applied a strengths-based approach to working with military families and worked from a community-based participatory foundation to enhance family engagement and program completion. Implications for engagement of military personnel and their loved ones are discussed.

  15. The critical role of social workers in home-based primary care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reckrey, Jennifer M; Gettenberg, Gabrielle; Ross, Helena; Kopke, Victoria; Soriano, Theresa; Ornstein, Katherine

    2014-01-01

    The growing homebound population has many complex biomedical and psychosocial needs and requires a team-based approach to care (Smith, Ornstein, Soriano, Muller, & Boal, 2006). The Mount Sinai Visiting Doctors Program (MSVD), a large interdisciplinary home-based primary care program in New York City, has a vibrant social work program that is integrated into the routine care of homebound patients. We describe the assessment process used by MSVD social workers, highlight examples of successful social work care, and discuss why social workers' individualized care plans are essential for keeping patients with chronic illness living safely in the community. Despite barriers to widespread implementation, such social work involvement within similar home-based clinical programs is essential in the interdisciplinary care of our most needy patients.

  16. Current Trends in Discharge Disposition and Post-discharge Care After Total Joint Arthroplasty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tarity, T David; Swall, Marion M

    2017-09-01

    The purpose of this manuscript is to review published literature over the last 5 years to assess recent trends and influencing factors regarding discharge disposition and post-discharge care following total joint arthroplasty. We evaluated instruments proposed to predict a patient's discharge disposition and summarize reports investigating the safety in sending more patients home by reviewing complications and readmission rates. Current literature supports decreased length of hospital stay and increased discharge to home with cost savings and stable readmission rates. Surgeons with defined clinical pathways and those who shape patient expectations may more effectively control costs than those without defined pathways. Further research is needed analyzing best practices in care coordination, managing patient expectations, and cost-effective analysis of home discharge while at the same time ensuring patient outcomes are optimized following total joint arthroplasty.

  17. Continued Inpatient Care After Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty Increases 30-Day Post-Discharge Complications: A Propensity Score-Adjusted Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLawhorn, Alexander S; Fu, Michael C; Schairer, William W; Sculco, Peter K; MacLean, Catherine H; Padgett, Douglas E

    2017-09-01

    Discharge destination, either home or skilled care facility, after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) may be associated with significant variation in postacute care outcomes. The purpose of this study was to characterize the 30-day postdischarge outcomes after primary TKA relative to discharge destination. All primary unilateral TKAs performed for osteoarthritis from 2011-2014 were identified in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Propensity scores based on predischarge characteristics were used to adjust for selection bias in discharge destination. Propensity-adjusted multivariable logistic regressions were used to examine associations between discharge destination and postdischarge complications. Among 101,256 primary TKAs identified, 70,628 were discharged home and 30,628 to skilled care facilities. Patients discharged to facilities were more frequently were female, older, higher body mass index class, higher Charlson comorbidity index and American Society of Anesthesiologists scores, had predischarge complications, received general anesthesia, and classified as nonindependent preoperatively. Propensity adjustment accounted for this selection bias. Patients discharged to skilled care facilities after TKA had higher odds of any major complication (odds ratio = 1.25; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-1.37) and readmission (odds ratio = 1.81; 95% confidence interval, 1.50-2.18). Skilled care was associated with increased odds for respiratory, septic, thromboembolic, and urinary complications. Associations with death, cardiac, and wound complications were not significant. After controlling for predischarge characteristics, discharge to skilled care facilities vs home after primary TKA is associated with higher odds of numerous complications and unplanned readmission. These results support coordination of care pathways to facilitate home discharge after hospitalization for TKA whenever possible. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Quality Assurance Audit of Technique Failure and 90-Day Mortality after Program Discharge in a Canadian Home Hemodialysis Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Nikhil; Reintjes, Frances; Courtney, Mark; Klarenbach, Scott W; Ye, Feng; Schick-Makaroff, Kara; Jindal, Kailash; Pauly, Robert P

    2017-07-24

    Little is known about patients exiting home hemodialysis. We sought to characterize the reasons, clinical characteristics, and pre-exit health care team interactions of patients on home hemodialysis who died or underwent modality conversion (negative disposition) compared with prevalent patients and those who were transplanted (positive disposition). We conducted an audit of all consecutive patients incident to home hemodialysis from January of 2010 to December of 2014 as part of ongoing quality assurance. Records were reviewed for the 6 months before exit, and vital statistics were assessed up to 90 days postexit. Ninety-four patients completed training; 25 (27%) received a transplant, 11 (12%) died, and 23 (25%) were transferred to in-center hemodialysis. Compared with the positive disposition group, patients in the negative disposition group had a longer mean dialysis vintage (3.15 [SD=4.98] versus 1.06 [SD=1.16] years; P =0.003) and were performing conventional versus a more intensive hemodialysis prescription (23 of 34 versus 23 of 60; P <0.01). In the 6 months before exit, the negative disposition group had significantly more in-center respite dialysis sessions, had more and longer hospitalizations, and required more on-call care team support in terms of phone calls and drop-in visits (each P <0.05). The most common reason for modality conversion was medical instability in 15 of 23 (65%) followed by caregiver or care partner burnout in three of 23 (13%) each. The 90-day mortality among patients undergoing modality conversion was 26%. Over a 6-year period, approximately one third of patients exited the program due to death or modality conversion. Patients who die or transfer to another modality have significantly higher health care resource utilization ( e.g. , hospitalization, respite treatments, nursing time, etc. ). Copyright © 2017 by the American Society of Nephrology.

  19. HOME VISIT QUALITY VARIATIONS IN TWO EARLY HEAD START PROGRAMS IN RELATION TO PARENTING AND CHILD VOCABULARY OUTCOMES.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roggman, Lori A; Cook, Gina A; Innocenti, Mark S; Jump Norman, Vonda; Boyce, Lisa K; Christiansen, Katie; Peterson, Carla A

    2016-05-01

    Home-visiting programs aiming to improve early child development have demonstrated positive outcomes, but processes within home visits to individual families are rarely documented. We examined family-level variations in the home-visiting process (N = 71) from extant video recordings of home visits in two Early Head Start programs, using an observational measure of research-based quality indicators of home-visiting practices and family engagement, the Home Visit Rating Scales (HOVRS). HOVRS scores, showing good interrater agreement and internal consistency, were significantly associated with parent- and staff-reported positive characteristics of home visiting as well as with parenting and child language outcomes tested at program exit. When home-visiting processes were higher quality during the program, home visit content was more focused on child development, families were more involved in the overall program, and most important, scores on measures of the parenting environment and children's vocabulary were higher at the end of the program. Results showed that home visit quality was indirectly associated with child language outcomes through parenting outcomes. Observation ratings of home visit quality could be useful for guiding program improvement, supporting professional development, and increasing our understanding of the links between home-visiting processes and outcomes. © 2016 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

  20. Effect of Home Exercise Program in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anwer, Shahnawaz; Alghadir, Ahmad; Brismée, Jean-Michel

    2016-01-01

    The Osteoarthritis Research Society International recommended that nonpharmacological methods include patient education programs, weight reduction, coping strategies, and exercise programs for the management of knee osteoarthritis (OA). However, neither a systematic review nor a meta-analysis has been published regarding the effectiveness of home exercise programs for the management of knee OA. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the evidence regarding the effect of home exercise programs with and without supervised clinic-based exercises in the management of knee OA. We searched PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, and PEDro for research articles published prior to September 2014 using key words such as pain, exercise, home exercise program, rehabilitation, supervised exercise program, and physiotherapy in combination with Medical Subject Headings "Osteoarthritis knee." We selected randomized and case-controlled trials published in English language. To verify the quality of the selected studies, we applied the PEDro Scale. Two evaluators individually selected the studies based on titles, excluding those articles that were not related to the objectives of this review. One evaluator extracted data from the included studies. A second evaluator independently verified extracted data for accuracy. A total of 31 studies were found in the search. Of these, 19 studies met the inclusion criteria and were further analyzed. Seventeen of these 19 studies reached high methodological quality on the PEDro scale. Although the methods and home exercise program interventions varied widely in these studies, most found significant improvements in pain and function in individuals with knee OA. The analysis indicated that both home exercise programs with and without supervised clinic-based exercises were beneficial in the management of knee OA. The large evidence of high-quality trials supports the effectiveness of home exercise programs with and without supervised clinic-based

  1. Ostomy Home Skills Program

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Use Patient Opioid Use Position Statements and Task Force Patient Education Initiatives Advocacy and Health Policy Updates Selected Research ... at ACS ACS and Veterans Diversity at ACS Benefits ... Profile Shop ( 0 ) Cart Donate American College of Surgeons Education Patients and Family Skills Programs Ostomy Home Skills ...

  2. Decreasing In-home Smoking of Adults—Results from a School-based Intervention Program in Viet Nam

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Le Thi Thanh Huong

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available It is indicated that children are involuntarily exposed to secondhand smoke from adults, mainly at their home environment. This study aimed at describing the effectiveness of the school-based intervention to decrease the in-home smoking situation of adults so as to decrease children’s exposure to secondhand smoke at home during the year 2011–2012 in a rural district in Hanoi, Viet Nam. This school-based intervention program (intervention and control group involved 804 children aged 8 to 11 years from August 2011 to May 2012 in a rural district of Hanoi, Viet Nam. Children were taught in class about the harmful effects of secondhand smoke and about how to negotiate with fathers not to smoke in-home. Then children applied what they learnt, including staying away from secondhand smoke and persuading fathers not to smoke in-home in order to decrease children’s exposure to secondhand smoke. Chi square test, t-test and multinominal logistic regression were applied in data analysis. The results showed that children’s reported their father’s in-home smoking decreased from 83.0% pre-intervention to 59.8% post-intervention (p < 0.001 in the intervention school while no change happened in the control school. The study found that the better changed smoking location of adult smokers as reported by children associated with the school who received intervention activities (adjusted OR = 2.04; 95% CI: 1.28–3.24. Poorer changed attitudes towards secondhand smoke of children associated with a lower percentage of better change in smoking location of their fathers/other adult smokers (aOR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.28–0.96. Children’s poorer changed knowledge towards secondhand smoke also associated with poorer changed smoking location of adult smokers (aOR = 2.88, 95% CI: 1.07–7.76. It is recommended by this study that similar school based intervention approaches should be applied in primary schools in Viet Nam to increase children’s awareness on the

  3. Home-Based Telehealth Hospitalization for Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jakobsen, Anna Svarre; Laursen, Lars C; Rydahl-Hansen, Susan

    2015-01-01

    Background: Telehealth interventions for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have focused primarily on stable outpatients. Telehealth designed to handle the acute exacerbation that normally requires hospitalization could also be of interest. The aim of this study...... was to compare the effect of home-based telehealth hospitalization with conventional hospitalization for exacerbation in severe COPD. Materials and Methods: A two-center, noninferiority, randomized, controlled effectiveness trial was conducted between June 2010 and December 2011. Patients with severe COPD...... admitted because of exacerbation were randomized 1:1 either to home-based telehealth hospitalization or to continue standard treatment and care at the hospital. The primary outcome was treatment failure defined as re-admission due to exacerbation in COPD within 30 days after initial discharge...

  4. Effectiveness of post-discharge case management in general-medical outpatients: A randomized, controlled trial

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Latour, C.H.M.; de Vos, R.; Huyse, F.J.; De Jonge, P.; van Gemert, L.A.M.; Stalman, W.A.B.

    2006-01-01

    This study was initiated to determine the impact of post- discharge, nurse- led, home- based case management intervention on the number of emergency readmissions, level of care utilization, quality of life, and psychological functioning. Patients discharged home from a general hospital (N = 147)

  5. Effectiveness of post-discharge case management in general-medical outpatients : A randomized, controlled trial

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Latour, Corine H. M.; de Vos, Rien; Huyse, Frits J.; de Jonge, Peter; van Gemert, Liesbeth A. M.; Stalman, Wim A. B.

    2006-01-01

    This study was initiated to determine the impact of post- discharge, nurse- led, home- based case management intervention on the number of emergency readmissions, level of care utilization, quality of life, and psychological functioning. Patients discharged home from a general hospital (N = 147)

  6. Nurse mentor perceptions in the delivery of a home-based cardiac rehabilitation program to support patients living in rural areas: An interpretive study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frohmader, Terence J; Lin, Frances; Chaboyer, Wendy P

    2017-05-01

    Home-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs improve health outcomes for people diagnosed with heart disease. Mentoring of patients by nurses trained in CR has been proposed as an innovative model of cardiac care. Little is known however, about the experience of mentors facilitating such programs and adapting to this new role. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore nurse mentor perceptions of their role in the delivery of a home-based CR program for rural patients unable to attend a hospital or outpatient CR program. Seven nurses mentored patients by telephone providing patients with education, psychosocial support and lifestyle advice during their recovery. An open-ended survey was administered to mentors by email and findings revealed mentors perceived their role to be integral to the success of the program. Nurses were satisfied with the development of their new role as patient mentors. They believed their collaborative skills, knowledge and experience in coronary care, timely support and guidance of patients during their recovery and use of innovative audiovisual resources improved the health outcomes of patients not able to attend traditional programs. Cardiac nurses in this study perceived that they were able to successfully transition from their normal work practices in hospital to mentoring patients in their homes. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Increased Risk of Vascular Events in Emergency Room Patients Discharged Home with Diagnosis of Dizziness or Vertigo: A 3-Year Follow-Up Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Ching-Chih; Ho, Hsu-Chueh; Su, Yu-Chieh; Chiu, Brian C-H; Su, Yung-Cheng; Lee, Yi-Da; Chou, Pesus

    2012-01-01

    Background Dizziness and vertigo symptoms are commonly seen in emergency room (ER). However, these patients are often discharged without a definite diagnosis. Conflicting data regarding the vascular event risk among the dizziness or vertigo patients have been reported. This study aims to determine the risk of developing stroke or cardiovascular events in ER patients discharged home with a diagnosis of dizziness or vertigo. Methodology A total of 25,757 subjects with at least one ER visit in 2004 were identified. Of those, 1,118 patients were discharged home with a diagnosis of vertigo or dizziness. A Cox proportional hazard model was performed to compare the three-year vascular event-free survival rates between the dizziness/vertigo patients and those without dizziness/vertigo after adjusting for confounding and risk factors. Results We identified 52 (4.7%) vascular events in patients with dizziness/vertigo and 454 (1.8%) vascular events in patients without dizziness/vertigo. ER patients discharged home with a diagnosis of vertigo or dizziness had 2-fold (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.35–2.96; pvertigo during the first year. Conclusions ER patients discharged home with a diagnosis of dizziness or vertigo were at a increased risk of developing subsequent vascular events than those without dizziness/vertigo after the onset of dizziness or vertigo. Further studies are warranted for developing better diagnostic and follow-up strategies in increased risk patients. PMID:22558272

  8. Home Performance with ENERGY STAR: Utility Bill Analysis on Homes Participating in Austin Energy's Program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Belzer, D.; Mosey, G.; Plympton, P.; Dagher, L.

    2007-07-01

    Home Performance with ENERGY STAR (HPwES) is a jointly managed program of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This program focuses on improving energy efficiency in existing homes via a whole-house approach to assessing and improving a home's energy performance, and helping to protect the environment. As one of HPwES's local sponsors, Austin Energy's HPwES program offers a complete home energy analysis and a list of recommendations for efficiency improvements, along with cost estimates. To determine the benefits of this program, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) collaborated with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to conduct a statistical analysis using energy consumption data of HPwES homes provided by Austin Energy. This report provides preliminary estimates of average savings per home from the HPwES Loan Program for the period 1998 through 2006. The results from this preliminary analysis suggest that the HPwES program sponsored by Austin Energy had a very significant impact on reducing average cooling electricity for participating households. Overall, average savings were in the range of 25%-35%, and appear to be robust under various criteria for the number of households included in the analysis.

  9. The Feasibility of a Customized, In-Home, Game-Based Stroke Exercise Program Using the Microsoft Kinect Sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rachel Proffitt

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of a 6-week, game-based, in-home telerehabilitation exercise program using the Microsoft Kinect® for individuals with chronic stroke. Four participants with chronic stroke completed the intervention based on games designed with the customized Mystic Isle software. The games were tailored to each participant’s specific rehabilitation needs to facilitate the attainment of individualized goals determined through the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure. Likert scale questionnaires assessed the feasibility and utility of the game-based intervention. Supplementary clinical outcome data were collected. All participants played the games with moderately high enjoyment. Participant feedback helped identify barriers to use (especially, limited free time and possible improvements. An in-home, customized, virtual reality game intervention to provide rehabilitative exercises for persons with chronic stroke is practicable. However, future studies are necessary to determine the intervention’s impact on participant function, activity, and involvement.

  10. Study protocol: home-based telehealth stroke care: a randomized trial for veterans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    McGee-Hernandez Nancy

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Stroke is one of the most disabling and costly impairments of adulthood in the United States. Stroke patients clearly benefit from intensive inpatient care, but due to the high cost, there is considerable interest in implementing interventions to reduce hospital lengths of stay. Early discharge rehabilitation programs require coordinated, well-organized home-based rehabilitation, yet lack of sufficient information about the home setting impedes successful rehabilitation. This trial examines a multifaceted telerehabilitation (TR intervention that uses telehealth technology to simultaneously evaluate the home environment, assess the patient's mobility skills, initiate rehabilitative treatment, prescribe exercises tailored for stroke patients and provide periodic goal oriented reassessment, feedback and encouragement. Methods We describe an ongoing Phase II, 2-arm, 3-site randomized controlled trial (RCT that determines primarily the effect of TR on physical function and secondarily the effect on disability, falls-related self-efficacy, and patient satisfaction. Fifty participants with a diagnosis of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: (a TR; or (b Usual Care. The TR intervention uses a combination of three videotaped visits and five telephone calls, an in-home messaging device, and additional telephonic contact as needed over a 3-month study period, to provide a progressive rehabilitative intervention with a treatment goal of safe functional mobility of the individual within an accessible home environment. Dependent variables will be measured at baseline, 3-, and 6-months and analyzed with a linear mixed-effects model across all time points. Discussion For patients recovering from stroke, the use of TR to provide home assessments and follow-up training in prescribed equipment has the potential to effectively supplement existing home health services, assist transition to home and

  11. Preventing child maltreatment: Examination of an established statewide home-visiting program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaiyachati, Barbara H; Gaither, Julie R; Hughes, Marcia; Foley-Schain, Karen; Leventhal, John M

    2018-05-01

    Although home visiting has been used in many populations in prevention efforts, the impact of scaled-up home-visiting programs on abuse and neglect remains unclear. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of voluntary participation in an established statewide home-visiting program for socially high-risk families on child maltreatment as identified by Child Protective Services (CPS). Propensity score matching was used to compare socially high-risk families with a child born between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2011 who participated in Connecticut's home-visiting program for first-time mothers and a comparison cohort of families who were eligible for the home-visiting program but did not participate. The main outcomes were child maltreatment investigations, substantiations, and out-of-home placements by CPS between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2013. In the unmatched sample, families who participated in home-visiting had significantly higher median risk scores (P home visiting. First substantiations also occurred later in the child's life among home-visited families. There was a trend toward decreased out-of-home placement (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.53-1.02, P = .06). These results from a scaled-up statewide program highlight the potential of home visiting as an important approach to preventing child abuse and neglect. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Flow discharge prediction in compound channels using linear genetic programming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azamathulla, H. Md.; Zahiri, A.

    2012-08-01

    SummaryFlow discharge determination in rivers is one of the key elements in mathematical modelling in the design of river engineering projects. Because of the inundation of floodplains and sudden changes in river geometry, flow resistance equations are not applicable for compound channels. Therefore, many approaches have been developed for modification of flow discharge computations. Most of these methods have satisfactory results only in laboratory flumes. Due to the ability to model complex phenomena, the artificial intelligence methods have recently been employed for wide applications in various fields of water engineering. Linear genetic programming (LGP), a branch of artificial intelligence methods, is able to optimise the model structure and its components and to derive an explicit equation based on the variables of the phenomena. In this paper, a precise dimensionless equation has been derived for prediction of flood discharge using LGP. The proposed model was developed using published data compiled for stage-discharge data sets for 394 laboratories, and field of 30 compound channels. The results indicate that the LGP model has a better performance than the existing models.

  13. Nursing perception of patient transitions from hospitals to home with home health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Shannon Bright; Alexander, Judith W

    2012-01-01

    The study's purpose was to determine nurses' opinions of sending patients from the hospital to home with home health services. The study occurred in the Charleston, South Carolina, Tricounty area (Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties). Home health agencies and hospitals were invited to participate. The study used a survey design to gather information on nursing perceptions of current practices and needed changes to improve transition of patients. The population was nurses (licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and registered nurses (RNs)) employed at inpatient hospitals or home health agencies in the area. Thirty-four RNs responded with no LPNs respondents. Agency administrators/chief nursing officers agreed for their agencies to participate and distributed the survey using a Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) Internet-based survey tool. Using the survey results and information from a literature review, the study developed a list of propositions, which participating administrators reviewed, for improving transitions to home. Both home health and hospital nurses reported a need to improve the process of sending patients from hospital to home with home health services. This study provides hospitals and home health agencies with propositions to facilitate the establishment of a process to communicate effectively patients care needs and streamline the discharging patients from the hospital to home health care; thus, improving patient transition. Case managers and discharge planners will need interagency collaboration along with evidence-based interventions to transition patients from the hospital to home with home health services with various populations. Direct patient care nurses in both hospital and home health settings should share the same accountability as case managers to ensure successful transitions.

  14. Effectiveness of post-discharge case management in general-medical outpatients: a randomized, controlled trial

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Latour, Corine H. M.; de Vos, Rien; Huyse, Frits J.; de Jonge, Peter; van Gemert, Liesbeth A. M.; Stalman, Wim A. B.

    2006-01-01

    This study was initiated to determine the impact of post-discharge, nurse-led, home-based case management intervention on the number of emergency readmissions, level of care utilization, quality of life, and psychological functioning. Patients discharged home from a general hospital (N=147) were

  15. Effectiveness of post-discharge case management in general-medical outpatients: A randomized, controlled trial

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Latour-Delfgaauw, C.H.M.; Vos, R.; Huyse, F.J.; de Jonge, P.; van Gemert, L.A.M.; Stalman, W.A.B.

    2006-01-01

    This study was initiated to determine the impact of post-discharge, nurse-led, home-based case management intervention on the number of emergency readmissions, level of care utilization, quality of life, and psychological functioning. Patients discharged home from a general hospital (N=147) were

  16. [Effectiveness of an early discharge program after normal childbirth].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teulón González, M; Martínez Pillado, M; Cuadrado Martín, M M; Rivero Martín, M J; Cerezuela Requena, J F

    To implement a program of early hospital discharge after an uncomplicated birth, in order to improve the effectiveness, as well as ensuring clinical safety and patient acceptability. Descriptive study of the effectiveness of an early discharge program after uncomplicated delivery between February 2012 and September 2013. The populations are post-partum women and newborns admitted to the University Hospital of Fuenlabrada, with a duration of less than 24h after uncomplicated delivery that met the defined inclusion criteria. Satisfaction was assessed using a Likert scale. The effectiveness of the program was monitored by safety indicators, productivity, adaptation, and continuity of care. A total of 20% of cases capable of early discharge from Fuenlabrada University Hospital completed the program. Almost all (94%) were normal deliveries. The 188 cases included were from 911 patients with uncomplicated childbirth, accounting for 6.5% of the 2,857 total births. The mean stay of patients included showed a decrease of 50% (2.4 to 1.2 days). All patients received continuity of care after hospital discharge. The review consultation was reprogrammed for 4.8% of cases, with 2% of patients re-admitted within 96h. with no serious problems. Four newborns (2%) required attention in the emergency department (mother or newborn) before 96h. The assessment of patient satisfaction achieved a score of 4.5 out of 5. The program achieved a decrease in the average stay by 50%, favouring the autonomy of midwives. This acceptance level is in line with similar interventions. The deployment of the program may be useful for other changes in care processes. Copyright © 2016 SECA. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  17. IMPLEMENTING AN ATTACHMENT-BASED PARENTING INTERVENTION WITHIN HOME-BASED EARLY HEAD START: HOME-VISITORS' PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES.

    Science.gov (United States)

    West, Allison L; Aparicio, Elizabeth M; Berlin, Lisa J; Jones Harden, Brenda

    2017-07-01

    Implementation of evidence-based interventions in "real-world" settings is enhanced when front-line staff view the intervention as acceptable, appropriate, and feasible. This qualitative study addresses Early Head Start (EHS) home visitors' perceptions and experiences of an evidence-based parenting intervention, the Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up program (M. Dozier, O. Lindhiem, & J. Ackerman, 2005), when added to EHS services as usual within the context of a research-practice partnership. Thematic analysis of in-depth, qualitative interviews indicates that home visitors experienced the intervention as positive and helpful for EHS families. Some challenges included scheduling and uncertainty regarding the goals of the intervention. Concerns over participation in the research centered on information exchange, confidentiality, and time limitations. © 2017 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

  18. Patients' Perceptions of an Exercise Program Delivered Following Discharge From Hospital After Critical Illness (the Revive Trial).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferguson, Kathryn; Bradley, Judy M; McAuley, Daniel F; Blackwood, Bronagh; O'Neill, Brenda

    2017-01-01

    The REVIVE randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigated the effectiveness of an individually tailored (personalized) exercise program for patients discharged from hospital after critical illness. By including qualitative methods, we aimed to explore patients' perceptions of engaging in the exercise program. Patients were recruited from general intensive care units in 6 hospitals in Northern Ireland. Patients allocated to the exercise intervention group were invited to participate in this qualitative study. Independent semistructured interviews were conducted at 6 months after randomization. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and content analysis used to explore themes arising from the data. Of 30 patients allocated to the exercise group, 21 completed the interviews. Patients provided insight into the physical and mental sequelae they experienced following critical illness. There was a strong sense of patients' need for the exercise program and its importance for their recovery following discharge home. Key facilitators of the intervention included supervision, tailoring of the exercises to personal needs, and the exercise manual. Barriers included poor mental health, existing physical limitations, and lack of motivation. Patients' views of outcome measures in the REVIVE RCT varied. Many patients were unsure about what would be the best way of measuring how the program affected their health. This qualitative study adds an important perspective on patients' attitude to an exercise intervention following recovery from critical illness, and provides insight into the potential facilitators and barriers to delivery of the program and how programs should be evolved for future trials.

  19. Effect of Home Care Nursing on Patients Discharged From Hospital With Self-Reported Signs of Constipation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Konradsen, Hanne; Rasmussen, Marie Louise Thiese; Noiesen, Eline

    2017-01-01

    Constipation is a common health problem in relation to hospitalization. This randomized controlled trial aimed to investigate whether advice from a home care nurse after discharge had an effect on self-reported signs of constipation. A total of 59 patients were included in the study on the basis...... of their self-reported signs of constipation evaluated using the Constipation Assessment Scale. Advice from the home care nurses was given on the intake of fiber and liquid and mobilization related to scorings on the Constipation Risk Assessment Scale, the administration of laxatives, and referral...

  20. Effectiveness of home- and community-based rehabilitation in a large cohort of patients disabled by cerebrovascular accident: evidence of a dose-response relationship.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Altman, Irwin M; Swick, Shannon; Malec, James F

    2013-09-01

    To (1) assess the effectiveness of home- and community-based rehabilitation (HCBR) in a large cohort of individuals with disabilities secondary to cerebrovascular accident (CVA); and (2) evaluate the responsiveness to treatment of the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory (MPAI-4) to changes resulting from HCBR in this patient group. Retrospective analysis of program evaluation data for treatment completers and noncompleters. HCBR conducted in 7 geographically distinct U.S. cities. Individuals with CVA (n=738) who completed the prescribed course of rehabilitation (completed course of treatment [CCT]) compared with 150 individuals who were precipitously discharged (PD) before program completion. HCBR delivered by certified professional staff on an individualized basis. Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory (MPAI-4) completed by professional consensus on admission and at discharge. With the use of analysis of covariance, MPAI-4 total scores at discharge for CCT participants were compared with those of PD participants, with admission MPAI-4, age, length of stay, and time since event as covariates. CCT participants showed greater improvement than PD participants (F=99.48, PMPAI-4 indexes than those in the PD group who were discharged before completing the prescribed program. This dose-response relationship provides evidence of a causal relationship between treatment and outcome. Copyright © 2013 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. First-Year Analysis of a New, Home-Based Palliative Care Program Offered Jointly by a Community Hospital and Local Visiting Nurse Service.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pouliot, Katherine; Weisse, Carol S; Pratt, David S; DiSorbo, Philip

    2017-03-01

    There is a growing need for home-based palliative care services, especially for seriously ill individuals who want to avoid hospitalizations and remain with their regular outside care providers. To evaluate the effectiveness of Care Choices, a new in-home palliative care program provided by the Visiting Nurse Services of Northeastern New York and Ellis Medicine's community hospital serving New York's Capital District. This prospective cohort study assessed patient outcomes over the course of 1 year for 123 patients (49 men and 74 women) with serious illnesses who were new enrollees in the program. Quality of life was assessed at baseline and after 1 month on service. Satisfaction with care was measured after 1 and 3 months on service. The number of emergency department visits and inpatient hospitalizations pre- and postenrollment was measured for all enrollees. Patients were highly satisfied (72.7%-100%) with their initial care and reported greater satisfaction ( P care service. An in-home palliative care program offered jointly through a visiting nurse service and community hospital may be a successful model for providing quality care that satisfies chronically ill patients' desire to remain at home and avoid hospital admissions.

  2. An effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis of a hospital-based discharge transition program for elderly Medicare recipients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saleh, Shadi S; Freire, Chris; Morris-Dickinson, Gwendolyn; Shannon, Trip

    2012-06-01

    To investigate the business case of postdischarge care transition (PDCT) among Medicare beneficiaries by conducting a cost-benefit analysis. Randomized controlled trial. A general hospital in upstate New York State. Elderly Medicare beneficiaries being treated from October 2008 through December 2009 were randomly selected to receive services as part of a comprehensive PDCT program (intervention--173 patients) or regular discharge process (control--160 patients) and followed for 12 months. The intervention comprised five activities: development of a patient-centered health record, a structured discharge preparation checklist of critical activities, delivery of patient self-activation and management sessions, follow-up appointments, and coordination of data flow. Cost-benefit ratio of the PDCT program; self-management skills and abilities. The 1-year readmission analysis revealed that control participants were more likely to be readmitted than intervention participants (58.2% vs 48.2%; P = .08); with most of that difference observed in the 91 to 365 days after discharge. Findings from the cost-benefit analysis revealed a cost-benefit ratio of 1.09, which indicates that, for every $1 spent on the program, a saving of $1.09 was realized. In addition, participating in a care transition program significantly enhanced self-management skills and abilities. Postdischarge care transition programs have a dual benefit of enhancing elderly adults' self-management skills and abilities and producing cost savings. This study builds a case for the inclusion of PDCT programs as a reimbursable service in benefit packages. © 2012, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2012, The American Geriatrics Society.

  3. Home-based exercise may not decrease the insulin resistance in individuals with metabolic syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Chiao-Nan; Chuang, Lee-Ming; Korivi, Mallikarjuna; Wu, Ying-Tai

    2015-01-01

    This study investigated the differences in exercise self-efficacy, compliance, and effectiveness of home-based exercise in individuals with and without metabolic syndrome (MetS). One hundred and ten individuals at risk for diabetes participated in this study. Subjects were categorized into individuals with MetS and individuals without MetS. Metabolic risk factors and exercise self-efficacy were evaluated for all subjects before and after 3 months of home-based exercise. Univariate analysis of variance was used to compare the effectiveness of a home-based exercise program between individuals with and without MetS. The home-based exercise program improved body mass index and lipid profile in individuals at risk for diabetes, regardless of MetS status at baseline. Individuals without MetS had higher exercise self-efficacy at baseline and performed greater exercise volume compared with individuals with MetS during the intervention. The increased exercise volume in individuals without MetS may contribute to their better control of insulin resistance than individuals with MetS. Furthermore, baseline exercise self-efficacy was correlated with exercise volume executed by subjects at home. We conclude that home-based exercise programs are beneficial for individuals at risk for diabetes. However, more intensive and/or supervised exercise intervention may be needed for those with MetS.

  4. Home Parental Assistance for Underachieving Readers in Third Grade Using Read-at-Home Program Kits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Izzo, Theresa Eleanor

    Sixty-four third-grade pupils who were underachieving in reading participated in a study to determine the effect of parental home instruction in reading. A four-cell experimental design was used with two treatment factors: programmed home reading instruction given by mothers trained to administer the program versus no instruction, and mother's…

  5. Cost-Effectiveness of a Home Based Intervention for Secondary Prevention of Readmission with Chronic Heart Disease.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joshua Byrnes

    Full Text Available The aim of this study is to consider the cost-effectiveness of a nurse-led, home-based intervention (HBI in cardiac patients with private health insurance compared to usual post-discharge care. A within trial analysis of the Young @ Heart multicentre, randomized controlled trial along with a micro-simulation decision analytical model was conducted to estimate the incremental costs and quality adjusted life years associated with the home based intervention compared to usual care. For the micro-simulation model, future costs, from the perspective of the funder, and effects are estimated over a twenty-year time horizon. An Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio, along with Incremental Net Monetary Benefit, is evaluated using a willingness to pay threshold of $50,000 per quality adjusted life year. Sub-group analyses are conducted for men and women across three age groups separately. Costs and benefits that arise in the future are discounted at five percent per annum. Overall, home based intervention for secondary prevention in patients with chronic heart disease identified in the Australian private health care sector is not cost-effective. The estimated within trial incremental net monetary benefit is -$3,116 [95% CI: -11,145, $4,914]; indicating that the costs outweigh the benefits. However, for males and in particular males aged 75 years and above, home based intervention indicated a potential to reduce health care costs when compared to usual care (within trial: -$10,416 [95% CI: -$26,745, $5,913]; modelled analysis: -$1,980 [95% CI: -$22,843, $14,863]. This work provides a crucial impetus for future research to understand for whom disease management programs are likely to benefit most.

  6. Usefulness of dietary enrichment on energy and protein intake in elderly patients at risk of malnutrition discharged to home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trabal, Joan; Hervas, Sonia; Forga, Maria; Leyes, Pere; Farran-Codina, Andreu

    2014-02-01

    Malnutrition is a cause for concern among many admitted elderly patients, being common at hospital admission and discharge. The objective of this study was to assess if diet enrichment with small servings of energy and protein dense foods, improves energy and nutrient intake in elderly patients at risk of malnutrition discharged to home. This was a retrospective case series study in elderly patients at risk of malnutrition treated with diet enrichment. There was a data review of dietary and health records of elderly patients discharged to home. Forty-one patients, mean age of 83 ± 5 years, met the inclusion criteria; 13 patients had been lost after 4 weeks of treatment and a total of 24 patients after 12 weeks. Records contained food intake data assessed at baseline, and after 4 and 12 weeks of treatment. Mini Nutritional Assessment, anthropometric measurements, routine biochemical parameters and the Barthel Index were assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks. Compared to baseline, patients significantly improved their energy and protein intake after 4 weeks of treatment, fulfilling the mean nutritional requirements. The improvement in energy and protein intake was still manifest at week 12. After 12 weeks of dietary enrichment, a significant weight gain was observed (4.1%, p = 0.011), as well. No significant changes were detected in functional status. Using small servings of energy and protein dense foods to enrich meals seems a feasible nutritional treatment to increase energy and protein intake and meet nutritional goals among elderly patients discharged to home. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

  7. A Home-Based Exercise Program Driven by Tablet Application and Mobility Monitoring for Frail Older Adults : Feasibility and Practical Implications

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Geraedts, Hilde A. E.; Zijlstra, Wiebren; Zhang, Wei; Spoorenberg, Sophie L. W.; Baez, Marcos; Far, Iman Khaghani; Baldus, Heribert; Stevens, Martin

    2017-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: Stimulation of a physically active lifestyle among older adults is essential to health and well-being. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and user opinion of a home-based exercise program supported by a sensor and tablet application for frail older adults.

  8. Gym-based exercise and home-based exercise with telephone support have similar outcomes when used as maintenance programs in adults with chronic health conditions: a randomised trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul Jansons

    2017-07-01

    Trial registration: ACTRN12610001035011. [Jansons P, Robins L, O’Brien L, Haines T (2017 Gym-based exercise and home-based exercise with telephone support have similar outcomes when used as maintenance programs in adults with chronic health conditions: a randomised trial. Journal of Physiotherapy 63: 154–160

  9. Readmissions to Different Hospitals After Common Surgical Procedures and Consequences for Implementation of Perioperative Surgical Home Programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dexter, Franklin; Epstein, Richard H; Sun, Eric C; Lubarsky, David A; Dexter, Elisabeth U

    2017-09-01

    We consider whether there should be greater priority of information sharing about postacute surgical resources used: (1) at skilled nursing facilities or inpatient rehabilitation hospitals to which patients are transferred upon discharge (when applicable) versus (2) at different hospitals where readmissions occur. Obtaining and storing data electronically from these 2 sources for Perioperative Surgical Home initiatives are dissimilar; both can be challenging depending on the country and health system. Using the 2013 US Nationwide Readmissions Database, we studied discharges of surgical diagnosis-related group (DRG) with US national median length of stay (LOS) ≥ 3 days and ≥ 10 hospitals each with ≥ 100 discharges for the Medicare Severity DRG. Nationwide, 16.15% (95% confidence interval [CI], 15.14%-17.22%) of discharges were with a disposition of "not to home" (ie, transfer to a skilled nursing facility or an inpatient rehabilitation hospital). Within 30 days, 0.88% of discharges (0.82%-0.95%) were followed by readmission and to a different hospital than the original hospital where the surgery was performed. Among all discharges, disposition "not to home" versus "to home" was associated with greater odds that the patient would have readmission within 30 days and to a different hospital than where the surgery was performed (2.11, 95% CI, 1.96-2.27; P < .0001). In part, this was because disposition "not to home" was associated with greater odds of readmission to any hospital (1.90, 95% CI, 1.82-1.98; P < .0001). In addition, among the subset of discharges with readmission within 30 days, disposition "not to home" versus "to home" was associated with greater odds that the readmission was to a different hospital than where the surgery was performed (1.20, 95% CI, 1.11-1.31; P < .0001). There was no association between the hospitals' median LOS for the DRG and the odds that readmission was to a different hospital (P = .82). The odds ratio per each 1 day decrease

  10. Home visit program improves technique survival in peritoneal dialysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martino, Francesca; Adıbelli, Z; Mason, G; Nayak, A; Ariyanon, W; Rettore, E; Crepaldi, Carlo; Rodighiero, Mariapia; Ronco, Claudio

    2014-01-01

    Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a home therapy, and technique survival is related to the adherence to PD prescription at home. The presence of a home visit program could improve PD outcomes. We evaluated its effects on clinical outcome during 1 year of follow-up. This was a case-control study. The case group included all 96 patients who performed PD in our center on January 1, 2013, and who attended a home visit program; the control group included all 92 patients who performed PD on January 1, 2008. The home visit program consisted of several additional visits to reinforce patients' confidence in PD management in their own environment. Outcomes were defined as technique failure, peritonitis episode, and hospitalization. Clinical and dialysis features were evaluated for each patient. The case group was significantly older (p = 0.048), with a lower grade of autonomy (p = 0.033), but a better hemoglobin level (p = 0.02) than the control group. During the observational period, we had 11 episodes of technique failure. We found a significant reduction in the rate of technique failure in the case group (p = 0.004). Furthermore, survival analysis showed a significant extension of PD treatment in the patients supported by the home visit program (52 vs. 48.8 weeks, p = 0.018). We did not find any difference between the two groups in terms of peritonitis and hospitalization rate; however, trends toward a reduction of Gram-positive peritonitis rates as well as prevalence and duration of hospitalization related to PD problems were identified in the case group. The retrospective nature of the analysis was a limitation of this study. The home visit program improves the survival of PD patients and could reduce the rate of Gram-positive peritonitis and hospitalization. Video Journal Club "Cappuccino with Claudio Ronco" at http://www.karger.com/?doi=365168.

  11. Home-based Healthcare Technology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Verdezoto, Nervo

    of these systems target a specific treatment or condition and might not be sufficient to support the care management work at home. Based on a case study approach, my research investigates home-based healthcare practices and how they can inform future design of home-based healthcare technology that better account......Sustaining daily, unsupervised healthcare activities in non-clinical settings such as the private home can challenge, among others, older adults. To support such unsupervised care activities, an increasingly number of reminders and monitoring systems are being designed. However, most...

  12. Analysis of a Pediatric Home Mechanical Ventilator Population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amirnovin, Rambod; Aghamohammadi, Sara; Riley, Carley; Woo, Marlyn S; Del Castillo, Sylvia

    2018-05-01

    The population of children requiring home mechanical ventilation has evolved over the years and has grown to include a variety of diagnoses and needs that have led to changes in the care of this unique population. The purpose of this study was to provide a descriptive analysis of pediatric patients requiring home mechanical ventilation after hospitalization and how the evolution of this technology has impacted their care. A retrospective, observational, longitudinal analysis of 164 children enrolled in a university-affiliated home mechanical ventilation program over 26 years was performed. Data included each child's primary diagnosis, date of tracheostomy placement, duration of mechanical ventilation during hospitalization that consisted of home mechanical ventilator initiation, total length of pediatric ICU stay, ventilator settings at time of discharge from pediatric ICU, and disposition (home, facility, or died). Univariate, bivariate, and regression analysis was used as appropriate. The most common diagnosis requiring the use of home mechanical ventilation was neuromuscular disease (53%), followed by chronic pulmonary disease (29%). The median length of stay in the pediatric ICU decreased significantly after the implementation of a ventilator ward (70 d [30-142] vs 36 d [18-67], P = .02). The distribution of subjects upon discharge was home (71%), skilled nursing facility (24%), and died (4%), with an increase in the proportion of subjects discharged on PEEP and those going to nursing facilities over time ( P = 0.02). The evolution of home mechanical ventilation has allowed earlier transition out of the pediatric ICU and with increasing disposition to skilled nursing facilities over time. There has also been a change in ventilator management, including increased use of PEEP upon discharge, possibly driven by changes in ventilators and in-patient practice patterns. Copyright © 2018 by Daedalus Enterprises.

  13. Effectiveness of a lifestyle exercise program for older people receiving a restorative home care service: study protocol for a pragmatic randomised controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burton, Elissa; Lewin, Gill; Clemson, Lindy; Boldy, Duncan

    2013-10-18

    Restorative home care services help older people maximise their independence using a multi-dimensional approach. They usually include an exercise program designed to improve the older person's strength, balance and function. The types of programs currently offered require allocation of time during the day to complete specific exercises. This is not how the majority of home care clients prefer to be active and may be one of the reasons that few older people do the exercises regularly and continue the exercises post discharge.This paper describes the study protocol to test whether a Lifestyle Functional Exercise (LiFE) program: 1) is undertaken more often; 2) is more likely to be continued over the longer term; and, 3) will result in greater functional gains compared to a standard exercise program for older people receiving a restorative home care service. A pragmatic randomised controlled trial (RCT) design was employed with two study arms: LiFE program (intervention) and the current exercise program (control). Silver Chain, a health and community care organisation in Perth, Western Australia. One hundred and fifty restorative home care clients, aged 65 years and older. The primary outcome is a composite measure incorporating balance, strength and mobility. Other outcome measures include: physical functioning, falls efficacy, and levels of disability and functioning. If LiFE is more effective than the current exercise program, the evidence will be presented to the service management accompanied by the recommendation that it be adopted as the generic exercise program to be used within the restorative home care service. Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12611000788976.

  14. Home-based exercise program and fall-risk reduction in older adults with multiple sclerosis: phase 1 randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sosnoff, Jacob J; Finlayson, Marcia; McAuley, Edward; Morrison, Steve; Motl, Robert W

    2014-03-01

    To determine the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of a home-based exercise intervention targeting fall risk in older adults with multiple sclerosis. A randomized controlled pilot trial. A home-based exercise program. Participants were randomly allocated to either a home-based exercise intervention group (n = 13) or a waiting list control group (n = 14). The exercise group completed exercises targeting lower muscle strength and balance three times a week for 12 weeks. The control group continued normal activity. Fall risk (Physiological Profile Assessment scores), balance (Berg Balance Scale), and walking testing prior to and immediately following the 12-week intervention. Each outcome measure was placed in an analysis of covariance with group as the between-subject factor and baseline values as the covariate. Effect sizes were calculated. Twelve participants from the control group and ten from the exercise group completed the study. There were no related adverse events. Fall risk was found to decrease in the exercise group following the intervention (1.1 SD 1.0 vs. 0.6 SD 0.6) while there was an increase in fall risk in the control group (1.9 SD 1.5 vs. 2.2 SD 1.9). Effect sizes for most outcomes were large (η(2) > 0.15). Home-based exercise was found to be feasible, safe, and effective for reducing physiological fall risk in older adults with multiple sclerosis. Our findings support the implementation of a larger trial to reduce fall risk in persons with multiple sclerosis.

  15. Reducing Children's Susceptibility to Alcohol Use: Effects of a Home-Based Parenting Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackson, Christine; Ennett, Susan T; Reyes, H Luz McNaughton; Hayes, Kim A; Dickinson, Denise M; Choi, Seulki; Bowling, J Michael

    2016-07-01

    This 4-year efficacy trial tested whether a home-based, self-administered parenting program could have a long-term effect on children's cognitive susceptibility to alcohol use, and it tested hypothesized moderators and mediators of any such program effect. Using a two-group randomized controlled design, 1076 children (540 treatment; 536 control; mean age of 9.2 years at baseline) completed telephone interviews prior to randomization and follow-up interviews 12, 24, 36, and 48 months post-baseline. Mothers of children randomized to treatment received a 5-month-long parenting program during year 1, followed by two 1-month-long boosters in years 2 and 3. Exposure to the program was significantly inversely associated with susceptibility to alcohol use 48 months post-baseline (b = -0.03, p = .04), with no variation in program effects by parental alcohol use or mother's race/ethnicity or education, suggesting broad public health relevance of the parenting program. Path analyses of simple indirect effects through each hypothesized mediator showed that program exposure positively influenced parental communication to counter pro-drinking influences in the family and media domains and parental rule setting 36 months post-baseline; these variables, in turn, predicted reduced susceptibility to alcohol use 48 months post-baseline. Parallel (multiple) mediation analysis showed that the program had a significant indirect effect on susceptibility through parental rule setting. Together, the findings indicate that internalization of protective alcohol-related expectancies and intentions is possible among children whose mothers provide early exposure to alcohol-specific socialization. Additional research is needed to link alcohol-specific socialization during childhood with adolescent drinking outcomes.

  16. Stroke rehabilitation at home before and after discharge reduced disability and improved quality of life: a randomised controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rasmussen, Rune Skovgaard; Østergaard, Ann; Kjær, Pia; Skerris, Anja; Skou, Christina; Christoffersen, Jane; Seest, Line Skou; Poulsen, Mai Bang; Rønholt, Finn; Overgaard, Karsten

    2016-03-01

    To evaluate if home-based rehabilitation of inpatients improved outcome compared to standard care. Interventional, randomised, safety/efficacy open-label trial. University hospital stroke unit in collaboration with three municipalities. Seventy-one eligible stroke patients (41 women) with focal neurological deficits hospitalised in a stroke unit for more than three days and in need of rehabilitation. Thirty-eight patients were randomised to home-based rehabilitation during hospitalization and for up to four weeks after discharge to replace part of usual treatment and rehabilitation services. Thirty-three control patients received treatment and rehabilitation following usual guidelines for the treatment of stroke patients. Ninety days post-stroke the modified Rankin Scale score was the primary endpoint. Other outcome measures were the modified Barthel-100 Index, Motor Assessment Scale, CT-50 Cognitive Test, EuroQol-5D, Body Mass Index and treatment-associated economy. Thirty-one intervention and 30 control patients completed the study. Patients in the intervention group achieved better modified Rankin Scale score (Intervention median = 2, IQR = 2-3; Control median = 3, IQR = 2-4; P=0.04). EuroQol-5D quality of life median scores were improved in intervention patients (Intervention median = 0.77, IQR = 0.66-0.79; Control median = 0.66, IQR = 0.56 - 0.72; P=0.03). The total amount of home-based training in minutes highly correlated with mRS, Barthel, Motor Assessment Scale and EuroQol-5D™ scores (P-values ranging from Prehabilitation reduced disability and increased quality of life. Compared to standard care, home-based stroke rehabilitation was more cost-effective. © The Author(s) 2015.

  17. Ostomy Home Skills Program

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Workforce Trauma and EMS Cancer and Research Health Information Technology Scope of Practice Pediatric Issues Other Federal Legislative Issues Regulatory Issues Regulatory Issues Regulatory Issues Stop Overregulating My OR ... American Urological Association (AUA), Certified Enterostomal Therapy Nurses (CETN), and the United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA). Program Overview The skills kit contains: A booklet with information on the operation, home skills such as emptying ...

  18. Occupational Therapy Predischarge Home Visits in Acute Hospital Care: A Randomized Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clemson, Lindy; Lannin, Natasha A; Wales, Kylie; Salkeld, Glenn; Rubenstein, Laurence; Gitlin, Laura; Barris, Sarah; Mackenzie, Lynette; Cameron, Ian D

    2016-10-01

    To determine whether an enhanced occupational therapy discharge planning intervention that involved pre- and postdischarge home visits, goal setting, and follow-up (the HOME program) would be superior to a usual care intervention in which an occupational therapy in-hospital consultation for planning and supporting discharge to home is provided to individuals receiving acute care. Randomized controlled trial. Acute and medical wards. Individuals aged 70 and older (N = 400). Primary outcomes: activities daily living (ADLs; Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living) and participation in life roles and activities (Late Life Disability Index (LLDI)). Occupational therapist recommendations differed significantly between groups (P occupational therapy recommendations as the in-hospital only consultation, which had a greater emphasis on equipment provision, but HOME did not demonstrate greater benefit in global measures of ADLs or participation in life tasks than in-hospital consultation alone. It is not recommended that home visits be conducted routinely as part of discharge planning for acutely hospitalized medical patients. Further work should develop guidelines for quality in-hospital consultation. © 2016, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2016, The American Geriatrics Society.

  19. Survey of Home Visiting Programs for Abused and Neglected Children and Their Families.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wasik, Barbara Hanna; Roberts, Richard N.

    1994-01-01

    This report on a survey of 224 home visitation programs that provide services for abused and neglected children and their families presents data on program characteristics, characteristics of home visits, credentials of home visitors, and program documentation procedures. Programs reported that training in parenting skills and parent coping were…

  20. Transitional Home Care program utilizing the Integrated Practice Unit concept (THC-IPU: Effectiveness in improving acute hospital utilization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lian Leng Low

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Background: Organizing care into integrated practice units (IPUs around conditions and patient segments has been proposed to increase value. We organized transitional care into an IPU (THC-IPU for a patient segment of functionally dependent patients with limited community ambulation. Methods: 1,166 eligible patients were approached for enrolment into THC-IPU. THC-IPU patients received a comprehensive assessment within two weeks of discharge; medication reconciliation; education using standardized action plans and a dedicated nurse case manager for up to 90 days after discharge. Patients who rejected enrolment into THC-IPU received usual post-discharge care planned by their attending hospital physician, and formed the control group. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with at least one unscheduled readmission within 30 days after discharge. Results: We found a statistically significant reduction in 30-day readmissions and emergency department visits in patients on THC-IPU care compared to usual care, even after adjusting for confounders. Conclusion: Delivering transitional care to patients with functional dependence in the form of home visits and organized into an IPU reduced acute hospital utilization in this patient segment. Extending the program into the pre-hospital discharge phase to include discharge planning can have incremental effectiveness in reducing avoidable hospital readmissions.

  1. A university-sponsored home health nursing program in Karachi, Pakistan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smego, Raymond A; Khan, Mohammad Aslam; Khowaja, Khurshid; Rafique, Rozina; Datoo, Farida

    2005-11-01

    This article describes a university-sponsored home health nursing program in a large urban center in Pakistan and details the essential elements needed in implementing such a program in a developing country. Compared to in-hospital treatment, home healthcare reduced hospital stay from 12.8 days to 3.9 days, and resulted in a net savings of Pakistani rupees (PRs) 5,374,135 (USD 89,569). A cost-effective home treatment program in a resource-limited country can be successfully implemented by using the hospital pharmacy as the central point for the preparation and distribution of medications and specialty nursing services.

  2. Strength at Home Couples Program to Prevent Military Partner Violence

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-10-01

    AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-15-1-0374 TITLE: Strength at Home Couples Program to Prevent Military Partner Violence PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Casey T...SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER Strength at Home Couples Program to Prevent Military Partner Violence 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-15-1-0374 5c. PROGRAM...7 9. Appendices…………………………………………………………………………………..7 1 Annual Report for Period: Sep 30, 2016 to Sept 29, 2017 Strength at Home

  3. Home-Based Computer Gaming in Vestibular Rehabilitation of Gaze and Balance Impairment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szturm, Tony; Reimer, Karen M; Hochman, Jordan

    2015-06-01

    Disease or damage of the vestibular sense organs cause a range of distressing symptoms and functional problems that could include loss of balance, gaze instability, disorientation, and dizziness. A novel computer-based rehabilitation system with therapeutic gaming application has been developed. This method allows different gaze and head movement exercises to be coupled to a wide range of inexpensive, commercial computer games. It can be used in standing, and thus graded balance demands using a sponge pad can be incorporated into the program. A case series pre- and postintervention study was conducted of nine adults diagnosed with peripheral vestibular dysfunction who received a 12-week home rehabilitation program. The feasibility and usability of the home computer-based therapeutic program were established. Study findings revealed that using head rotation to interact with computer games, when coupled to demanding balance conditions, resulted in significant improvements in standing balance, dynamic visual acuity, gaze control, and walking performance. Perception of dizziness as measured by the Dizziness Handicap Inventory also decreased significantly. These preliminary findings provide support that a low-cost home game-based exercise program is well suited to train standing balance and gaze control (with active and passive head motion).

  4. Comparing minimally supervised home-based and closely supervised gym-based exercise programs in weight reduction and insulin resistance after bariatric surgery: A randomized clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaviani, Sara; Dadgostar, Haleh; Mazaherinezhad, Ali; Adib, Hanie; Solaymani-Dodaran, Masoud; Soheilipour, Fahimeh; Hakiminezhad, Mahdi

    2017-01-01

    Background: Effectiveness of various exercise protocols in weight reduction after bariatric surgery has not been sufficiently explored in the literature. Thus, in the present study, we aimed at comparing the effect of minimally supervised home-based and closely supervised gym-based exercise programs on weight reduction and insulin resistance after bariatric surgery. Methods: Females undergoing gastric bypass surgery were invited to participate in an exercise program and were randomly allocated into 2 groups using a random number generator in Excel. They were either offered a minimally supervised home-based (MSHB) or closely supervised gym-based (CSGB) exercise program. The CSGB protocol constitutes 2 weekly training sessions under ACSM guidelines. In the MSHB protocol, the participants received a notebook containing a list of recommended aerobic and resistance exercises, a log to record their activity, and a schedule of follow-up phone calls and clinic visits. Both groups received a pedometer. We measured their weight, BMI, lipid profile, FBS, and insulin level at baseline and at 20 weeks after the exercises, the results of which were compared using t test or Mann-Whitney U test at the end of the study. All the processes were observed by 1 senior resident in sport medicine. Results: A total of 80 patients were recruited who were all able to complete our study (MSHB= 38 and CSGB= 42). The baseline comparison revealed that the 2 groups were similar. The mean change (reduction) in BMI was slightly better in CSGB (8.61 95% CI 7.76-9.45) compared with the MSHB (5.18 95% CI 3.91-6.46); p< 0.01. However, the 2 groups did not have a statistically significant difference in the amount of change in the other factors including FBS and Homa.ir. Conclusion: As we expected a non-inferiority result, our results showed that both MSHB and CSGB exercise methods are somewhat equally effective in improving lipid profile and insulin resistance in the 2 groups, but a slightly better

  5. Evaluating fidelity in home-visiting programs a qualitative analysis of 1058 home visit case notes from 105 families.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas Saïas

    Full Text Available Implementation fidelity is a key issue in home-visiting programs as it determines a program's effectiveness in accomplishing its original goals. This paper seeks to evaluate fidelity in a 27-month program addressing maternal and child health which took place in France between 2006 and 2011.To evaluate implementation fidelity, home visit case notes were analyzed using thematic qualitative and computer-assisted linguistic analyses.During the prenatal period, home visitors focused on the social components of the program. Visitors discussed the physical changes in pregnancy, and psychological and social environment issues. Discussing immigration, unstable employment and financial related issues, family relationships and dynamics and maternity services, while not expected, were found in case notes. Conversely, health during pregnancy, early child development and postpartum mood changes were not identified as topics within the prenatal case notes. During the postnatal period, most components of the intervention were addressed: home visitors observed the mother's adaptation to the baby; routine themes such as psychological needs and medical-social networks were evaluated; information on the importance of social support and on adapting the home environment was given; home visitors counseled on parental authority, and addressed mothers' self-esteem issues; finally, they helped to find child care, when necessary. Some themes were not addressed or partially addressed: health education, child development, home environment, mother's education plans and personal routine, partner support and play with the child. Other themes were not expected, but found in the case notes: social issues, mother-family relationship, relation with services, couple issues, quality of maternal behavior and child's language development.In this program, home visitors experienced difficulties addressing some of the objectives because they gave precedence to the families' urgent needs

  6. Ontario hydro's aqueous discharge monitoring program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mehdi, S.H.; Booth, M.R.; Massey, R.; Herrmann, O.

    1992-01-01

    The Province of Ontario has legislated a comprehensive monitoring program for waterborne trace contaminants called MISA - Municipal Industrial Strategy for Abatement. The electric power sector regulation applies to all generating stations (Thermal, Nuclear, Hydraulic). The program commenced in June, 1990. The current phase of the regulation requires the operators of the plants to measure the detailed composition of the direct discharges to water for a one year period. Samples are to be taken from about 350 identified streams at frequencies varying from continuous and daily to quarterly. The data from this program will be used to determine the scope of the ongoing monitoring program and control. This paper discusses the preparation and planning, commissioning, training and early operations phase of the MISA program. In response, the central Analytical Laboratory and Environmental staff worked to develop a sampling and analytical approach which uses the plant laboratories, the central analytical laboratory and a variety of external laboratories. The approach considered analytical frequency, sample stability, presence of radioactivity, suitability of staff, laboratory qualifications, need for long term internal capabilities, availability of equipment, difficulty of analysis, relationship to other work and problems, capital and operating costs. The complexity of the sampling program required the development of a computer based schedule to ensure that all required samples were taken as required with phase shifts between major sampling events at different plants to prevent swamping the capability of the central or external laboratories. New equipment has been purchased and installed at each plant to collect 24 hour composite samples. Analytical equipment has been purchased for each plant for analysis of perishable analytes or of samples requiring daily or thrice weekly analysis. Training programs and surveys have been implemented to assure production of valid data

  7. [Effects of an infant/toddler health program on parenting knowledge, behavior, confidence, and home environment in low-income mothers].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Gyungjoo; Yang, Soo; Jang, Mi Heui; Yeom, Mijung

    2012-10-01

    This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a mother/infant-toddler health program developed to enhance parenting knowledge, behavior and confidence in low income mothers and home environment. A one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used. Sixty-nine dyads of mothers and infant-toddlers (aged 0-36 months) were provided with weekly intervention for seven session. Each session consisted of three parts; first, educating to increase integrated knowledge related to the development of the infant/toddler including nutrition, first aid and home environment; second, counseling to share parenting experience among the mothers and to increase their nurturing confidence; third, playing with the infant/toddler to facilitate attachment-based parenting behavior for the mothers. Following the programs, there were significant increases in parenting knowledge on nutrition and first aid. A significant improvement was found in attachment-based parenting behavior, but not in home safety practice. Nurturing confidence was not significantly increased. The program led to more positive home environment for infant/toddler's health and development. The findings provide evidence for mother-infant/toddler health program to improve parenting knowledge, attachment-based parenting behavior and better home environment in low income mothers. Study of the long term effectiveness of this program is recommended for future research.

  8. Factors Associated With the Increasing Rates of Discharges Directly Home From Intensive Care Units-A Direct From ICU Sent Home Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lau, Vincent I; Priestap, Fran A; Lam, Joyce N H; Ball, Ian M

    2018-02-01

    To evaluate the relationship between rates of discharge directly to home (DDH) from the intensive care unit (ICU) and bed availability (ward and ICU). Also to identify patient characteristics that make them candidates for safe DDH and describe transfer delay impact on length of stay (LOS). Retrospective cohort study of all adult patients who survived their stay in our medical-surgical-trauma ICU between April 2003 and March 2015. Median age was 49 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 33.5-60.4), and the majority of the patients were males (54.8%). Median number of preexisting comorbidities was 5 (IQR: 2-7) diagnoses. Discharge directly to home increased from 28 (3.1% of all survivors) patients in 2003 to 120 (12.5%) patients in 2014. The mean annual rate of DDH was between 11% and 12% over the last 6 years. Approximately 62% (n = 397) of patients waited longer than 4 hours for a ward bed, with a median delay of 2.0 days (IQR: 0.5-4.7) before being DDH. There was an inverse correlation between ICU occupancy and DDH rates ( r P = -.55, P < .0001, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.36 to -0.69, R 2 = .29). There was no correlation with ward occupancy and DDH rates ( r s = -.055, P = .64, 95% CI = -0.25 to 0.21). The DDH rates have been increasing over time at our institution and were inversely correlated with ICU bed occupancy but were not associated with ward occupancy. The DDH patients are young, have few comorbidities on admission, and few discharge diagnoses, which are usually reversible single system problems with low disease burden. Transfers to the ward are delayed in a majority of cases, leading to increased ICU LOS and likely increased overall hospital LOS as well.

  9. Asthma Education and Intervention Program: Partnership for Asthma Trigger-Free Homes (PATH)

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Golden, Cheryl

    2008-01-01

    ...) are the co-Principal Investigators for the Partnership for Asthma Trigger-Free Homes. The PATH study's goal is reducing the asthma disease burden on low-income housing residents by means of a peer-based education program...

  10. Feasibility of a web-based dementia feeding skills training program for nursing home staff.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Batchelor-Murphy, Melissa; Amella, Elaine J; Zapka, Jane; Mueller, Martina; Beck, Cornelia

    2015-01-01

    Nursing home (NH) staff do not receive adequate training for providing feeding assistance to residents with dementia who exhibit aversive feeding behaviors (e.g., clamping mouth shut). The result is often low meal intake for these residents. This feasibility study tested a web-based dementia feeding skills program for staff in two United States NHs. Randomly assigned, the intervention staff received web-based dementia feeding skills training with coaching. Both groups participated in web-based pre-/post-tests assessing staff knowledge and self-efficacy; and meal observations measured NH staff and resident feeding behaviors, time for meal assistance, and meal intake. Aversive feeding behaviors increased in both groups of residents; however, the intervention NH staff increased the amount of time spent providing assistance and meal intake doubled. In the control group, less time was spent providing assistance and meal intake decreased. This study suggests that training staff to use current clinical practice guidelines improves meal intake. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Follow-up home visits with registered dietitians have a positive effect on the functional and nutritional status of geriatric medical patients after discharge

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Beck, Anne Marie; Kjær, Stine; Hansen, Birthe Stenbæk

    2013-01-01

    Objective:To assess the additional benefits of individualized nutritional counselling by a registered dietitian in geriatric patients' home after discharge from hospital, in relation to risk of re-admissions, functional status, nutritional status, use of social services and mortality.Design:Twelv......Objective:To assess the additional benefits of individualized nutritional counselling by a registered dietitian in geriatric patients' home after discharge from hospital, in relation to risk of re-admissions, functional status, nutritional status, use of social services and mortality.......Design:Twelve-week single-blind randomized controlled study.Setting and subjects:Geriatric medical patients (65+ years) at nutritional risk.Interventions:Participants were randomly allocated to receive a visit in their homes, either three individualized nutritional counselling by a registered dietitian complemented......, rehabilitation capacity), nutritional status (weight, BMI, energy and protein intake), need of social services (home care, home nursing, meals-on-wheels) and mortality.Results:One hundred and fifty-two patients were included; 132 (87%) completed the first and 124 (82%) the second data collection after 12 weeks...

  12. Medicare and Medicaid Programs; CY 2018 Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update and CY 2019 Case-Mix Adjustment Methodology Refinements; Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model; and Home Health Quality Reporting Requirements. Final rule.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-11-07

    This final rule updates the home health prospective payment system (HH PPS) payment rates, including the national, standardized 60-day episode payment rates, the national per-visit rates, and the non-routine medical supply (NRS) conversion factor, effective for home health episodes of care ending on or after January 1, 2018. This rule also: Updates the HH PPS case-mix weights using the most current, complete data available at the time of rulemaking; implements the third year of a 3-year phase-in of a reduction to the national, standardized 60-day episode payment to account for estimated case-mix growth unrelated to increases in patient acuity (that is, nominal case-mix growth) between calendar year (CY) 2012 and CY 2014; and discusses our efforts to monitor the potential impacts of the rebasing adjustments that were implemented in CY 2014 through CY 2017. In addition, this rule finalizes changes to the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model and to the Home Health Quality Reporting Program (HH QRP). We are not finalizing the implementation of the Home Health Groupings Model (HHGM) in this final rule.

  13. Validation of Evidence-Based Fall Prevention Programs for Adults with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disorders (FallPAIDD: A Modified Otago Exercise Program

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mindy Renfro

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Evidence-based fall prevention (EBFP programs significantly decrease fall risk, falls, and fall-related injuries in community-dwelling older adults. To date, EBFP programs are only validated for use among people with normal cognition and, therefore, are not evidence-based for adults with intellectual and/or developmental disorders (IDD such as Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD, cerebral vascular accident (CVA, or traumatic brain injury (TBI. BACKGROUND: Adults with IDD experience not only a higher rate of falls than their community-dwelling, cognitively intact peers, but also higher rates and earlier onset of chronic diseases, also known to increase fall risk. Adults with IDD experience many barriers to healthcare and health promotion programs. As the lifespan for people with IDD continues to increase, issues of aging (including falls with associated injury are on the rise and require effective and efficient prevention. METHODS: A modified group-based version of the Otago Exercise Program (OEP was developed and implemented at a worksite employing adults with IDD in Montana. Participants were tested pre and post-intervention using the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC STopping Elderly Accidents Deaths and Injuries (STEADI tool kit. Participants participated in progressive once weekly, one-hour group exercise classes and home programs over a 7-week period. Discharge planning with consumers and caregivers included home exercise, walking, and an optional home assessment. RESULTS: Despite the limited number of participants (n=15 and short length of participation, improvements were observed in the 30-Second Chair Stand Test, 4-Stage Balance Test, and 2-Minute Walk Test. Additionally, three individuals experienced an improvement in ambulation independence. Participants reported no falls during the study period. DISCUSSION: Promising results of this preliminary project underline the need for further study

  14. Telephone Coaching to Enhance a Home-Based Physical Activity Program for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bennell, Kim L; Campbell, Penny K; Egerton, Thorlene; Metcalf, Ben; Kasza, Jessica; Forbes, Andrew; Bills, Caroline; Gale, Janette; Harris, Anthony; Kolt, Gregory S; Bunker, Stephen J; Hunter, David J; Brand, Caroline A; Hinman, Rana S

    2017-01-01

    To investigate whether simultaneous telephone coaching improves the clinical effectiveness of a physiotherapist-prescribed home-based physical activity program for knee osteoarthritis (OA). A total of 168 inactive adults ages ≥50 years with knee pain on a numeric rating scale ≥4 (NRS; range 0-10) and knee OA were recruited from the community and randomly assigned to a physiotherapy (PT) and coaching group (n = 84) or PT-only (n = 84) group. All participants received five 30-minute consultations with a physiotherapist over 6 months for education, home exercise, and physical activity advice. PT+coaching participants also received 6-12 telephone coaching sessions by clinicians trained in behavioral-change support for exercise and physical activity. Primary outcomes were pain (NRS) and physical function (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index [WOMAC; score range 0-68]) at 6 months. Secondary outcomes were these same measures at 12 and 18 months, as well as physical activity, exercise adherence, other pain and function measures, and quality of life. Analyses were intent-to-treat with multiple imputation for missing data. A total of 142 (85%), 136 (81%), and 128 (76%) participants completed 6-, 12-, and 18-month measurements, respectively. The change in NRS pain (mean difference 0.4 unit [95% confidence interval (95% CI) -0.4, 1.3]) and in WOMAC function (1.8 [95% CI -1.9, 5.5]) did not differ between groups at 6 months, with both groups showing clinically relevant improvements. Some secondary outcomes related to physical activity and exercise behavior favored PT+coaching at 6 months but generally not at 12 or 18 months. There were no between-group differences in most other outcomes. The addition of simultaneous telephone coaching did not augment the pain and function benefits of a physiotherapist-prescribed home-based physical activity program. © 2016, American College of Rheumatology.

  15. Is home-based palliative care cost-effective? An economic evaluation of the Palliative Care Extended Packages at Home (PEACH) pilot.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCaffrey, Nikki; Agar, Meera; Harlum, Janeane; Karnon, Jonathon; Currow, David; Eckermann, Simon

    2013-12-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a home-based palliative care model relative to usual care in expediting discharge or enabling patients to remain at home. Economic evaluation of a pilot randomised controlled trial with 28 days follow-up. Mean costs and effectiveness were calculated for the Palliative Care Extended Packages at Home (PEACH) and usual care arms including: days at home; place of death; PEACH intervention costs; specialist palliative care service use; acute hospital and palliative care unit inpatient stays; and outpatient visits. PEACH mean intervention costs per patient ($3489) were largely offset by lower mean inpatient care costs ($2450) and in this arm, participants were at home for one additional day on average. Consequently, PEACH is cost-effective relative to usual care when the threshold value for one extra day at home exceeds $1068, or $2547 if only within-study days of hospital admission are costed. All estimates are high uncertainty. The results of this small pilot study point to the potential of PEACH as a cost-effective end-of-life care model relative to usual care. Findings support the feasibility of conducting a definitive, fully powered study with longer follow-up and comprehensive economic evaluation.

  16. Effect of a home-based exercise program on functional recovery following rehabilitation after hip fracture: a randomized clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Latham, Nancy K; Harris, Bette Ann; Bean, Jonathan F; Heeren, Timothy; Goodyear, Christine; Zawacki, Stacey; Heislein, Diane M; Mustafa, Jabed; Pardasaney, Poonam; Giorgetti, Marie; Holt, Nicole; Goehring, Lori; Jette, Alan M

    2014-02-19

    For many older people, long-term functional limitations persist after a hip fracture. The efficacy of a home exercise program with minimal supervision after formal hip fracture rehabilitation ends has not been established. To determine whether a home exercise program with minimal contact with a physical therapist improved function after formal hip fracture rehabilitation ended. Randomized clinical trial conducted from September 2008 to October 2012 in the homes of 232 functionally limited older adults who had completed traditional rehabilitation after a hip fracture. The intervention group (n = 120) received functionally oriented exercises (such as standing from a chair, climbing a step) taught by a physical therapist and performed independently by the participants in their homes for 6 months. The attention control group (n = 112) received in-home and telephone-based cardiovascular nutrition education. Physical function assessed at baseline, 6 months (ie, at completion of the intervention), and 9 months by blinded assessors. The primary outcome was change in function at 6 months measured by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB; range 0-12, higher score indicates better function) and the Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care (AM-PAC) mobility and daily activity (range, 23-85 and 9-101, higher score indicates better function). Among the 232 randomized patients, 195 were followed up at 6 months and included in the primary analysis. The intervention group (n=100) showed significant improvement relative to the control group (n=95) in functional mobility (mean SPPB scores for intervention group: 6.2 [SD, 2.7] at baseline, 7.2 [SD, 3] at 6 months; control group: 6.0 [SD, 2.8] at baseline, 6.2 [SD, 3] at 6 months; and between-group differences: 0.8 [95% CI, 0.4 to 1.2], P daily activity scores for intervention group: 57.4 [SD, 13.7] at baseline, 61.3 [SD, 15.7] at 6 months; control group: 58.2 [SD, 15.2] at baseline, 58.6 [SD, 15.3] at 6 months; and

  17. A Systematic Review of Home-Based Childhood Obesity Prevention Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fawole, Oluwakemi; Segal, Jodi; Wilson, Renee F.; Cheskin, Lawrence J.; Bleich, Sara N.; Wu, Yang; Lau, Brandyn; Wang, Youfa

    2013-01-01

    BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Childhood obesity is a global epidemic. Despite emerging research about the role of the family and home on obesity risk behaviors, the evidence base for the effectiveness of home-based interventions on obesity prevention remains uncertain. The objective was to systematically review the effectiveness of home-based interventions on weight, intermediate (eg, diet and physical activity [PA]), and clinical outcomes. METHODS: We searched Medline, Embase, PsychInfo, CINAHL, clinicaltrials.gov, and the Cochrane Library from inception through August 11, 2012. We included experimental and natural experimental studies with ≥1-year follow-up reporting weight-related outcomes and targeting children at home. Two independent reviewers screened studies and extracted data. We graded the strength of the evidence supporting interventions targeting diet, PA, or both for obesity prevention. RESULTS: We identified 6 studies; 3 tested combined interventions (diet and PA), 1 used diet intervention, 1 combined intervention with primary care and consumer health informatics components, and 1 combined intervention with school and community components. Select combined interventions had beneficial effects on fruit/vegetable intake and sedentary behaviors. However, none of the 6 studies reported a significant effect on weight outcomes. Overall, the strength of evidence is low that combined home-based interventions effectively prevent obesity. The evidence is insufficient for conclusions about home-based diet interventions or interventions implemented at home in association with other settings. CONCLUSIONS: The strength of evidence is low to support the effectiveness of home-based child obesity prevention programs. Additional research is needed to test interventions in the home setting, particularly those incorporating parenting strategies and addressing environmental influences. PMID:23753095

  18. The Effect of Publicized Quality Information on Home Health Agency Choice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Jeah Kyoungrae; Wu, Bingxiao; Kim, Hyunjee; Polsky, Daniel

    2016-12-01

    We examine consumers' use of publicized quality information in Medicare home health care markets, where consumer cost sharing and travel costs are absent. We report two findings. First, agencies with high quality scores are more likely to be preferred by consumers after the introduction of a public reporting program than before. Second, consumers' use of publicized quality information differs by patient group. Community-based patients have slightly larger responses to public reporting than hospital-discharged patients. Patients with functional limitations at the start of their care, at least among hospital-discharged patients, have a larger response to the reported functional outcome measure than those without functional limitations. In all cases of significant marginal effects, magnitudes are small. We conclude that the current public reporting approach is unlikely to have critical impacts on home health agency choice. Identifying and releasing quality information that is meaningful to consumers may help increase consumers' use of public reports. © The Author(s) 2015.

  19. Creating a successful culturally sensitive home care program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blanter, R; Page, P M

    1995-12-01

    Providing quality home care services to immigrants requires an integrated, holistic approach that genuinely addresses language and cultural differences. One home care agency in Massachusetts developed a team-oriented, culturally sensitive outreach program that ensures non-English-speaking patients the same level of service that the general population receives.

  20. Casemix and rehabilitation: evaluation of an early discharge scheme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandis, S

    2000-01-01

    This paper presents a case study of an early discharge scheme funded by casemix incentives and discusses limitations of a casemix model of funding whereby hospital inpatient care is funded separately from care in other settings. The POSITIVE Rehabilitation program received 151 patients discharged early from hospital in a twelve-month period. Program evaluation demonstrates a 40.9% drop in the average length of stay of rehabilitation patients and a 42.6% drop in average length of stay for patients with stroke. Other benefits of the program include a high level of patient satisfaction, improved carer support and increased continuity of care. The challenge under the Australian interpretation of a casemix model of funding is ensuring the viability of services that extend across acute hospital, non-acute care, and community and home settings.

  1. Outcome prediction in home- and community-based brain injury rehabilitation using the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malec, James F; Parrot, Devan; Altman, Irwin M; Swick, Shannon

    2015-01-01

    The objective of the study was to develop statistical formulas to predict levels of community participation on discharge from post-hospital brain injury rehabilitation using retrospective data analysis. Data were collected from seven geographically distinct programmes in a home- and community-based brain injury rehabilitation provider network. Participants were 642 individuals with post-traumatic brain injury. Interventions consisted of home- and community-based brain injury rehabilitation. The main outcome measure was the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory (MPAI-4) Participation Index. Linear discriminant models using admission MPAI-4 Participation Index score and log chronicity correctly predicted excellent (no to minimal participation limitations), very good (very mild participation limitations), good (mild participation limitations), and limited (significant participation limitations) outcome levels at discharge. Predicting broad outcome categories for post-hospital rehabilitation programmes based on admission assessment data appears feasible and valid. Equations to provide patients and families with probability statements on admission about expected levels of outcome are provided. It is unknown to what degree these prediction equations can be reliably applied and valid in other settings.

  2. Cost Analysis of Physician Assistant Home Visit Program to Reduce Readmissions After Cardiac Surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nabagiez, John P; Shariff, Masood A; Molloy, William J; Demissie, Seleshi; McGinn, Joseph T

    2016-09-01

    A physician assistant home care (PAHC) program providing house calls was initiated to reduce hospital readmissions after adult cardiac surgery. The purpose of our study was to compare 30-day PAHC and pre-PAHC readmission rate, length of stay, and cost. Patients who underwent adult cardiac surgery in the 48 months from September 2008 through August 2012 were retrospectively reviewed using pre-PAHC patients as the control group. Readmission rate, length of stay, and health care cost, as measured by hospital billing, were compared between groups matched with propensity score. Of the 1,185 patients who were discharged directly home, 155 (13%) were readmitted. Total readmissions for the control group (n = 648) was 101 patients (16%) compared with the PAHC group (n = 537) total readmissions of 54 (10%), a 38% reduction in the rate of readmission (p = 0.0049). Propensity score matched groups showed a rate reduction of 41% with 17% (62 of 363) for the control compared with 10% (37 of 363) for the PAHC group (p = 0.0061). The average hospital bill per readmission was $39,100 for the control group and $56,600 for the PAHC group (p = 0.0547). The cost of providing home visits was $25,300 for 363 propensity score matched patients. The PAHC program reduced the 30-day readmission rate by 41% for propensity score matched patients. Analysis demonstrated a savings of $977,500 at a cost of $25,300 over 2 years, or $39 in health care saved, in terms of hospital billing, for every $1 spent. Therefore, a home visit by a cardiac surgical physician assistant is a cost-effective strategy to reduce readmissions after cardiac surgery. Copyright © 2016 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. [Influence of in-home nursing care on the weight of the early discharged preterm newborn].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alvarez Miró, R; Lluch Canut, M T; Figueras Aloy, J; Esqué Ruiz, M T; Arroyo Gili, L; Bella Rodríguez, J; Carbonell Estrany, X

    2014-12-01

    In-Home nursing care of the preterm newborn helps to bring the family situation to normal, promotes breastfeeding and development of the newborn, and enables the reorganization of health care resources. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that in-home nursing care of the preterm newborn leads to an increase in weight and a similar morbidity. A total of 65 cases and 65 controls (matched by weight, age and sex) were studied, all of them preterm newborns born in hospital and weighing less than 2100 g at discharge. In-home nursing care was carried out by a pediatrician neonatologist, as well as two nurses specialized in neonatology who made several visits to the home. Weight gain was calculated as g/day and g/Kg/day, comparing the first week of the study with the week prior to the beginning of the study. The groups were comparable. Weight gain in the group with home nursing care was 38 g per day, significantly higher than the weight gain in the control group (31 g/day). The independent predictive variables of the increase in g/Kg/day during the study were in-home nursing care, male gender, breastfeeding less, and not having suffered from a peri-intraventricular hemorrhage. Neonatal morbidity was similar in both groups. In-home care was associated with a greater weight gain of the newborn at home than during their stay in the hospital, and can be considered safe because neonatal morbidity was not increased. Copyright © 2013 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  4. Designing of smart home automation system based on Raspberry Pi

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saini, Ravi Prakash; Singh, Bhanu Pratap; Sharma, Mahesh Kumar; Wattanawisuth, Nattapol; Leeprechanon, Nopbhorn

    2016-03-01

    Locally networked or remotely controlled home automation system becomes a popular paradigm because of the numerous advantages and is suitable for academic research. This paper proposes a method for an implementation of Raspberry Pi based home automation system presented with an android phone access interface. The power consumption profile across the connected load is measured accurately through programming. Users can access the graph of total power consumption with respect to time worldwide using their Dropbox account. An android application has been developed to channelize the monitoring and controlling operation of home appliances remotely. This application facilitates controlling of operating pins of Raspberry Pi by pressing the corresponding key for turning "on" and "off" of any desired appliance. Systems can range from the simple room lighting control to smart microcontroller based hybrid systems incorporating several other additional features. Smart home automation systems are being adopted to achieve flexibility, scalability, security in the sense of data protection through the cloud-based data storage protocol, reliability, energy efficiency, etc.

  5. Home medicines reviews following acute coronary syndrome: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bernal Daniel DL

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite continual improvements in the management of acute coronary syndromes, adherence to guideline-based medications remains suboptimal. We aim to improve adherence with guideline-based therapy following acute coronary syndrome using an existing service that is provided by specifically trained pharmacists, called a Home Medicines Review. We have made two minor adjustments to target the focus of the existing service including an acute coronary syndrome specific referral letter and a training package for the pharmacists providing the service. Methods/Design We will be conducting a randomized controlled trial to compare the directed home medicines review service to usual care following acute coronary syndromes. All patients aged 18 to 80 years and with a working diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome, who are admitted to two public, acute care hospitals, will be screened for enrolment into the trial. Exclusion criteria will include: not being discharged home, documented cognitive decline, non-Medicare eligibility, and presence of a terminal malignancy. Randomization concealment and sequence generation will occur through a centrally-monitored computer program. Patients randomized to the control group will receive usual post-discharge care. Patients randomized to receive the intervention will be offered usual post-discharge care and a directed home medicines review at two months post-discharge. The study endpoints will be six and twelve months post-discharge. The primary outcome will be the proportion of patients who are adherent to a complete, guideline-based medication regimen. Secondary outcomes will include hospital readmission rates, length of hospital stays, changes in quality of life, smoking cessation rates, cardiac rehabilitation completion rates, and mortality. Discussion As the trial is closely based on an existing service, any improvements observed should be highly translatable into regular practice. Possible

  6. Medicare and Medicaid Programs; CY 2016 Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update; Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model; and Home Health Quality Reporting Requirements. Final rule.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-11-05

    This final rule will update Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) rates, including the national, standardized 60-day episode payment rates, the national per-visit rates, and the non-routine medical supply (NRS) conversion factor under the Medicare prospective payment system for home health agencies (HHAs), effective for episodes ending on or after January 1, 2016. As required by the Affordable Care Act, this rule implements the 3rd year of the 4-year phase-in of the rebasing adjustments to the HH PPS payment rates. This rule updates the HH PPS case-mix weights using the most current, complete data available at the time of rulemaking and provides a clarification regarding the use of the "initial encounter'' seventh character applicable to certain ICD-10-CM code categories. This final rule will also finalize reductions to the national, standardized 60-day episode payment rate in CY 2016, CY 2017, and CY 2018 of 0.97 percent in each year to account for estimated case-mix growth unrelated to increases in patient acuity (nominal case-mix growth) between CY 2012 and CY 2014. In addition, this rule implements a HH value-based purchasing (HHVBP) model, beginning January 1, 2016, in which all Medicare-certified HHAs in selected states will be required to participate. Finally, this rule finalizes minor changes to the home health quality reporting program and minor technical regulations text changes.

  7. The effectiveness of the use of a digital activity coaching system in addition to a two-week home-based exercise program in patients after total knee arthroplasty: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harmelink, Karen E M; Zeegers, A V C M; Tönis, Thijs M; Hullegie, Wim; Nijhuis-van der Sanden, Maria W G; Staal, J Bart

    2017-07-05

    There is consistent evidence that supervised programs are not superior to home-based programs after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), especially in patients without complications. Home-based exercise programs are effective, but we hypothesize that their effectiveness can be improved by increasing the adherence to physical therapy advice to reach an adequate exercise level during the program and thereafter. Our hypothesis is that an activity coaching system (accelerometer-based activity sensor), alongside a home-based exercise program, will increase adherence to exercises and the activity level, thereby improving physical functioning and recovery. The objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness of an activity coaching system in addition to a home-based exercise program after a TKA compared to only the home-based exercise program with physical functioning as outcome. This study is a single-blind randomized controlled trial. Both the intervention (n = 55) and the control group (n = 55) receive a two-week home-based exercise program, and the intervention group receives an additional activity coaching system. This is a hand-held electronic device together with an app on a smartphone providing information and advice on exercise behavior during the day. The primary outcome is physical functioning, measured with the Timed Up and Go test (TUG) after two weeks, six weeks and three months. Secondary outcomes are 1) adherence to the activity level (activity diary); 2) physical functioning, measured with the 2-Minute Walk Test (2MWT) and the Knee Osteoarthritis Outcome Score; 3) quality of life (SF-36); 4) healthcare use up to one year postoperatively and 5) cost-effectiveness. Data are collected preoperatively, three days, two and six weeks, three months and one year postoperatively. The strengths of the study are the use of both performance-based tests and self-reported questionnaires and the personalized tailored program after TKA given by specialized physical

  8. A prospective observational study comparing a physiological scoring system with time-based discharge criteria in pediatric ambulatory surgical patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armstrong, James; Forrest, Helen; Crawford, Mark W

    2015-10-01

    Discharge criteria based on physiological scoring systems can be used in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) to fast-track patients after ambulatory surgery; however, studies comparing physiological scoring systems with traditional time-based discharge criteria are lacking. The purpose of this study was to compare PACU discharge readiness times using physiological vs time-based discharge criteria in pediatric ambulatory surgical patients. We recorded physiological observations from consecutive American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I-III patients aged 1-18 yr who were admitted to the PACU after undergoing ambulatory surgery in a tertiary academic pediatric hospital. The physiological score was a combination of the Aldrete and Chung systems. Scores were recorded every 15 min starting upon arrival in the PACU. Patients were considered fit for discharge once they attained a score ≥12 (maximum score, 14), provided no score was zero, with the time to achieve a score ≥12 defining the criteria-based discharge (CBD) time. Patients were discharged from the PACU when both the CBD and the existing time-based discharge (TBD) criteria were met. The CBD and TBD data were compared using Kaplan-Meier and log-rank analysis. Observations from 506 children are presented. Median (interquartile range [IQR]) age was 5.5 [2.8-9.9] yr. Median [IQR] CBD and TBD PACU discharge readiness times were 30 [15-45] min and 60 [45-60] min, respectively. Analysis of Kaplan-Meier curves indicated a significant difference in discharge times using the different criteria (hazard ratio, 5.43; 95% confidence interval, 4.51 to 6.53; P < 0.001). All patients were discharged home without incident. This prospective study suggests that discharge decisions based on physiological criteria have the potential for significantly speeding the transit of children through the PACU, thereby enhancing PACU efficiency and resource utilization.

  9. A home monitoring program including real-time wireless home spirometry in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a pilot study on experiences and barriers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moor, C C; Wapenaar, M; Miedema, J R; Geelhoed, J J M; Chandoesing, P P; Wijsenbeek, M S

    2018-05-29

    In idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), home monitoring experiences are limited, not yet real-time available nor implemented in daily care. We evaluated feasibility and potential barriers of a new home monitoring program with real-time wireless home spirometry in IPF. Ten patients with IPF were asked to test this home monitoring program, including daily home spirometry, for four weeks. Measurements of home and hospital spirometry showed good agreement. All patients considered real-time wireless spirometry useful and highly feasible. Both patients and researchers suggested relatively easy solutions for the identified potential barriers regarding real-time home monitoring in IPF.

  10. Effects of intergenerational Montessori-based activities programming on engagement of nursing home residents with dementia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michelle M Lee

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available Michelle M Lee1, Cameron J Camp2, Megan L Malone21Midwestern University, Department of Behavioral Medicine, Downers Grove, IL , USA; 2Myers Research Institute of Menorah Park Center for Senior Living, Beachwood, OH, USA Abstract: Fourteen nursing home residents on a dementia special care unit at a skilled nursing facility took part in one-to-one intergenerational programming (IGP with 15 preschool children from the facility’s on-site child care center. Montessori-based activities served as the interface for interactions between dyads. The amount of time residents demonstrated positive and negative forms of engagement during IGP and standard activities programming was assessed through direct observation using a tool developed for this purpose – the Myers Research Institute Engagement Scale (MRI-ES. These residents with dementia displayed the ability to successfully take part in IGP. Most successfully presented “lessons” to the children in their dyads, similar to the way that Montessori teachers present lessons to children, while persons with more severe cognitive impairment took part in IGP through other methods such as parallel play. Taking part in IGP was consistently related with higher levels of positive engagement and lower levels of negative forms of engagement in these residents with dementia than levels seen in standard activities programming on the unit. Implications of using this form of IGP, and directions for future research, are discussed.Keywords: Montessori-based activities, intergenerational programming, engagement, dementia

  11. Incidence and predictors of 30-day readmission for patients discharged home after craniotomy for malignant supratentorial tumors in California (1995-2010).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marcus, Logan P; McCutcheon, Brandon A; Noorbakhsh, Abraham; Parina, Ralitza P; Gonda, David D; Chen, Clark; Chang, David C; Carter, Bob S

    2014-05-01

    Hospital readmission within 30 days of discharge is a major contributor to the high cost of health care in the US and is also a major indicator of patient care quality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence, causes, and predictors of 30-day readmission following craniotomy for malignant supratentorial tumor resection. The longitudinal California Office of Statewide Health Planning & Development inpatient-discharge administrative database is a data set that consists of 100% of all inpatient hospitalizations within the state of California and allows each patient to be followed throughout multiple inpatient hospital stays, across multiple institutions, and over multiple years (from 1995 to 2010). This database was used to identify patients who underwent a craniotomy for resection of primary malignant brain tumors. Causes for unplanned 30-day readmission were identified by principle ICD-9 diagnosis code and multivariate analysis was used to determine the independent effect of various patient factors on 30-day readmissions. A total of 18,506 patients received a craniotomy for the treatment of primary malignant brain tumors within the state of California between 1995 and 2010. Four hundred ten patients (2.2%) died during the index surgical admission, 13,586 patients (73.4%) were discharged home, and 4510 patients (24.4%) were transferred to another facility. Among patients discharged home, 1790 patients (13.2%) were readmitted at least once within 30 days of discharge, with 27% of readmissions occurring at a different hospital than the initial surgical institution. The most common reasons for readmission were new onset seizure and convulsive disorder (20.9%), surgical infection of the CNS (14.5%), and new onset of a motor deficit (12.8%). Medi-Cal beneficiaries were at increased odds for readmission relative to privately insured patients (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.20-1.93). Patients with a history of prior myocardial infarction were at an increased risk of

  12. Preliminary assessment of the Louisiana Home Energy Rebate Offer program using IPMVP guidelines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kaiser, Mark J.; Pulsipher, Allan G. [Center for Energy Studies, Louisiana State University, Energy Coast and Environment Building, Nicholson Extension Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (United States)

    2010-02-15

    The Louisiana Home Energy Rebate Offer (HERO) is a residential energy conservation program established in 1999 to provide rebates for qualified applicants to build new homes that are more energy efficient or improve the energy efficiency of existing homes. Energy conservation programs require careful evaluation because of the high cost to implement the measures and the expectation that they will reduce energy use. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that residential energy conservation measures in a hot and humid climate can be evaluated using the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP), a best practice methodology commonly used in industrial and commercial performance-based contracts, but rarely, if ever, applied to residential programs. Using a random sample of 60 HERO participants, we were able to construct statistically significant electricity consumption baseline models for 90% of households. We determined that more than half of the sample participants consumed more electricity after their efficiency improvement, with an average net household savings of 172 kWh/yr, about 1% pre-retrofit consumption. A description of the baseline model construction, preliminary program evaluation, and recommendations are provided. All program conclusions are considered preliminary until a larger and more comprehensive study is conducted. (author)

  13. Preliminary assessment of the Louisiana Home Energy Rebate Offer program using IPMVP guidelines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaiser, Mark J.; Pulsipher, Allan G.

    2010-01-01

    The Louisiana Home Energy Rebate Offer (HERO) is a residential energy conservation program established in 1999 to provide rebates for qualified applicants to build new homes that are more energy efficient or improve the energy efficiency of existing homes. Energy conservation programs require careful evaluation because of the high cost to implement the measures and the expectation that they will reduce energy use. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that residential energy conservation measures in a hot and humid climate can be evaluated using the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP), a best practice methodology commonly used in industrial and commercial performance-based contracts, but rarely, if ever, applied to residential programs. Using a random sample of 60 HERO participants, we were able to construct statistically significant electricity consumption baseline models for 90% of households. We determined that more than half of the sample participants consumed more electricity after their efficiency improvement, with an average net household savings of 172 kWh/yr, about 1% pre-retrofit consumption. A description of the baseline model construction, preliminary program evaluation, and recommendations are provided. All program conclusions are considered preliminary until a larger and more comprehensive study is conducted.

  14. Population Health and Tailored Medical Care in the Home: the Roles of Home-Based Primary Care and Home-Based Palliative Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ritchie, Christine S; Leff, Bruce

    2018-03-01

    With the growth of value-based care, payers and health systems have begun to appreciate the need to provide enhanced services to homebound adults. Recent studies have shown that home-based medical services for this high-cost, high-need population reduce costs and improve outcomes. Home-based medical care services have two flavors that are related to historical context and specialty background-home-based primary care (HBPC) and home-based palliative care (HBPalC). Although the type of services provided by HBPC and HBPalC (together termed "home-based medical care") overlap, HBPC tends to encompass longitudinal and preventive care, while HBPalC often provides services for shorter durations focused more on distress management and goals of care clarification. Given workforce constraints and growing demand, both HBPC and HBPalC will benefit from working together within a population health framework-where HBPC provides care to all patients who have trouble accessing traditional office practices and where HBPalC offers adjunctive care to patients with high symptom burden and those who need assistance with goals clarification. Policy changes that support provision of medical care in the home, population health strategies that tailor home-based medical care to the specific needs of the patients and their caregivers, and educational initiatives to assure basic palliative care competence for all home-based medical providers will improve access and reduce illness burden to this important and underrecognized population. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. An international randomized study of a home-based self-management program for severe COPD: the COMET.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bourbeau, Jean; Casan, Pere; Tognella, Silvia; Haidl, Peter; Texereau, Joëlle B; Kessler, Romain

    2016-01-01

    Most hospitalizations and costs related to COPD are due to exacerbations and insufficient disease management. The COPD patient Management European Trial (COMET) is investigating a home-based multicomponent COPD self-management program designed to reduce exacerbations and hospital admissions. Multicenter parallel randomized controlled, open-label superiority trial. Thirty-three hospitals in four European countries. A total of 345 patients with Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease III/IV COPD. The program includes extensive patient coaching by health care professionals to improve self-management (eg, develop skills to better manage their disease), an e-health platform for reporting frequent health status updates, rapid intervention when necessary, and oxygen therapy monitoring. Comparator is the usual management as per the center's routine practice. Yearly number of hospital days for acute care, exacerbation number, quality of life, deaths, and costs.

  16. KERNELHR: A program for estimating animal home ranges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seaman, D.E.; Griffith, B.; Powell, R.A.

    1998-01-01

    Kernel methods are state of the art for estimating animal home-range area and utilization distribution (UD). The KERNELHR program was developed to provide researchers and managers a tool to implement this extremely flexible set of methods with many variants. KERNELHR runs interactively or from the command line on any personal computer (PC) running DOS. KERNELHR provides output of fixed and adaptive kernel home-range estimates, as well as density values in a format suitable for in-depth statistical and spatial analyses. An additional package of programs creates contour files for plotting in geographic information systems (GIS) and estimates core areas of ranges.

  17. Supervised Versus Home Exercise Training Programs on Functional Balance in Older Subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Youssef, Enas Fawzy; Shanb, Alsayed Abd Elhameed

    2016-11-01

    Aging is associated with a progressive decline in physical capabilities and a disturbance of both postural control and daily living activities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of supervised versus home exercise programs on muscle strength, balance and functional activities in older participants. Forty older participants were equally assigned to a supervised exercise program (group-I) or a home exercise program (group-II). Each participant performed the exercise program for 35-45 minutes, two times per week for four months. Balance indices and isometric muscle strength were measured with the Biodex Balance System and Hand-Held Dynamometer. Functional activities were evaluated by the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and the timed get-up-and-go test (TUG). The mean values of the Biodex balance indices and the BBS improved significantly after both the supervised and home exercise programs ( P training programs significantly increased balance performance. The supervised program was superior to the home program in restoring functional activities and isometric muscle strength in older participants.

  18. A physical exercise program using music-supported video-based training in older adults in nursing homes suffering from dementia: a feasibility study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spildooren, Joke; Speetjens, Ite; Abrahams, Johan; Feys, Peter; Timmermans, Annick

    2018-04-28

    Motivation towards an exercise program is higher in a small group setting in comparison to individual therapy. Due to attentional problems, group exercises are difficult for people with Alzheimer disease (AD). This study evaluates the feasibility of a music-supported video-based group exercise program in older adults suffering from AD. Five participants with moderate AD were recruited from a nursing home. A progressive physical exercise program using a video-based training with musical accompaniment was performed and digitally recorded to investigate the adherence and performed accuracy of the exercises. The overall participation during the exercises was 84.1%. The quality of the performance was for all exercises above the cut-off scores. A music-supported video-based group exercise program is feasible in persons with AD. The participants were motivated and the expectations towards the program increased over time. Music seemed an important factor for attention in participants with AD.

  19. Insulin resistance influences weight loss in non-obese women who followed a home-based exercise program and slight caloric restriction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mediano, Mauro Felippe Felix; Sichieri, Rosely

    2011-06-01

    This study aimed to evaluate the influence of insulin resistance status on weight changes in non-obese women who followed a home-based exercise program and slight caloric restriction over a period of 12 months. Middle-aged (25-45 year), non-obese (body mass index of 23-29.9 kg/m(2)) women were randomly assigned to control (CG) or home-based exercise group (HB). The HB group received a booklet explaining the physical exercises to be practiced at home at least three times per week (40 min/session). Both groups were required to follow a small energy restriction of 100-300 calories per day. For the analysis, women were stratified in two groups according to baseline insulin sensitivity: NIR (non-insulin resistant; n = 121) and IR (insulin resistant; n = 64). Women classified as IR at baseline had greater weight loss after 12 months of follow-up (-1.6 kg vs. -1.1 kg; p = 0.01), and HB exercise helped to reduce weight only among NIR women (-1.5 vs. -0.7; p = 0.04); no differences were observed between intervention groups for IR women (-1.5 vs. -1.7; p = 0.24). There were no differences between IR and NIR groups for lipid profile after adjustment for weight changes. Insulin resistance facilitated weight loss, and home-based exercise promoted greater weight loss only in non-insulin resistance women. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Bundle Payment Program Initiative: Roles of a Nurse Navigator and Home Health Professionals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peiritsch, Heather

    2017-06-01

    With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) introduced a new value-based payment model, the Bundle Payment Care Initiative. The CMS Innovation (Innovation Center) authorized hospitals to participate in a pilot to test innovative payment and service delivery models that have a potential to reduce Medicare expenditures while maintaining or improving the quality of care for beneficiaries. A hospital-based home care agency, Abington Jefferson Health Home Care Department, led the initiative for the development and implementation of the Bundled Payment Program. This was a creative and innovative method to improve care along the continuum while testing a value-based care model.

  1. Active home-based cancer treatment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bordonaro S

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Sebastiano Bordonaro Fabio Raiti, Annamaria Di Mari, Calogera Lopiano, Fabrizio Romano, Vitalinda Pumo, Sebastiano Rametta Giuliano, Margherita Iacono, Eleonora Lanteri, Elena Puzzo, Sebastiano Spada, Paolo TralongoUOC Medical Oncology, RAO, ASP 8 Siracusa, ItalyBackground: Active home-based treatment represents a new model of health care. Chronic treatment requires continuous access to facilities that provide cancer care, with considerable effort, particularly economic, on the part of patients and caregivers. Oral chemotherapy could be limited as a consequence of poor compliance and adherence, especially by elderly patients.Methods: We selected 30 cancer patients referred to our department and treated with oral therapy (capecitabine, vinorelbine, imatinib, sunitinib, sorafenib, temozolomide, ibandronate. This pilot study of oral therapy in the patient’s home was undertaken by a doctor and two nurses with experience in clinical oncology. The instruments used were clinical diaries recording home visits, hospital visits, need for caregiver support, and a questionnaire specially developed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC, known as the QLQ-C30 version 2.0, concerning the acceptability of oral treatment from the patient’s perspective.Results: This program decreased the need to access cancer facilities by 98.1%, promoted better quality of life for patients, as reflected in increased EORTC QLQ-C30 scores over time, allowing for greater adherence to oral treatment as a result of control of drug administration outside the hospital. This model has allowed treatment of patients with difficult access to care (elderly, disabled or otherwise needed caregivers that in the project represent the majority (78% of these.Conclusions: This model of active home care improves quality of life and adherence with oral therapy, reduces the need to visit the hospital, and consequently decreases the number of lost hours of work on

  2. The application of autostereoscopic display in smart home system based on mobile devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yongjun; Ling, Zhi

    2015-03-01

    Smart home is a system to control home devices which are more and more popular in our daily life. Mobile intelligent terminals based on smart homes have been developed, make remote controlling and monitoring possible with smartphones or tablets. On the other hand, 3D stereo display technology developed rapidly in recent years. Therefore, a iPad-based smart home system adopts autostereoscopic display as the control interface is proposed to improve the userfriendliness of using experiences. In consideration of iPad's limited hardware capabilities, we introduced a 3D image synthesizing method based on parallel processing with Graphic Processing Unit (GPU) implemented it with OpenGL ES Application Programming Interface (API) library on IOS platforms for real-time autostereoscopic displaying. Compared to the traditional smart home system, the proposed system applied autostereoscopic display into smart home system's control interface enhanced the reality, user-friendliness and visual comfort of interface.

  3. Home Based Training: Main Strategy in Community Based Rehabilitation in Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peiman Salamati

    2006-10-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Study of effectiveness of “home based training” in community based rehabilitation program on disabled people, under supervised of 21 pilot cities health and medical networks, who were trained and evaluated at the end of the course. Materials & Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 614 disabled people who had participated in “home based training” were selected with stratified random sampling method. They were evaluated according to function progress level variables by community based rehabilitation programme experts. Age, sex, disability groups, employment state and teacher’s relation variables were studied from their files and recording datas. Statistical analysis was performed with Chi-square test. Results: There was a relationship between age group and disability group with functional progress level (P = 0.014 & P <0.001. Low age groups, visional disabled group, epileptic patients and individuals with learning problems had the best results. High age groups, mixed disability group and individuals with verbal and hearing problems had the least results. There was a relationship between teacher’s relation with progress or nonprogress state (P = 0.038. Individuals that they were own teachers had the best results and individuals with teachers other than first or second relation or health worker had the least results. Conclusion: Home based training in community based rehabilitation programme is an effective method for improving disabled people in some selected groups.

  4. Delaying second births among adolescent mothers: a randomized, controlled trial of a home-based mentoring program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Black, Maureen M; Bentley, Margaret E; Papas, Mia A; Oberlander, Sarah; Teti, Laureen O; McNary, Scot; Le, Katherine; O'Connell, Melissa

    2006-10-01

    were no differences in marital rates (2%), risk practices, or contraceptive use between mothers who did and did not have a second infant. Mothers who did not have a second infant were marginally more likely to report no plans for contraception in their next sexual contact compared with mothers who had a second infant (22% vs 8%, respectively). A home-based intervention founded on a mentorship model and targeted toward adolescent development, including negotiation skills, was effective in preventing rapid repeat births among low-income, black adolescent mothers. The effectiveness of the intervention could be seen after only 2 visits and increased over time. There were no second births among mothers who attended > or = 8 sessions. There was no evidence that risk behavior or contraceptive use was related to rapid second births. There was some evidence that rapid second births among adolescent mothers were regarded as desirable and as part of a move toward increasing autonomy and family formation, thereby undermining intervention programs that focus on risk avoidance. Findings suggest the merits of a mentoring program for low-income, black adolescent mothers, based on a relatively brief (6-8 sessions) curriculum targeted toward adolescent development and interpersonal negotiation skills.

  5. Designing of smart home automation system based on Raspberry Pi

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saini, Ravi Prakash; Singh, Bhanu Pratap; Sharma, Mahesh Kumar; Wattanawisuth, Nattapol; Leeprechanon, Nopbhorn

    2016-01-01

    Locally networked or remotely controlled home automation system becomes a popular paradigm because of the numerous advantages and is suitable for academic research. This paper proposes a method for an implementation of Raspberry Pi based home automation system presented with an android phone access interface. The power consumption profile across the connected load is measured accurately through programming. Users can access the graph of total power consumption with respect to time worldwide using their Dropbox account. An android application has been developed to channelize the monitoring and controlling operation of home appliances remotely. This application facilitates controlling of operating pins of Raspberry Pi by pressing the corresponding key for turning “on” and “off” of any desired appliance. Systems can range from the simple room lighting control to smart microcontroller based hybrid systems incorporating several other additional features. Smart home automation systems are being adopted to achieve flexibility, scalability, security in the sense of data protection through the cloud-based data storage protocol, reliability, energy efficiency, etc.

  6. Designing of smart home automation system based on Raspberry Pi

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saini, Ravi Prakash; Singh, Bhanu Pratap [B K Birla Institute of Engineering & Technology, Pilani, Rajasthan (India); Sharma, Mahesh Kumar; Wattanawisuth, Nattapol; Leeprechanon, Nopbhorn, E-mail: Dr.N.L@ieee.org [Thammasat University, Rangsit Campus, Pathum Thani (Thailand)

    2016-03-09

    Locally networked or remotely controlled home automation system becomes a popular paradigm because of the numerous advantages and is suitable for academic research. This paper proposes a method for an implementation of Raspberry Pi based home automation system presented with an android phone access interface. The power consumption profile across the connected load is measured accurately through programming. Users can access the graph of total power consumption with respect to time worldwide using their Dropbox account. An android application has been developed to channelize the monitoring and controlling operation of home appliances remotely. This application facilitates controlling of operating pins of Raspberry Pi by pressing the corresponding key for turning “on” and “off” of any desired appliance. Systems can range from the simple room lighting control to smart microcontroller based hybrid systems incorporating several other additional features. Smart home automation systems are being adopted to achieve flexibility, scalability, security in the sense of data protection through the cloud-based data storage protocol, reliability, energy efficiency, etc.

  7. Effects of intergenerational Montessori-based activities programming on engagement of nursing home residents with dementia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Michelle M; Camp, Cameron J; Malone, Megan L

    2007-01-01

    Fourteen nursing home residents on a dementia special care unit at a skilled nursing facility took part in one-to-one intergenerational programming (IGP) with 15 preschool children from the facility's on-site child care center. Montessori-based activities served as the interface for interactions between dyads. The amount of time residents demonstrated positive and negative forms of engagement during IGP and standard activities programming was assessed through direct observation using a tool developed for this purpose--the Myers Research Institute Engagement Scale (MRI-ES). These residents with dementia displayed the ability to successfully take part in IGP. Most successfully presented "lessons" to the children in their dyads, similar to the way that Montessori teachers present lessons to children, while persons with more severe cognitive impairment took part in IGP through other methods such as parallel play. Taking part in IGP was consistently related with higher levels of positive engagement and lower levels of negative forms of engagement in these residents with dementia than levels seen in standard activities programming on the unit. Implications of using this form of IGP, and directions for future research, are discussed.

  8. Home-based, Online Mindfulness and Cognitive Training for Soldiers and Veterans with TBI

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-10-01

    AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-16-1-0685 TITLE: Home-based, Online Mindfulness and Cognitive Training for Soldiers and Veterans with TBI PRINCIPAL...TITLE AND SUBTITLE Home-based, Online Mindfulness and Cognitive Training for Soldiers and Veterans with TBI 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER...individuated brain training program (cognitive training + mindfulness /stress- reduction training) with caregiver support portal and lifestyle monitor is

  9. Evaluating use of the Siebens Domain Management Model during inpatient rehabilitation to increase functional independence and discharge rate to home in stroke patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kushner, David S; Peters, Kenneth M; Johnson-Greene, Doug

    2015-04-01

    To evaluate use of the Siebens Domain Management Model (SDMM) during stroke inpatient rehabilitation (IR) to increase functional independence and rate of discharge to home. Before and after study. IR facility. Before the intervention: 154 patients with ischemic/hemorrhagic strokes who were admitted to an IR facility in 2010; on average, they were admitted 9.1 days after receiving acute care. After the intervention: 151 patients with ischemic/hemorrhagic strokes who were admitted to an IR facility in 2012; on average they were admitted 7.3 days after receiving acute care. The comorbidity tier severity and prestroke living setting and living support appeared to be similar in both the preintervention and postintervention groups. Use of the SDMM involving weekly adjustments of IR care focused on potential barriers to discharge home including medical/surgical issues, cognitive/emotional coping issues, physical function, and living environment/community re-entry needs. Use of Functional Independence Measure (FIM) score change during IR length of stay (LOS; FIM-LOS efficiency) and rates of discharge to community/home, acute care, and long-term care (LTC) to compare 2010/preintervention data with postintervention data from 2012, along with comparison of facility data to national aggregate data from the Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation (UDSMR) for both years. Preintervention 2010 FIM-LOS efficiency was 1.44 compared with a 2012 postintervention FIM-LOS efficiency of 2.24, which was significant (t = 4.3; P stroke IR may convey improvement in functional independence and is associated with an increased discharge rate to home/community and a reduction in institutionalization and acute-care transfers. Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. A Programming Language Approach to Safety in Home Networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mortensen, Kjeld Høyer; Schougaard, Kari Rye; Schultz, Ulrik Pagh

    , even in a worst-case scenario where an unauthorized user gains remote control of the facilities. We address this safety issue at the programming language level by restricting the operations that can be performed on devices according to the physical location of the user initiating the request......-based restrictions on operations. This model has been implemented in a middleware for home AV devices written in Java, using infrared communication and a FireWire network to implement location awareness....

  11. A Programming Language Approach to Safety in Home Networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mortensen, Kjeld Høyer; Schougaard, Kari Sofie Fogh; Schultz, Ulrik Pagh

    2003-01-01

    , even in a worst-case scenario where an unauthorized user gains remote control of the facilities. We address this safety issue at the programming language level by restricting the operations that can be performed on devices according to the physical location of the user initiating the request......-based restrictions on operations. This model has been implemented in a middleware for home AV devices written in Java, using infrared communication and a FireWire network to implement location awareness....

  12. Home and Community-Based Service Use by Vulnerable Older Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weaver, Raven H; Roberto, Karen A

    2017-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to identify different types of clients who use home and community-based services. Enrollment characteristics of 76 clients at risk of nursing home placement and Medicaid spend-down who were enrolled in the Virginia Community Living Program were analyzed. Two-step cluster analysis identified 4 groups of service users. Enabling resources (caregiver relationship to participant, participant living arrangement, and length of time caregiver provided assistance to participant) and disability type (physical, cognitive, traumatic brain injury, or other) differentiated the client groups. Groups differed on average service cost per day and likelihood of nursing home placement if services were not provided. Findings point to the value of having practitioners assist vulnerable clients in tailoring services to meet different care needs and the need for refining policies guiding home and community-based care. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  13. Home health agency work environments and hospitalizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jarrín, Olga; Flynn, Linda; Lake, Eileen T; Aiken, Linda H

    2014-10-01

    An important goal of home health care is to assist patients to remain in community living arrangements. Yet home care often fails to prevent hospitalizations and to facilitate discharges to community living, thus putting patients at risk of additional health challenges and increasing care costs. To determine the relationship between home health agency work environments and agency-level rates of acute hospitalization and discharges to community living. Analysis of linked Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Home Health Compare data and nurse survey data from 118 home health agencies. Robust regression models were used to estimate the effect of work environment ratings on between-agency variation in rates of acute hospitalization and community discharge. Home health agencies with good work environments had lower rates of acute hospitalizations and higher rates of patient discharges to community living arrangements compared with home health agencies with poor work environments. Improved work environments in home health agencies hold promise for optimizing patient outcomes and reducing use of expensive hospital and institutional care.

  14. Load estimation and assessment of land-based pollution for Quanzhou Bay and their relevance to the Total Quantity Control of Pollutants Discharged into the Sea (TQCPS) Program in China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, W. L.; Yang, S. Y.; Wang, J.; Xiao, J. M.; Lu, X. X.; Lin, J.; Huang, P.; Cai, M. G.

    2015-12-01

    The Total Quantity Control of Pollutants Discharged into the Sea (TQCPS) Program belonged to the Public Science and Technology Research Funds Projects of Ocean in China, launched in 2008. As one of the most important and typical demonstration cases of the TQCPS Program, a full investigation of the land-based pollutions discharges around Quanzhou Bay, China developed the total input for three main environmental factors (NH3-N, TP, COD) which were estimated and quantified in 2008 and 2012, respectively. Combined with the trend of seawater quality changes in Quanzhou Bay in the same periods, the effects of the program's implementation were then evaluated. On the whole, by using the basic survey data and export coefficient method, the total amounts of NH3-N, TP and COD discharged into the bay were estimated to be approximately 888.3, 130.6 and 14527.4 t/a in 2008, and 1518.6, 558.8 and 19986.7 t/a in 2012, respectively, where the percentage of the discharge from domestic sources (46.5% in 2008 and 45.2% in 2012) was generally higher than that from the other sources. Based on the characteristic of geography and administrative division, the land areas around the bay were divided into three parts: the south coast region (SCR), the west coast region (WCR), and the north coast region (NCR). The SCR and WCR accounted for 59.2 and 35.4% of the COD loads, and 49.2 and 48.0% of NH3-N loads in 2008. The NCR contributed less of the industrial pollution, but most to domestic pollution (54.1%), followed by 26.2% in the SCR in 2012. The contributions of the discharge from different land areas to the pollution of Quanzhou Bay were found to be differed in 2008 and 2012. Due to the difference in the levels of the economic development among these three areas, the discharge of pollutants from the north coast was much lower than that from the other two parts in 2008; however, following our suggestion of the moderation and optimization of the industrial distribution and the sewage

  15. How State-Funded Home Care Programs Respond to Changes in Medicare Home Health Care: Resource Allocation Decisions on the Front Line

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corazzini, Kirsten

    2003-01-01

    Objective To examine how case managers in a state-funded home care program allocate home care services in response to information about a client's Medicare home health care status, with particular attention to the influence of work environment. Data Sources/Study Setting Primary data collected on 355 case managers and 26 agency directors employed in June 1999 by 26 of the 27 regional agencies administering the Massachusetts Home Care Program for low-income elders. Study Design Data were collected in a cross-sectional survey study design. A case manager survey included measures of work environment, demographics, and factorial survey vignette clients (N=2,054), for which case managers assessed service eligibility levels. An agency director survey included measures of management practices. Data Collection/Extraction Methods Hierarchical linear models estimated the effects of work environment on the relationship between client receipt of Medicare home health care and care plan levels while controlling for case-mix differences in agencies' clients. Principal Findings Case managers did not supplement extant Medicare home health services, but did allocate more generous service plans to clients who have had Medicare home health care services recently terminated. This finding persisted when controlling for case mix and did not vary by work environment. Work environment affected overall care plan levels. Conclusions Study findings indicate systematic patterns of frontline resource allocation shaping the relationships among community-based long-term care payment sources. Further, results illustrate how nonuniform implementation of upper-level initiatives may be partially attributed to work environment characteristics. PMID:14596390

  16. Upaya Peningkatan Status Gizi Balita Malnutrisi Akut Berat Melalui Program Home Care

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fitri Haryanti

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Malnutrisi pada balita masih merupakan permasalahan di Indonesia termasuk di Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta. Berdasarkan indikator berat badan menurut tinggi badan, 2,6% balita mengalami malnutrisi akut berat. Pada beberapa dekade terakhir, telah terjadi pergeseran paradigma dalam penanganan balita malnutrisi, yang sebelumnya berbasis pendekatan fasilitas kesehatan bergeser menjadi pendekatan berbasis komunitas. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk menganalisis pengaruh program home care terhadap peningkatan status gizi balita malnutrisi pada anak usia 6-60 bulan. Penelitian menggunakan desain kuasi eksperimen dengan pretest dan posttest control group melalui tiga tahap pendampingan yaitu intensif, mandiri, dan penguatan dengan pendekatan asuhan keperawatan. Sampel adalah 56 balita malnutrisi akut di dua wilayah, yaitu 33 balita di Kota Yogyakarta (eksperimen dan 23 balita di Kabupaten Sleman (kontrol dengan teknik pengambilan sampel yaitu purposive sampling. Intervensi home care diberikan selama tiga 3 bulan (Januari sampai Maret 2013. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan setelah program home care, terjadi peningkatan yang signifikan pada status gizi balita (p < 0,05. Pada akhir intervensi, terjadi penurunan kejadian malnutrisi akut berat dari 100% menjadi 56,7% (p < 0,05. Improving Nutritional Status of Children with Severe Acute Malnutrition Through Home Care Program Children undernutrition is still an issue in Indonesia, including in the Special Region of Yogyakarta. Based on weight for height indicator, 2.6% children experience severe acute malnutrition. In the last few decades, there has been a paradigm shift in the management of acute malnutrition from a facility- based to community-centered approach. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of home care intervention on the improvement of nutritional status of severe acute malnutrition children aged 6-60 months. This study was designed with quasi-experimental and pretest-posttest control

  17. Evaluation of the Pilot Program for Home School and ChalleNGe Program Recruits

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Garcia, F

    2001-01-01

    The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999 (FY 99) directed a 5-year pilot program to treat graduates of home schools and graduates of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program holding General Education Development (GED...

  18. A Mobile Health App-Based Postnatal Educational Program (Home-but not Alone): Descriptive Qualitative Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shorey, Shefaly; Yang, Yen Yen; Dennis, Cindy-Lee

    2018-04-19

    The postnatal period poses numerous challenges for new parents. Various educational programs are available to support new parents during this stressful period. However, the usefulness of educational programs must be evaluated to ascertain their credibility. The aim of this descriptive, qualitative study was to explore the views of parents of newborns with regard to the content and delivery of a mobile health (mHealth) app-based postnatal educational program. A qualitative semistructured interview guide was used to collect data from 17 participants who belonged to the intervention group of a randomized controlled trial. The intervention, a 4-week-long access to a mHealth app-based educational program, was evaluated. The interviews were conducted in English and at the participants' homes. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist was used to report the findings. The interviews revealed 4 main themes: (1) positive features of the mHealth app, (2) advice from midwives, (3) experiences gained from using the mHealth app, and (4) recommendations for the future. The participants evaluated the educational program to be a good source of information that was tailored to the local context. The different modes of delivery, including audio and video, accentuated the accessibility of information. The parents evaluated that the facilitator of the featured communication platform, a midwife, provided trustworthy advice. Belongingness to a virtual community beyond the hospital endowed the parents the confidence that they were not alone and were supported by other parents and health care professionals. According to the parents, the mHealth app-based educational program was helpful in supporting a multi-ethnic sample of parents during the postnatal period. This insight indicates that the program could be implemented in a wide community of parents in the postnatal period. The helpfulness of the educational

  19. HOME Plus: Program design and implementation of a family-focused, community-based intervention to promote the frequency and healthfulness of family meals, reduce children's sedentary behavior, and prevent obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flattum, Colleen; Draxten, Michelle; Horning, Melissa; Fulkerson, Jayne A; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne; Garwick, Ann; Kubik, Martha Y; Story, Mary

    2015-04-29

    Involvement in meal preparation and eating meals with one's family are associated with better dietary quality and healthy body weight for youth. Given the poor dietary quality of many youth, potential benefits of family meals for better nutritional intake and great variation in family meals, development and evaluation of interventions aimed at improving and increasing family meals are needed. This paper presents the design of key intervention components and process evaluation of a community-based program (Healthy Home Offerings via the Mealtime Environment (HOME) Plus) to prevent obesity. The HOME Plus intervention was part of a two-arm (intervention versus attention-only control) randomized-controlled trial. Ten monthly, two-hour sessions and five motivational/goal-setting telephone calls to promote healthy eating and increasing family meals were delivered in community-based settings in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN metropolitan area. The present study included 81 families (8-12 year old children and their parents) in the intervention condition. Process surveys were administered at the end of each intervention session and at a home visit after the intervention period. Chi-squares and t-tests were used for process survey analysis. The HOME Plus program was successfully implemented and families were highly satisfied. Parents and children reported that the most enjoyable component was cooking with their families, learning how to eat more healthfully, and trying new recipes/foods and cooking tips. Average session attendance across the ten months was high for families (68%) and more than half completed their home activities. Findings support the value of a community-based, family-focused intervention program to promote family meals, limit screen time, and prevent obesity. NCT01538615.

  20. A pilot study to monitor changes in spirometry and lung volume, following an exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), as part of a supported discharge program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cushen, Breda; McCormack, Niamh; Hennigan, Kerrie; Sulaiman, Imran; Costello, Richard W; Deering, Brenda

    2016-10-01

    One-third of patients with an exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease(COPD) are re-hospitalised at 90 days. Exacerbation recovery is associated with reductions in lung hyperinflation and improvements in symptoms and physical activity. We assessed the feasibility of monitoring these clinical parameters in the home. We hypothesised that the degree of change in spirometry and lung volumes differs between those who had an uneventful recovery and those who experienced a further exacerbation. Hospitalised patients with an acute exacerbation of COPD referred for a supported discharge program participated in the study. Spirometry and Inspiratory Vital Capacity(IVC) were measured in the home at Days 1, 14 and 42 post-discharge. Patients also completed Medical Research Council(MRC), Borg and COPD Assessment Test(CAT) scores and were provided with a tri-axial accelerometer. Any new exacerbation events were recorded. Sixty-five patients with 72 exacerbation episodes were recruited. Fifty percent experienced a second exacerbation. Adequate IVC measurements were achieved by 90%, while only 70% completed spirometry. Uneventful recovery was accompanied by significant improvements in physiological measurements at day14, improved symptom scores and step count, p volumes, symptoms and step count following a COPD exacerbation may help to identify patients at risk of re-exacerbation. It is feasible to carry out these assessments in the home as part of a supported discharge programme. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Post discharge issues identified by a call-back program: identifying improvement opportunities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ojeda, Patricia I; Kara, Areeba

    2017-12-01

    The period following discharge from the hospital is one of heightened vulnerability. Discharge instructions serve as a guide during this transition. Yet, clinicians receive little feedback on the quality of this document that ties into the patients' experience. We reviewed the issues voiced by discharged patients via a call-back program and compared them to the discharge instructions they had received. At our institution, patients receive an automated call forty-eight hours following discharge inquiring about progress. If indicated by the response to the call, they are directed to a nurse who assists with problem solving. We reviewed the nursing documentation of these encounters for a period of nine months. The issues voiced were grouped into five categories: communication, medications, durable medical equipment/therapies, follow up and new or ongoing symptoms. The discharge instructions given to each patient were reviewed. We retrieved data on the number of discharges from each specialty from the hospital over the same period. A total of 592 patients voiced 685 issues. The numbers of patients discharged from medical or surgical services identified as having issues via the call-back line paralleled the proportions discharged from medical and surgical services from the hospital during the same period. Nearly a quarter of the issues discussed had been addressed in the discharge instructions. The most common category of issues was related to communication deficits including missing or incomplete information which made it difficult for the patient to enact or understand the plan of care. Medication prescription related issues were the next most common. Resource barriers and questions surrounding medications were often unaddressed. Post discharge issues affect patients discharged from all services equally. Data from call back programs may provide actionable targets for improvement, identify the inpatient team's 'blind spots' and be used to provide feedback to clinicians.

  2. Ostomy Home Skills Program

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Medical Student Core Curriculum ACS/ASE Medical Student Simulation-Based Surgical Skills Curriculum Cancer Education Cancer Education ... Home Skills Kit supports patients with educational and simulation materials to learn and practice the skills needed ...

  3. Trajectories of health-related quality of life among family caregivers of individuals with dementia: A home-based caregiver-training program matters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuo, Li-Min; Huang, Huei-Ling; Liang, Jersey; Kwok, Yam-Ting; Hsu, Wen-Chuin; Liu, Chin-Yi; Shyu, Yea-Ing L

    To determine distinct courses of change in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among family caregivers of individuals with dementia and how participating in a home-based caregiver-training program affects the probability of belonging to each course. Sixty three caregivers were in the intervention group, and 66 caregivers were in the control group of a single-blinded randomized clinical trial. Two distinct trajectories of HRQoL were identified: a well-functioning trajectory and a poor-functioning trajectory. Caregivers who received the training program were more likely than those who did not have a well-functioning trajectory of HRQoL over 18 months. This trajectory included bodily pain (b = 1.02, odds ratio [OR] = 2.76), general health perception (b = 1.28, OR = 3.60), social functioning (b = 1.12, OR = 3.05), vitality (b = 1.51, OR = 4.49), general mental health (b = 1.08, OR = 2.94), and mental component summary (b = 1.27, OR = 3.55). Home-based caregiver training can be considered as part of the protocol for managing patients with dementia and their caregivers. NCT02667951. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Predictors of Home Care Expenditures and Death at Home for Cancer Patients in an Integrated Comprehensive Palliative Home Care Pilot Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howell, Doris M.; Abernathy, Tom; Cockerill, Rhonda; Brazil, Kevin; Wagner, Frank; Librach, Larry

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: Empirical understanding of predictors for home care service use and death at home is important for healthcare planning. Few studies have examined these predictors in the context of the publicly funded Canadian home care system. This study examined predictors for home care use and home death in the context of a “gold standard” comprehensive palliative home care program pilot in Ontario where patients had equal access to home care services. Methods: Secondary clinical and administrative data sources were linked using a unique identifier to examine multivariate factors (predisposing, enabling, need) on total home care expenditures and home death for a cohort of cancer patients enrolled in the HPCNet pilot. Results: Subjects with gastrointestinal symptoms (OR: 1.64; p=0.03) and those with higher income had increased odds of dying at home (OR: 1.14; phome care expenditures. Conclusions: Predictors of home death found in earlier studies appeared less important in this comprehensive palliative home care pilot. An income effect for home death observed in this study requires examination in future controlled studies. Relevance: Access to palliative home care that is adequately resourced and organized to address the multiple domains of issues that patients/families experience at the end of life has the potential to enable home death and shift care appropriately from limited acute care resources. PMID:22294993

  5. The impact of a Caribbean home-visiting child development program on cognitive skills

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Janssens, W.; Rosemberg, C.

    2014-01-01

    This paper provides a short-term impact evaluation of a home-visiting Early Child Development (ECD) program in the Caribbean aimed at vulnerable children from birth to three years. The analysis is based on a quasi-experimental research design including approximately four hundred children in

  6. The process associated with motivation of a home-based Wii Fit exercise program among sedentary African American women with systemic lupus erythematosus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuen, Hon K; Breland, Hazel L; Vogtle, Laura K; Holthaus, Katy; Kamen, Diane L; Sword, David

    2013-01-01

    To explore the process associated with the motivation for playing Wii Fit among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Individual in-depth semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 14 sedentary African American women with SLE to explore their experiences and reflect on their motivation for playing Wii Fit after completing a 10-week home-based Wii Fit exercise program. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using the constant comparative method to identify categories related to participants' motivation. Three authors independently sorted, organized and coded transcript text into categories, then combined the categories into themes and subthemes. In addition to the two themes (Ethical principal of keeping a commitment, and Don't want to let anyone down) generic to home-based exercise trials, we identified five themes (Enjoyment, Health Benefits, Sense of Accomplishment, Convenience, and Personalized) that revealed why the participants were motivated to play the Wii Fit. Enjoyment had three subthemes: Interactive, Challenging, and Competitive with an embedded social element. However, several participants commented they were not able to do many activities, master certain games, or figure out how to play some; as a result, they were bored with the limited selection of activities that they could do. The motivational elements of the Wii Fit may contribute to improved exercise motivation and adherence in select sedentary African American women with SLE. Results provide a better understanding on the important elements to incorporate in the development of sustainable home-based exercise programs with interactive health video games for this population. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Home Economics/Health Grades 6-12. Program Evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Des Moines Public Schools, IA. Teaching and Learning Div.

    Home economics programs are offered to students in grades 6-12 in the Des Moines INdependent Community School District (Iowa). Programs at the middle school level are exploratory, leading to occupational training in family and consumer science, child care, food service, and textile and fashion arts at the high school level. Health education…

  8. [Third phase of cardiac rehabilitation: a nurse-based "home-control" model].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albertini, Sara; Ciocca, Antonella; Opasich, Cristina; Pinna, Gian Domenico; Cobelli, Franco

    2011-12-01

    Phase 3 is a critical point for cardiac rehabilitation: many problems don't allow achieving a correct secondary prevention, in particular regarding the relationship between patient and cardiologist. Aiming at ensuring continuity of care of phase 3 cardiac rehabilitation patients, we have developed a telemetric educational program to stimulate in them the will and capacity to become active comanagers of their disease. Nurses specialized in cardiac rehabilitation, with the collaboration of the general practitioners, contact the patients by scheduled phone calls to collect questionnaires about their health status and the result of biochemistry. All the results are analyzed by the nurses and discussed with each patient (educational reinforcement). The effects of this program of comanagement of cardiac disease and secondary prevention are analyzed comparing each patient data at the discharge with data after one year and those coming from our archive (retrospective analysis). The patients enrolled in this study pay much more attention to the amount of food they eat; they tend not to gain weight, and they restart smoking in a reduced proportion compared to patients not enrolled in the study. However, despite having received better information on their cardiac disease, their compliance to physical training, consumption of healthy food, and pharmacological therapy is not improved. This study focuses on the role of a continuous educational program of a cardiac rehabilitation unit after the patient's discharge. This home control program conducted by nurses specialized in cardiac rehabilitation, with the assistance of cardiologists, psychologists and physiotherapists, and in collaboration with the general practitioner, was quite cheap, and helped maximizing the knowledge of the disease and reinforcing correct life style in the patients. The results are not as good as expected, probably because one year does not represent a sufficient time, or because the educational

  9. Individualized guidance and telephone monitoring in a self-supervised home-based physiotherapeutic program in Parkinson

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ihana Thaís Guerra de Oliveira Gondim

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction: Home therapeutic exercises have been a target of interest in the treatment of the Parkinson's disease (PD. The way that the physical therapist guides and monitors these exercises can impact the success of therapy. Objective: To evaluate the effects of individualized orientation and monitoring by telephone in a self-supervised home therapeutic exercise program on signs and symptoms of PD and quality of life (QoL. Methods: Single-blind randomized clinical trials with 28 people with PD (Hoehn and Yahr 1 to 3. Patients were randomized into two groups: experimental and control. The experimental group had a meeting with individualized guidance about physiotherapy exercises present in a manual, received the manual to guide their activities at home and obtained subsequent weekly monitoring by telephone. The control group received the usual cares by the service. Both were orientated to carry out exercises three times a week during 12 weeks. Was evaluated: (1 activities of daily living (ADL and motor examination sections of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS and QoL by the Parkinson Disease Questionnaire 39 (PDQ-39. The analysis between groups was performed by the Mann-Whitney test and intragroup through the Wilcoxon (p < 0.05. Results: Significant improvement in ADL (p= 0.001 and motor examination (p= 0.0008 of the UPDRS, PDQ-39 total (p = 0.027 and dimensions mobility (p = 0.027, emotional well-being (p= 0.021 and bodily discomfort (p = 0.027 in the experimental group compared to the control group. Conclusion: The individualized guidance and weekly monitoring by telephone in a self-supervised home therapeutic exercises program promoted positive effects on ADL, motor examination and QoL of people in early stages of PD.

  10. Impact of a telecare service for psichyatric patients at discharge

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sofía Martínez Villar

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Suicide and self harm are two of the mental health problems that require more healthcare attention. When psychiatric patients are discharged back to their homes, must face multiple stress factors, which in many cases, are cause of readmissions, self harm and suicide. Objective: The aim of this study to assess whether a program of nursing telecare improves the adaptation of patient with risk of suicide and self harm at home. Methods: The design of this study is an experimental trial type, which generates two cohorts, an intervention one and a control one. The population of the study are patients diagnosed a major depression or borderline, antisocial, or histrionic personality disorder, admitted in the hospital because of symptom decompensation, and with a nursing diagnosis of risk of suicide, risk of self-harming and risk for self-directed violence. To data recollection, the levels of anxiety, suicidal ideation and the confrontation level at discharge and one month after discharge, the number of psychiatric emergency visits, number of readmissions and number of appointments to which the patient attended at the Mental Health Centre during the month at home, as well as the adherence to medication will be assessed. For the data analysis, the homogeneity of the groups will be eveluated, to then undertake a descriptive study of two cohorts, and then an analytical study for comparison.

  11. A Home Training Program for Young Mentally Ill Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doernberg, Nanette; And Others

    To develop a meaningful intervention for waiting list families and their preschool emotionally disturbed children, a home training program for the parent and child was initiated. The focus of the program was on productive cooperation between parents and professionals. During a period of 2 years, 45 families completed the program. The program…

  12. Safe start at home: what parents of newborns need after early discharge from hospital - a focus group study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurth, Elisabeth; Krähenbühl, Katrin; Eicher, Manuela; Rodmann, Susanne; Fölmli, Luzia; Conzelmann, Cornelia; Zemp, Elisabeth

    2016-03-08

    The length of postpartum hospital stay is decreasing internationally. Earlier hospital discharge of mothers and newborns decreases postnatal care or transfers it to the outpatient setting. This study aimed to investigate the experiences of new parents and examine their views on care following early hospital discharge. Six focus group discussions with new parents (n = 24) were conducted. A stratified sampling scheme of German and Turkish-speaking groups was employed. A 'playful design' method was used to facilitate participants communication wherein they used blocks and figurines to visualize their perspectives on care models The visualized constructions of care models were photographed and discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Text and visual data was thematically analyzed by a multi-professional group and findings were validated by the focus group participants. Following discharge, mothers reported feeling physically strained during recuperating from birth and initiating breastfeeding. The combined requirements of infant and self-care needs resulted in a significant need for practical and medical support. Families reported challenges in accessing postnatal care services and lacking inter-professional coordination. The visualized models of ideal care comprised access to a package of postnatal care including monitoring, treating and caring for the health of the mother and newborn. This included home visits from qualified midwives, access to a 24-h helpline, and domestic support for household tasks. Participants suggested that improving inter-professional networks, implementing supervisors or a centralized coordinating center could help to remedy the current fragmented care. After hospital discharge, new parents need practical support, monitoring and care. Such support is important for the health and wellbeing of the mother and child. Integrated care services including professional home visits and a 24-hour help line may help meet the needs of

  13. The effect of adding a home program to weekly institutional-based therapy for children with undefined developmental delay: a pilot randomized clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Mei-Hua; Lin, Chin-Kai; Lin, Wen-Hsien; Chen, Chao-Huei; Tsai, Sen-Wei; Chang, Yin-Yi

    2011-06-01

    Early rehabilitation for children with developmental delay without a defined etiology have included home and clinic programs, but no comparisons have been made and efficacy is uncertain. We compared a weekly visit for institutional-based therapy (IT) to IT plus a structured home activity program (HAP). Seventy children who were diagnosed with motor or global developmental delay (ages 6-48 months and mean developmental age 12.5 months) without defined etiology were recruited (including 45 males and 23 females). The outcomes included the comprehensive developmental inventory for infants and toddlers test and the pediatric evaluation of disability inventory. Children who received only IT improved in developmental level by 2.11 months compared with 3.11 months for those who received a combination of IT and HAP (p = 0.000). On all domains of the comprehensive developmental inventory for infants and toddlers test, except for self-help, children who participated in HAP showed greater improvements, including in cognition (p = 0.015), language (p = 0.010), motor (p = 0.000), and social (p = 0.038) domains. Except on the subdomain of self-care with caregiver assistance, the HAP group showed greater improvement in all the pediatric evaluation of disability inventory subdomains (p < 0.05). Early intervention programs are helpful for these children, and the addition of structured home activity programs may augment the effects on developmental progression. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  14. 77 FR 60128 - Noncompetitive Supplements to Nursing Assistant and Home Health Aide Program Grantees

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-10-02

    ... Noncompetitive Supplements to Nursing Assistant and Home Health Aide Program Grantees AGENCY: Health Resources... expansion supplements of $100,000 to 10 Nursing Assistant and Home Health Aide (NAHHA) Program grantees to... Management; Care Coordination and Follow Up; and Behavioral Health and Social Support for Home Health Aides...

  15. [Organising a successful return home].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mézière, Anthony

    Discharge from hospital is a major component of the quality and efficiency of the healthcare system. The failures of the return home of elderly people testify to the difficulties of applying guidelines in the area of hospital discharge. The action plan decided in the hospital for a successful return home can be jeopardised for personal, relational, functional and structural reasons originating from the different players involved in the hospital discharge. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  16. Home-based COPD psychoeducation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bove, D G; Midtgaard, J; Kaldan, G

    2017-01-01

    in reducing symptoms of anxiety and increasing mastery of dyspnoea in patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, we do not know if the intervention is perceived as meaningful and applicable in the everyday life of patients with advanced COPD. METHODS: We conducted a nested......OBJECTIVE: To explore the patients' experiences of a minimal home-based psychoeducative intervention aimed at reducing symptoms of anxiety. BACKGROUND: In a randomised controlled trial (RCT) we have shown that a minimal home-based and nurse-led psychoeducative intervention has a significant effect...... post-trial qualitative study. The study methodology was Interpretive Description as described by Thorne. The study was based on semi-structured interviews with twenty patients from the RCT intervention group i.g. home-living people with a diagnosis of advanced COPD and symptoms of anxiety. RESULTS...

  17. Gym-based exercise was more costly compared with home-based exercise with telephone support when used as maintenance programs for adults with chronic health conditions: cost-effectiveness analysis of a randomised trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul Jansons

    2018-01-01

    Registration: ACTRN12610001035011. [Jansons P, Robins L, O’Brien L, Haines T (2018 Gym-based exercise was more costly compared with home-based exercise with telephone support when used as maintenance programs for adults with chronic health conditions: cost-effectiveness analysis of a randomised trial. Journal of Physiotherapy 64: 48–54

  18. A home-based, carer-enhanced exercise program improves balance and falls efficacy in community-dwelling older people with dementia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Morag E; Lord, Stephen R; Brodaty, Henry; Kurrle, Susan E; Hamilton, Sarah; Ramsay, Elisabeth; Webster, Lyndell; Payne, Narelle L; Close, Jacqueline C T

    2017-01-01

    Older people with dementia are at increased risk of physical decline and falls. Balance and mood are significant predictors of falls in this population. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a tailored home-based exercise program in community-dwelling older people with dementia. Forty-two participants with mild to moderate dementia were recruited from routine health services. All participants were offered a six-month home-based, carer-enhanced, progressive, and individually tailored exercise program. Physical activity, quality of life, physical, and psychological assessments were administered at the beginning and end of the trial. Of 33 participants (78.6%) who completed the six-month reassessment ten (30%) reported falls and six (18%) multiple falls during the follow-up period. At reassessment, participants had better balance (sway on floor and foam), reduced concern about falls, increased planned physical activity, but worse knee extension strength and no change in depression scores. The average adherence to the prescribed exercise sessions was 45% and 22 participants (52%) were still exercising at trial completion. Those who adhered to ≥70% of prescribed sessions had significantly better balance at reassessment compared with those who adhered to balance, concern about falls, and planned physical activity in community-dwelling older people with dementia. Future research should determine whether exercise interventions are effective in reducing falls and elucidate strategies for enhancing uptake and adherence in this population.

  19. Delirium During Postacute Nursing Home Admission and Risk for Adverse Outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kosar, Cyrus M; Thomas, Kali S; Inouye, Sharon K; Mor, Vincent

    2017-07-01

    To identify the rate of delirium present during admission to postacute care (PAC) in the nursing home setting and to determine whether patients with delirium had higher risk for adverse outcomes. Retrospective cohort study. US Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes, 2011 to 2014. Individuals admitted to all US nursing homes for PAC, aged ≥65 years, and without prior history of nursing home residence (n = 5,588,702). Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 admission assessments identified delirium based upon Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) items. Robust Poisson regression was used to calculate adjusted relative risks (aRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for death following PAC admission, and for 30-day discharge outcomes including re-hospitalization from PAC, discharge home, and functional improvement. Delirium was identified in 4.3% of new postacute nursing home admissions. Mortality within 30 days of PAC admission was observed in 16.3% of patients with delirium and 5.8% of patients without delirium (aRR = 2.27, CI = 2.24-2.30). The rate of 30-day readmission from PAC was 21.3% for patients with delirium compared with 15.1% among patients without delirium (aRR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.40, 1.43). 26.9% of patients with delirium were discharged home within 30 days of admission compared to 52.5% of patients without delirium (aRR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.57, 0.58). 48.9% of patients with delirium showed functional improvement at discharge compared to 59.9% of patients without delirium (aRR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.82, 0.83). Patients with delirium present upon PAC admission were at high risk for mortality and 30-day re-hospitalization and were less likely to have timely discharge to home or to improve in physical function at discharge. Early identification and care planning for individuals with delirium at PAC admission may be essential to improve outcomes. © 2017, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2017, The American Geriatrics Society.

  20. Being back home after intermediate care

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Martinsen, Bente; Harder, Ingegerd; Norlyk, Annelise

    2015-01-01

    Older people may face many challenges and experience insecurity after discharge from hospital to home. To bridge the potential gap between general hospital and home, the concept ‘Intermediate Care’ (IC) was developed at the beginning of 2000. IC aims to safeguard older people from being discharge...

  1. Home-based nursing interventions improve knowledge of disease and management in patients with heart failure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karina de Oliveira Azzolin

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: to assess patient knowledge of heart failure by home-based measurement of two NOC Nursing Outcomes over a six-month period and correlate mean outcome indicator scores with mean scores of a heart failure Knowledge Questionnaire.METHODS: in this before-and-after study, patients with heart failure received four home visits over a six-month period after hospital discharge. At each home visit, nursing interventions were implemented, NOC outcomes were assessed, and the Knowledge Questionnaire was administered.RESULTS: overall, 23 patients received home visits. Mean indicator scores for the outcome Knowledge: Medication were 2.27±0.14 at home visit 1 and 3.55±0.16 at home visit 4 (P<0.001; and, for the outcome Knowledge: Treatment Regimen, 2.33±0.13 at home visit 1 and 3.59±0.14 at home visit 4 (P<0.001. The correlation between the Knowledge Questionnaire and the Nursing Outcomes Classification scores was strong at home visit 1 (r=0.7, P<0.01, but weak and non significant at visit 4.CONCLUSION: the results show improved patient knowledge of heart failure and a strong correlation between Nursing Outcomes Classification indicator scores and Knowledge Questionnaire scores. The NOC Nursing Outcomes proved effective as knowledge assessment measures when compared with the validated instrument.

  2. A Home-Based Exercise Program Driven by Tablet Application and Mobility Monitoring for Frail Older Adults: Feasibility and Practical Implications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geraedts, Hilde A E; Zijlstra, Wiebren; Zhang, Wei; Spoorenberg, Sophie L W; Báez, Marcos; Far, Iman Khaghani; Baldus, Heribert; Stevens, Martin

    2017-02-02

    Stimulation of a physically active lifestyle among older adults is essential to health and well-being. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and user opinion of a home-based exercise program supported by a sensor and tablet application for frail older adults. Community-dwelling older adults (aged ≥70 y) living in The Netherlands were recruited in 2014. Participants exercised 3 months with and 3 months without supervision from a remote coach. Feasibility was operationalized as adherence to exercise (percentage of 5 exercise bouts per week completed) and to wearing the sensor (with 70% defined as sufficient adherence) and the number of problems reported. User opinion was measured with a questionnaire addressing ease of use of the technology and opinion on the program. Twenty-one of 40 enrolled participants completed the trial. Adherence overall was 60.9% (average of 3 bouts per week). Adherence among completers (69.2%) was significantly higher than adherence among dropouts (49.9%). Adherence was sufficient among completers during the 3 months of supervision (75.8%). Adherence to wearing the sensor was 66.7% and was significantly higher among completers than among dropouts (75.7% vs 54.2%). The rate of incidents was significantly lower among completers than among dropouts (0.4 vs 1.2 incidents per participant per week). Connectivity-related incidents were prominent. On a scale of 1 to 5, completers gave ratings of 4.3 (after 3 months) and 4.2 (after 6 months). A home-based exercise program using novel technology seems feasible when participants are given a stable internet connection. This program shows promise for stimulating physical activity among older frail adults, especially if it offers regular coaching.

  3. Effectiveness of the home-based alcohol prevention program "In control: No alcohol!": study protocol of a randomized controlled trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Verdurmen Jacqueline EE

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In the Netherlands, children start to drink at an early age; of the Dutch 12-year olds, 40% reports lifetime alcohol use, while 9.7% reports last-month drinking. Starting to drink at an early age puts youth at risk of developing several alcohol-related problems later in life. Recently, a home-based prevention program called "In control: No alcohol!" was developed to delay the age of alcohol onset in children. The main aim of this project is to conduct a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Methods/Design The prevention program will be tested with an RCT among mothers and their 6 grade primary school children (11-12 years old, randomly assigned to the prevention or control condition. The program consists of five printed magazines and an activity book designed to improve parental alcohol-specific socialization. Parent-child dyads in the control group receive a factsheet information brochure, which is the standard alcohol brochure of the Trimbos Institute (the Netherlands Institute for Mental Health and Addiction. Outcome measures are initiation of alcohol use (have been drinking at least one glass of alcohol, alcohol-specific parenting, susceptibility to drinking alcohol, alcohol expectancies, self-efficacy, and frequency and intensity of child alcohol use. Questionnaires will be administered online on secured Internet webpages, with personal login codes for both mothers and children. Mothers and children in both the experimental and control condition will be surveyed at baseline and after 6, 12, and 18 months (follow-ups. Discussion The present study protocol presents the design of an RCT evaluating the effectiveness of the home-based "In control: No alcohol!" program for 6 grade primary school children (11-12 years old. It is hypothesized that children in the prevention condition will be less likely to have their first glass of alcohol, compared to the control condition. When the

  4. MUAC as admission and/or discharge criteria in nutritional programs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cohuet, Sandra

    2014-01-01

    Background and objectives: The World Health Organization [WHO] has endorsed mid-upper arm circumference [MUAC] as an independent admission criterion to therapeutic feeding programs [TFP] for children 6-59 months old with severe acute malnutrition. However WHO still recommends weight gain to assess nutritional recovery due to lack of evidence. Here we report on nutritional recovery as assessed by weight gain and MUAC for a large TFP using MUAC < 120 mm as the admission criterion and compare program outcomes for both discharge criteria. Methods: We analyzed data of patients admitted in a TFP in Burkina Faso between 2007 and 2011. From September 2007 – March 2009 [Period A] recovery was defined by 15% weight gain based on admission weight. From April 2009 – December 2011 [Period B] recovery was achieved at MUAC ≥ 124 mm, with a 4 week minimum stay. Results: 50,841 children were admitted with MUAC < 120 mm. Median age was 13 months. Ninety percent of all admissions recovered: 22,094 (89.1%) during period A and 23,865 (91.6%) during period B. Average length of stay [ALS] for children recovered during period A was 53.9 days compared to 37.0 for those recovered over period B. During period A, ALS was paradoxically shorter for the most malnourished. During period B, ALS was inversely related to MUAC at admission and anthropometry upon discharge was similar across all MUAC admission categories for both MUAC and weight-for-height Z score [WHZ]. Conclusion: MUAC ≥ 124 mm is a superior criterion to assess nutritional recovery in this cohort. Its use allocates program resources more efficiently. (author)

  5. 77 FR 69550 - Proposed Information Collection (Patient Satisfaction Survey Michael E. DeBakey Home Care Program...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-11-19

    ... (Patient Satisfaction Survey Michael E. DeBakey Home Care Program) Activity: Comment Request AGENCY.... DeBakey Home Care Program. DATES: Written comments and recommendations on the proposed collection of...: Patient Satisfaction Survey Michael E. DeBakey Home Care Program, VA Form 10-0476. OMB Control Number...

  6. 78 FR 9936 - Federal Housing Administration (FHA): PowerSaver Home Energy Retrofit Loan Pilot Program...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-02-12

    ... Administration (FHA): PowerSaver Home Energy Retrofit Loan Pilot Program: Extension of Pilot Program AGENCY...: On March 31, 2011, HUD published a notice that announced HUD's FHA Home Energy Retrofit Loan Pilot Program (Retrofit Pilot Program) known as FHA PowerSaver, which is a pilot program conducted for loans...

  7. Adherence to and effectiveness of an individually tailored home-based exercise program for frail older adults, driven by mobility monitoring : design of a prospective cohort study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Geraedts, Hilde A. E.; Zijlstra, Wiebren; Zhang, Wei; Bulstra, Sjoerd; Stevens, Martin

    2014-01-01

    Background: With the number of older adults in society rising, frailty becomes an increasingly prevalent health condition. Regular physical activity can prevent functional decline and reduce frailty symptoms. In particular, home-based exercise programs can be beneficial in reducing frailty of older

  8. Home programs for upper extremity recovery post-stroke: a survey of occupational therapy practitioners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donoso Brown, Elena V; Fichter, Renae

    2017-12-01

    Upper extremity hemiparesis is an impairment post-stroke that impacts quality of life. Home programs are an intervention strategy used by many occupational therapists to support continued motor recovery post-stroke, yet little is known about how these programs are designed and implemented. The purpose of this study was to describe how occupational therapy practitioners approach this task and specifically what strategies they use to support adherence and what types of technology are most commonly used. An on-line survey methodology was used. Participants were recruited through multiple sources including state associations and occupational therapy educational program directors. A total of 73 occupational therapy practitioners submitted complete surveys. It was found that majority of occupational therapy practitioners in the sample (n = 53) reported creating home programs focused on upper extremity motor recovery more than 80% of the time. Range of motion and strengthening were reported as being in the top three most commonly used interventions by more than half the sample, however incorporating clients' goals and interests were reported most often as strategies to create meaning in the home program. Respondents also reported limited incorporation of technology and strategies to support adherence. Personal motivation was reported by occupational therapy practitioners to be a key moderator of adherence to a home program. Occupational therapy practitioners often provide home programs for individuals post-stroke focusing on upper extremity function. Future research that aims to understand stakeholders' perspectives on home programs and determine effective strategies for ensuring adherence is needed.

  9. Occupational therapists' views on using a virtual reality interior design application within the pre-discharge home visit process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atwal, Anita; Money, Arthur; Harvey, Michele

    2014-12-18

    A key role of Occupational Therapists (OTs) is to carry out pre-discharge home visits (PHV) and propose appropriate adaptations to the home environment in order to enable patients to function independently after hospital discharge. However, research shows that more than 50% of specialist equipment installed as part of home adaptations is not used by patients. A key reason for this is that decisions about home adaptations are often made without adequate collaboration and consultation with the patient. Consequently, there is an urgent need to seek out new and innovative uses of technology to facilitate patient/practitioner collaboration, engagement, and shared decision making in the PHV process. Virtual reality interior design applications (VRIDAs) primarily allow users to simulate the home environment and visualize changes prior to implementing them. Customized VRIDAs, which also model specialist occupational therapy equipment, could become a valuable tool to facilitate improved patient/practitioner collaboration, if developed effectively and integrated into the PHV process. The intent of the study was to explore the perceptions of OTs with regard to using VRIDAs as an assistive tool within the PHV process. Task-oriented interactive usability sessions, utilizing the think-aloud protocol and subsequent semi-structured interviews were carried out with seven OTs who possessed significant experience across a range of clinical settings. Template analysis was carried out on the think-aloud and interview data. Analysis was both inductive and driven by theory, centering around the parameters that impact upon the acceptance, adoption, and use of this technology in practice as indicated by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). OTs' perceptions were identified relating to three core themes: (1) perceived usefulness (PU), (2) perceived ease of use (PEoU), and (3) actual use (AU). Regarding PU, OTs believed VRIDAs had promising potential to increase understanding, enrich

  10. Occupational Therapists’ Views on Using a Virtual Reality Interior Design Application Within the Pre-Discharge Home Visit Process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atwal, Anita

    2014-01-01

    Background A key role of Occupational Therapists (OTs) is to carry out pre-discharge home visits (PHV) and propose appropriate adaptations to the home environment in order to enable patients to function independently after hospital discharge. However, research shows that more than 50% of specialist equipment installed as part of home adaptations is not used by patients. A key reason for this is that decisions about home adaptations are often made without adequate collaboration and consultation with the patient. Consequently, there is an urgent need to seek out new and innovative uses of technology to facilitate patient/practitioner collaboration, engagement, and shared decision making in the PHV process. Virtual reality interior design applications (VRIDAs) primarily allow users to simulate the home environment and visualize changes prior to implementing them. Customized VRIDAs, which also model specialist occupational therapy equipment, could become a valuable tool to facilitate improved patient/practitioner collaboration, if developed effectively and integrated into the PHV process. Objective The intent of the study was to explore the perceptions of OTs with regard to using VRIDAs as an assistive tool within the PHV process. Methods Task-oriented interactive usability sessions, utilizing the think-aloud protocol and subsequent semi-structured interviews were carried out with seven OTs who possessed significant experience across a range of clinical settings. Template analysis was carried out on the think-aloud and interview data. Analysis was both inductive and driven by theory, centering around the parameters that impact upon the acceptance, adoption, and use of this technology in practice as indicated by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Results OTs’ perceptions were identified relating to three core themes: (1) perceived usefulness (PU), (2) perceived ease of use (PEoU), and (3) actual use (AU). Regarding PU, OTs believed VRIDAs had promising potential

  11. Home-Based Palliative Care Program Relieves Chronic Pain in Kerala, India: Success Realized Through Patient, Family Narratives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ajjarapu, Aparna Sai; Broderick, Ann

    2018-06-14

    An estimated 1.5 billion people across the globe live with chronic pain, and an estimated 61 million people worldwide experience unrelieved serious health-related suffering. One-sixth of the global population lives in India, where approximately 10 million people endure unrelieved serious health-related suffering. The state of Kerala is home to Pallium India, one of the most sophisticated palliative care programs in the country. This private organization in Trivandrum provides palliative and hospice care to underresourced populations and emphasizes holistic pain treatment. The current project features the pain stories of six patients who received treatment from Pallium India. Basic patient demographic information was collected, and a Pallium India staff member who was fluent in Malayalam and English asked questions about each patient's pain experience. Pain narratives illustrate the substantial impact of Pallium India's home visit program and the role of total pain assessment in delivering high-quality palliative care.

  12. Design and development of a mobile exercise application for home care aides and older adult medicaid home and community-based clients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Danilovich, Margaret K; Diaz, Laura; Saberbein, Gustavo; Healey, William E; Huber, Gail; Corcos, Daniel M

    2017-01-01

    We describe a community-engaged approach with Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS), home care aide (HCA), client, and physical therapist stakeholders to develop a mobile application (app) exercise intervention through focus groups and interviews. Participants desired a short exercise program with modification capabilities, goal setting, and mechanisms to track progress. Concerns regarding participation were training needs and feasibility within usual care services. Technological preferences were for simple, easy-to-use, and engaging content. The app was piloted with HCA-client dyads (n = 5) to refine the intervention and evaluate content. Engaging stakeholders in intervention development provides valuable user-feedback on both desired exercise program contents and mobile technology preferences for HCBS recipients.

  13. 78 FR 6851 - Proposed Information Collection (Patient Satisfaction Survey Michael E. DeBakey Home Care Program...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-31

    ... (Patient Satisfaction Survey Michael E. DeBakey Home Care Program) Activity: Comment Request AGENCY... Satisfaction Survey Michael E. DeBakey Home Care Program, VA Form 10-0476. OMB Control Number: 2900-0775. Type... home care program staff. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond...

  14. Effect of Home Care Nursing on Patients Discharged From Hospital With Self-Reported Signs of Constipation: A Randomized Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konradsen, Hanne; Rasmussen, Marie Louise Thiese; Noiesen, Eline; Trosborg, Ingelise

    Constipation is a common health problem in relation to hospitalization. This randomized controlled trial aimed to investigate whether advice from a home care nurse after discharge had an effect on self-reported signs of constipation. A total of 59 patients were included in the study on the basis of their self-reported signs of constipation evaluated using the Constipation Assessment Scale. Advice from the home care nurses was given on the intake of fiber and liquid and mobilization related to scorings on the Constipation Risk Assessment Scale, the administration of laxatives, and referral to a physician when needed. Results showed a tendency toward the visits being effective, but a more complex intervention might be needed.

  15. Brain injury - discharge

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000163.htm Brain injury - discharge To use the sharing features on ... know was in the hospital for a serious brain injury. At home, it will take time for ...

  16. Home-based nursing interventions improve knowledge of disease and management in patients with heart failure 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azzolin, Karina de Oliveira; Lemos, Dayanna Machado; Lucena, Amália de Fátima; Rabelo-Silva, Eneida Rejane

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: to assess patient knowledge of heart failure by home-based measurement of two NOC Nursing Outcomes over a six-month period and correlate mean outcome indicator scores with mean scores of a heart failure Knowledge Questionnaire. METHODS: in this before-and-after study, patients with heart failure received four home visits over a six-month period after hospital discharge. At each home visit, nursing interventions were implemented, NOC outcomes were assessed, and the Knowledge Questionnaire was administered. RESULTS: overall, 23 patients received home visits. Mean indicator scores for the outcome Knowledge: Medication were 2.27±0.14 at home visit 1 and 3.55±0.16 at home visit 4 (P<0.001); and, for the outcome Knowledge: Treatment Regimen, 2.33±0.13 at home visit 1 and 3.59±0.14 at home visit 4 (P<0.001). The correlation between the Knowledge Questionnaire and the Nursing Outcomes Classification scores was strong at home visit 1 (r=0.7, P<0.01), but weak and non significant at visit 4. CONCLUSION: the results show improved patient knowledge of heart failure and a strong correlation between Nursing Outcomes Classification indicator scores and Knowledge Questionnaire scores. The NOC Nursing Outcomes proved effective as knowledge assessment measures when compared with the validated instrument. PMID:25806630

  17. Hospital-acquired symptomatic urinary tract infection in patients admitted to an academic stroke center affects discharge disposition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ifejika-Jones, Nneka L; Peng, Hui; Noser, Elizabeth A; Francisco, Gerard E; Grotta, James C

    2013-01-01

    To test the role of hospital-acquired symptomatic urinary tract infection (SUTI) as an independent predictor of discharge disposition in the acute stroke patient. A retrospective study of data collected from a stroke registry service. The registry is maintained by the Specialized Programs of Translational Research in Acute Stroke Data Core. The Specialized Programs of Translational Research in Acute Stroke is a national network of 8 centers that perform early phase clinical projects, share data, and promote new approaches to therapy for acute stroke. A single university-based hospital. We performed a data query of the fields of interest from our university-based stroke registry, a collection of 200 variables collected prospectively for each patient admitted to the stroke service between July 2004 and October 2009, with discharge disposition of home, inpatient rehabilitation, skilled nursing facility, or long-term acute care. Baseline demographics, including age, gender, ethnicity, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, were collected. Cerebrovascular disease risk factors were used for independent risk assessment. Interaction terms were created between SUTI and known covariates, such as age, NIHSS, serum creatinine level, history of stroke, and urinary incontinence. Because patients who share discharge disposition tend to have similar length of hospitalization, we analyzed the effect of SUTI on the median length of stay for a correlation. Days in the intensive care unit and death were used to evaluate morbidity and mortality. By using multivariate logistic regression, the data were analyzed for differences in poststroke disposition among patients with SUTI. Of 4971 patients admitted to the University of Texas at Houston Stroke Service, 2089 were discharged to home, 1029 to inpatient rehabilitation, 659 to a skilled nursing facility, and 226 to a long-term acute care facility. Patients with an SUTI were 57% less likely to be discharged home

  18. The experience of being a participant in one's own care at discharge and at home, following a severe acute exacerbation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Ingrid Charlotte; Thomsen, Thora Grothe; Bruun, Poul

    2017-01-01

    described. Therefore, the aim of this part of a larger study was to explore patients' experiences of participating in their care around discharge and in their subsequent day-to-day care at home. METHOD: The study was designed as a qualitative, longitudinal study. Data were collected by repeated participant...... clarity and confidence to face self-management at home. At home, the patients strived to comply with advice and encouragement in a struggle to stay motivated and confident, and to ask for help. CONCLUSIONS: With more knowledge about patients' participation in care, healthcare professionals can encounter...

  19. Pollution Prevention through Peer Education: A Community Health Worker and Small and Home-Based Business Initiative on the Arizona-Sonora Border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramírez, Denise Moreno; Ramírez-Andreotta, Mónica D; Vea, Lourdes; Estrella-Sánchez, Rocío; Wolf, Ann Marie A; Kilungo, Aminata; Spitz, Anna H; Betterton, Eric A

    2015-09-09

    Government-led pollution prevention programs tend to focus on large businesses due to their potential to pollute larger quantities, therefore leaving a gap in programs targeting small and home-based businesses. In light of this gap, we set out to determine if a voluntary, peer education approach led by female, Hispanic community health workers (promotoras) can influence small and home-based businesses to implement pollution prevention strategies on-site. This paper describes a partnership between promotoras from a non-profit organization and researchers from a university working together to reach these businesses in a predominately Hispanic area of Tucson, Arizona. From 2008 to 2011, the promotora-led pollution prevention program reached a total of 640 small and home-based businesses. Program activities include technical trainings for promotoras and businesses, generation of culturally and language appropriate educational materials, and face-to-face peer education via multiple on-site visits. To determine the overall effectiveness of the program, surveys were used to measure best practices implemented on-site, perceptions towards pollution prevention, and overall satisfaction with the industry-specific trainings. This paper demonstrates that promotoras can promote the implementation of pollution prevention best practices by Hispanic small and home-based businesses considered "hard-to-reach" by government-led programs.

  20. Pollution Prevention through Peer Education: A Community Health Worker and Small and Home-Based Business Initiative on the Arizona-Sonora Border

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Denise Moreno Ramírez

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Government-led pollution prevention programs tend to focus on large businesses due to their potential to pollute larger quantities, therefore leaving a gap in programs targeting small and home-based businesses. In light of this gap, we set out to determine if a voluntary, peer education approach led by female, Hispanic community health workers (promotoras can influence small and home-based businesses to implement pollution prevention strategies on-site. This paper describes a partnership between promotoras from a non-profit organization and researchers from a university working together to reach these businesses in a predominately Hispanic area of Tucson, Arizona. From 2008 to 2011, the promotora-led pollution prevention program reached a total of 640 small and home-based businesses. Program activities include technical trainings for promotoras and businesses, generation of culturally and language appropriate educational materials, and face-to-face peer education via multiple on-site visits. To determine the overall effectiveness of the program, surveys were used to measure best practices implemented on-site, perceptions towards pollution prevention, and overall satisfaction with the industry-specific trainings. This paper demonstrates that promotoras can promote the implementation of pollution prevention best practices by Hispanic small and home-based businesses considered “hard-to-reach” by government-led programs.

  1. Pollution Prevention through Peer Education: A Community Health Worker and Small and Home-Based Business Initiative on the Arizona-Sonora Border

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreno Ramírez, Denise; Ramírez-Andreotta, Mónica D.; Vea, Lourdes; Estrella-Sánchez, Rocío; Wolf, Ann Marie A.; Kilungo, Aminata; Spitz, Anna H.; Betterton, Eric A.

    2015-01-01

    Government-led pollution prevention programs tend to focus on large businesses due to their potential to pollute larger quantities, therefore leaving a gap in programs targeting small and home-based businesses. In light of this gap, we set out to determine if a voluntary, peer education approach led by female, Hispanic community health workers (promotoras) can influence small and home-based businesses to implement pollution prevention strategies on-site. This paper describes a partnership between promotoras from a non-profit organization and researchers from a university working together to reach these businesses in a predominately Hispanic area of Tucson, Arizona. From 2008 to 2011, the promotora-led pollution prevention program reached a total of 640 small and home-based businesses. Program activities include technical trainings for promotoras and businesses, generation of culturally and language appropriate educational materials, and face-to-face peer education via multiple on-site visits. To determine the overall effectiveness of the program, surveys were used to measure best practices implemented on-site, perceptions towards pollution prevention, and overall satisfaction with the industry-specific trainings. This paper demonstrates that promotoras can promote the implementation of pollution prevention best practices by Hispanic small and home-based businesses considered “hard-to-reach” by government-led programs. PMID:26371028

  2. A Cost-Benefit Analysis of a State-Funded Healthy Homes Program for Residents With Asthma: Findings From the New York State Healthy Neighborhoods Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomez, Marta; Reddy, Amanda L; Dixon, Sherry L; Wilson, Jonathan; Jacobs, David E

    Despite considerable evidence that the economic and other benefits of asthma home visits far exceed their cost, few health care payers reimburse or provide coverage for these services. To evaluate the cost and savings of the asthma intervention of a state-funded healthy homes program. Pre- versus postintervention comparisons of asthma outcomes for visits conducted during 2008-2012. The New York State Healthy Neighborhoods Program operates in select communities with a higher burden of housing-related illness and associated risk factors. One thousand households with 550 children and 731 adults with active asthma; 791 households with 448 children and 551 adults with asthma events in the previous year. The program provides home environmental assessments and low-cost interventions to address asthma trigger-promoting conditions and asthma self-management. Conditions are reassessed 3 to 6 months after the initial visit. Program costs and estimated benefits from changes in asthma medication use, visits to the doctor for asthma, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations over a 12-month follow-up period. For the asthma event group, the per person savings for all medical encounters and medications filled was $1083 per in-home asthma visit, and the average cost of the visit was $302, for a benefit to program cost ratio of 3.58 and net benefit of $781 per asthma visit. For the active asthma group, per person savings was $613 per asthma visit, with a benefit to program cost ratio of 2.03 and net benefit of $311. Low-intensity, home-based, environmental interventions for people with asthma decrease the cost of health care utilization. Greater reductions are realized when services are targeted toward people with more poorly controlled asthma. While low-intensity approaches may produce more modest benefits, they may also be more feasible to implement on a large scale. Health care payers, and public payers in particular, should consider expanding coverage, at least for

  3. Alert management for home healthcare based on home automation analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Truong, T T; de Lamotte, F; Diguet, J-Ph; Said-Hocine, F

    2010-01-01

    Rising healthcare for elder and disabled people can be controlled by offering people autonomy at home by means of information technology. In this paper, we present an original and sensorless alert management solution which performs multimedia and home automation service discrimination and extracts highly regular home activities as sensors for alert management. The results of simulation data, based on real context, allow us to evaluate our approach before application to real data.

  4. Supported Discharge Teams for older people in hospital acute care: a randomised controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parsons, Matthew; Parsons, John; Rouse, Paul; Pillai, Avinesh; Mathieson, Sean; Parsons, Rochelle; Smith, Christine; Kenealy, Tim

    2018-03-01

    Supported Discharge Teams aim to help with the transition from hospital to home, whilst reducing hospital length-of-stay. Despite their obvious attraction, the evidence remains mixed, ranging from strong support for disease-specific interventions to less favourable results for generic services. To determine whether older people referred to a Supported Discharge Team have: (i) reduced length-of-stay in hospital; (ii) reduced risk of hospital readmission; and (iii) reduced healthcare costs. Randomised controlled trial with follow-up to 6 months; 103 older women and 80 men (n = 183) (mean age 79), in hospital, were randomised to receive either Supported Discharge Team or usual care. Home-based rehabilitation was delivered by trained Health Care Assistants up to four times a day, 7 days a week, under the guidance of registered nurses, allied health and geriatricians for up to 6 weeks. Participants randomised to the Supported Discharge Team spent less time in hospital during the index admission (mean 15.7 days) in comparison to usual care (mean 21.6 days) (mean difference 5.9: 95% CI 0.6, 11.3 days: P = 0.03) and spent less time in hospital in the 6 months following discharge home. Supported discharge group costs were calculated at mean NZ$10,836 (SD NZ$12,087) compared to NZ$16,943 (SD NZ$22,303) in usual care. A Supported Discharge Team can provide an effective means of discharging older people home early from hospital and can make a cost-effective contribution to managing increasing demand for hospital beds. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society.All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

  5. Building America Case Study: Whole-House Solutions for Existing Homes: Greenbelt Homes, Inc. Pilot Retrofit Program; Whole-House Solutions for Existing Homes, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    2015-06-01

    In the fall of 2010, a multiyear pilot energy efficiency retrofit project was undertaken by Greenbelt Homes, Inc, (GHI) a 1,566 home cooperative of circa 1930 and 1940 homes in Greenbelt, Maryland. GHI established this pilot project to serve as a basis for decision making for the rollout of a decade-long community-wide upgrade program that will incorporate energy efficiency improvements to the building envelope and mechanical equipment. With the community upgrade fully funded by the cooperative through their membership without outside subsidies, this project presents a unique opportunity to evaluate and prioritize the wide-range of benefits of high-performance retrofits based on member experience with and acceptance of the retrofit measures implemented during the pilot project. Addressing the complex interactions between benefits, trade-offs, construction methods, project management implications, realistic upfront costs, financing, and other considerations, serves as a case study for energy retrofit projects to include high-performance technologies based on the long-term value to the homeowner. The pilot project focused on identifying the added costs and energy savings benefits of improvements. Phase 1: baseline evaluation for a representative set of 28 homes sited in seven buildings; Phase 2: installation of the building envelope improvements and continued monitoring of the energy consumption for the heating season and energy simulations supporting recommendations for HVAC and water heating upgrades to be implemented in Phase 3.

  6. Feasibility of wear compensation in micro EDM milling based on discharge counting and discharge population characterization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bissacco, Giuliano; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard; Tristo, G.

    2011-01-01

    This paper investigates the applicability of real time wear compensation in micro EDM milling based on discharge counting and discharge population characterization. Experiments were performed involving discharge counting and tool electrode wear measurement in a wide range of process parameters...

  7. Medicare Home Health Services: A Difficult Program to Control

    Science.gov (United States)

    1981-09-25

    represent about one-third of all visits provided under the program. Family and friends altio provide similar services to the elderly and consequently...example, that the individual is to be confined to his or her home but that this does not necessarily mean that the patient is bedridden . At the same...34feebleness" and "insecurity" cannot be considered home- bound. We believe that in many cases (particularly for the elderly ) it would be extremely

  8. Effectiveness and experiences of families and support workers participating in peer-led parenting support programs delivered as home visiting programs: a comprehensive systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munns, Ailsa; Watts, Robin; Hegney, Desley; Walker, Roz

    2016-10-01

    using standardized data extraction tools from the JBI-MAStARI and the JBI-QARI, respectively, including qualitative and quantitative details about setting of interventions, phenomena of interest, participants, study methods and outcomes or findings. For quantitative findings, statistical pooling was not possible due to differences in interventions and outcome measures. Findings were presented in narrative form. Qualitative findings were aggregated into categories based on similarity of meaning from which synthesized findings were generated. Quantitative results from two RCTs demonstrated positive impacts of peer-led home visiting parent support programs including more positive parenting attitudes and beliefs, and more child preventative health care visits.Fifteen qualitative findings from two studies were aggregated into five categories from which two synthesized findings emerged. Parents and home visitors identified similar components as contributing to their program's success, these being quality of relationships between parents and home visitors with elements being mutual respect, trust and being valued within the partnership. In addition, home visitors identified importance of enabling strategies to develop relationships. They also needed supportive working environments with clinical staff and management. The current review indicates a positive impact of peer-led home visiting parent support programs, incorporating a framework of partnership between parents and home visitors, on mother-infant dyads. Positive changes in parenting attitudes and beliefs, and increased number of child preventative healthcare visits are supported by the quality of the relationship between parent and home visitor, and home visitors' working environments. The essential characteristics of an effective parent support program are strategies for relationship building between parents and home visitors; ongoing staff and home visitor education to enhance communication, collaboration and working

  9. Process Evaluation to Explore Internal and External Validity of the "Act in Case of Depression" Care Program in Nursing Homes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Leontjevas, R.; Gerritsen, D.L.; Koopmans, R.T.C.M.; Smalbrugge, M.; Vernooij-Dassen, M.F.J.

    2012-01-01

    Background: A multidisciplinary, evidence-based care program to improve the management of depression in nursing home residents was implemented and tested using a stepped-wedge design in 23 nursing homes (NHs): " Act in case of Depression" (AiD). Objective: Before effect analyses, to evaluate AiD

  10. Process evaluation to explore internal and external validity of the "Act in Case of Depression" care program in nursing homes.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Leontjevas, R.; Gerritsen, D.L.; Koopmans, R.T.C.M.; Smalbrugge, M.; Vernooij-Dassen, M.J.F.J.

    2012-01-01

    BACKGROUND: A multidisciplinary, evidence-based care program to improve the management of depression in nursing home residents was implemented and tested using a stepped-wedge design in 23 nursing homes (NHs): "Act in case of Depression" (AiD). OBJECTIVE: Before effect analyses, to evaluate AiD

  11. Long-term evaluation of home-based pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with COPD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grosbois JM

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Jean Marie Grosbois,1,2 Alice Gicquello,3 Carole Langlois,4 Olivier Le Rouzic,3 Frédéric Bart,2 Benoit Wallaert,2,3 Cécile Chenivesse5 1FormAction Santé, rue Pietralunga, Pérenchies, 2Service de Pneumologie, CH Béthune, 3Service de Pneumologie et Immunoallergologie, Centre des Compétences des Maladies Pulmonaires Rares, Hôpital Calmette, CHRU Lille, 4Unité de Biostatistiques, CHRU Lille, 5AP-HP, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière Charles Foix, Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Médicale, Boulevard de l’Hôpital, Paris, France Introduction: Personalized, global pulmonary rehabilitation (PR management of patients with COPD is effective, regardless of the place in which this rehabilitation is provided. The objective of this retrospective observational study was to study the long-term outcome of exercise capacity and quality of life during management of patients with COPD treated by home-based PR.Methods: Home-based PR was administered to 211 patients with COPD (mean age, 62.3±11.1 years; mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second, 41.5%±17.7%. Home-based PR was chosen because of the distance of the patient’s home from the PR center and the patient’s preference. Each patient was individually managed by a team member once a week for 8 weeks with unsupervised continuation of physical exercises on the other days of the week according to an individual action plan. Exercise conditioning, therapeutic patient education, and self-management were included in the PR program. The home assessment comprised evaluation of the patient’s exercise capacity by a 6-minute stepper test, Timed Up and Go test, ten times sit-to-stand test, Hospital Anxiety and Depression score, and quality of life (Visual Simplified Respiratory Questionnaire, VQ11, Maugeri Respiratory Failure 28.Results: No incidents or accidents were observed during the course of home-based PR. The 6-minute stepper test was significantly improved after completion of the

  12. Home-based versus centre-based cardiac rehabilitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Rod S; Dalal, Hayes; Jolly, Kate; Moxham, Tiffany; Zawada, Anna

    2010-01-20

    The burden of cardiovascular disease world-wide is one of great concern to patients and health care agencies alike. Traditionally centre-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programmes are offered to individuals after cardiac events to aid recovery and prevent further cardiac illness. Home-based cardiac rehabilitation programmes have been introduced in an attempt to widen access and participation. To determine the effectiveness of home-based cardiac rehabilitation programmes compared with supervised centre-based cardiac rehabilitation on mortality and morbidity, health-related quality of life and modifiable cardiac risk factors in patients with coronary heart disease. We updated the search of a previous review by searching the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in The Cochrane Library (2007, Issue 4), MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL from 2001 to January 2008. We checked reference lists and sought advice from experts. No language restrictions were applied. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared centre-based cardiac rehabilitation (e.g. hospital, gymnasium, sports centre) with home-based programmes, in adults with myocardial infarction, angina, heart failure or who had undergone revascularisation. Studies were selected independently by two reviewers, and data extracted by a single reviewer and checked by a second one. Authors were contacted where possible to obtain missing information. Twelve studies (1,938 participants) met the inclusion criteria. The majority of studies recruited a lower risk patient following an acute myocardial infarction (MI) and revascularisation. There was no difference in outcomes of home- versus centre-based cardiac rehabilitation in mortality risk ratio (RR) was1.31 (95% confidence interval (C) 0.65 to 2.66), cardiac events, exercise capacity standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.11 (95% CI -0.35 to 0.13), as well as in modifiable risk factors (systolic blood pressure; diastolic blood pressure; total cholesterol

  13. 76 FR 12978 - Advisory Committee on the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Evaluation...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-03-09

    ... and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Evaluation will meet for its first session on Wednesday... Administration for Children and Families Advisory Committee on the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home...: Advisory Committee on the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Evaluation. Date and...

  14. Effects of home-based pulmonary rehabilitation with a metronome-guided walking pace in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Sung-soon; Kim, Changhwan; Jin, Young-Soo; Oh, Yeon-Mok; Lee, Sang-Do; Yang, Yun Jun; Park, Yong Bum

    2013-05-01

    Despite documented efficacy and recommendations, pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been underutilized. Home-based PR was proposed as an alternative, but there were limited data. The adequate exercise intensity was also a crucial issue. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of home-based PR with a metronome-guided walking pace on functional exercise capacity and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in COPD. The subjects participated in a 12-week home-based PR program. Exercise intensity was initially determined by cardiopulmonary exercise test, and was readjusted (the interval of metronome beeps was reset) according to submaximal endurance test. Six-minute walk test, pulmonary function test, cardiopulmonary exercise test, and St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) were done before and after the 12-week program, and at 6 months after completion of rehabilitation. Thirty-three patients participated in the program. Six-minute walking distance was significantly increased (48.8 m; P = 0.017) and the SGRQ score was also improved (-15; P metronome-guided walking pace for COPD patients. This rehabilitation program may improve functional exercise capacity and HRQOL.

  15. Back home after an acquired brain injury: building a "low-cost" team to provide theory-driven cognitive rehabilitation after routine interventions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pierini, Davide; Hoerold, Doreen

    2014-01-01

    Individuals with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) could benefit from further cognitive rehabilitation, after they have returned home. However, a lack of specialist services to provide such rehabilitation often prevents this. This leads to reduced reintegration of patients, increased social disadvantages and ultimately, higher economic costs. 10 months post-stroke, a 69 year-old woman was discharged from an inpatient rehabilitation program and returned home with severe cognitive impairments. We describe a pilot project which provided an individualised, low cost rehabilitation program, supervised and trained by a neuropsychologist. Progress was monitored every 3 months in order to decide on continuation of the program, based on the achieved results and predicted costs. Post intervention, despite severe initial impairment, cognitive and most notably daily functioning had improved. Although the financial investment was moderately high for the family, the intervention was still considered cost-effective when compared with the required costs of care in a local non-specialist care home. Moreover, the pilot experience was used to build a "local expert team" available for other individuals requiring rehabilitation. These results encourage the development of similar local "low cost" teams in the community, to provide scientifically-grounded cognitive rehabilitation for ABI patients returning home.

  16. [Team Collaboration in Home Medical Care to Support Patients at the End-of-Life - Review of Service Personnel Meeting on Discharge Day].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogiwara, Miyoko; Irino, Hiromi; Yamaoka, Keita; Fujimaki, Yoko; Watanabe, Mutsuko; Yamamoto, Takeshi; Hirohara, Masayoshi; Kushida, Kazuki

    2018-03-01

    Due to the rising number of patients at the terminal stage or with high dependence on medical care, the cooperation of 2 teams, the hospital discharge support team and the home support team, has become very important. The recent spread of the Internet has enabled both patients and their families who have chosen home care to obtain a wide range of information about home services, as well as diseases, and form a picture of what will happen. However, there are actually many cases in which patients and families find that things are not as they imagined, and they are uneasy and unsure of what to do. Here, we report a case in which the mismatch between the patient's and family's expectations created an unsatisfactory care situation.

  17. HIV testing uptake and prevalence among adolescents and adults in a large home-based HIV testing program in Western Kenya.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wachira, Juddy; Ndege, Samson; Koech, Julius; Vreeman, Rachel C; Ayuo, Paul; Braitstein, Paula

    2014-02-01

    To describe HIV testing uptake and prevalence among adolescents and adults in a home-based HIV counseling and testing program in western Kenya. Since 2007, the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare program has implemented home-based HIV counseling and testing on a large scale. All individuals aged ≥13 years were eligible for testing. Data from 5 of 8 catchments were included in this analysis. We used descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression to examine testing uptake and HIV prevalence among adolescents (13-18 years), younger adults (19-24 years), and older adults (≥25 years). There were 154,463 individuals eligible for analyses as follows: 22% adolescents, 19% younger adults, and 59% older adults. Overall mean age was 32.8 years and 56% were female. HIV testing was high (96%) across the following 3 groups: 99% in adolescents, 98% in younger adults, and 94% in older adults (P < 0.001). HIV prevalence was higher (11.0%) among older adults compared with younger adults (4.8%) and adolescents (0.8%) (P < 0.001). Those who had ever previously tested for HIV were less likely to accept HIV testing (adjusted odds ratio: 0.06, 95% confidence interval: 0.05 to 0.07) but more likely to newly test HIV positive (adjusted odds ratio: 1.30, 95% confidence interval: 1.21 to 1.40). Age group differences were evident in the sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors associated with testing uptake and HIV prevalence, particularly, gender, relationship status, and HIV testing history. Sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors were independently associated with HIV testing and prevalence among the age groups. Community-based treatment and prevention strategies will need to consider these factors.

  18. [Measurement of antimicrobial consumption using DDD per 100 bed-days versus DDD per 100 discharges after the implementation of an antimicrobial stewardship program].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collado, Roberto; Losa, Juan Emilio; Álvaro, Elena Alba; Toro, Piedad; Moreno, Leonor; Pérez, Montserrat

    2015-12-01

    Monitoring antimicrobial consumption in hospitals is a necessary measure. The indicators commonly employed do not clearly reflect the antibiotic selection pressure. The objective of this study is to evaluate two different methods that analyze antimicrobial consumption based on DDD, per stay and per discharge, before and after the implementation an antimicrobial stewardship program. Comparative pre-post study of antimicrobial consumption with the implementation of an antimicrobial stewardship program using DDD per 100 bed-days and DDD per 100 discharges as indicators. Hospital bed days remained stable and discharges increased slightly along the period of study Antibiotic consumption in DDD per 100 bed-days decreased by 2.5% versus 3.8% when expressed as DDD per 100 discharges. Antifungal consumption decreased by more than 50%. When average hospital stay decreases, reductions in the consumption of antimicrobials with an antimicrobial stewardship program system occur at the expense of reducing the number of patients receiving treatment, while increases occur due to longer durations of treatment.

  19. Enriched Home Environment Program for Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sood, Divya; Szymanski, Monika; Schranz, Caren

    2015-01-01

    This study discusses the impact of the Enriched Home Environment Program (EHEP) on participation in home activities among two children with ASD using case study methodology. EHEP involves occupational therapists to collaborate with families of children with ASD to educate them about the impact of factors that influence child's participation within…

  20. Comparing Catheter-associated Urinary Tract Infection Prevention Programs Between VA and Non-VA Nursing Homes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mody, Lona; Greene, M. Todd; Saint, Sanjay; Meddings, Jennifer; Trautner, Barbara W.; Wald, Heidi L.; Crnich, Christopher; Banaszak-Holl, Jane; McNamara, Sara E.; King, Beth J.; Hogikyan, Robert; Edson, Barbara; Krein, Sarah L.

    2018-01-01

    OBJECTIVE The impact of healthcare system integration on infection prevention programs is unknown. Using catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) prevention as an example, we hypothesize that U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) nursing homes have a more robust infection prevention infrastructure due to integration and centralization compared with non-VA nursing homes. SETTING VA and non-VA nursing homes participating in the “AHRQ Safety Program for Long-term Care” collaborative. METHODS Nursing homes provided baseline information about their infection prevention programs to assess strengths and gaps related to CAUTI prevention. RESULTS A total of 353 (71%; 47 VA, 306 non-VA) of 494 nursing homes from 41 states responded. VA nursing homes reported more hours/week devoted to infection prevention-related activities (31 vs. 12 hours, P<.001), and were more likely to have committees that reviewed healthcare-associated infections. Compared with non-VA facilities, a higher percentage of VA nursing homes reported tracking CAUTI rates (94% vs. 66%, P<.001), sharing CAUTI data with leadership (94% vs. 70%, P=.014) and nursing personnel (85% vs. 56%, P=.003). However, fewer VA nursing homes reported having policies for appropriate catheter use (64% vs. 81%, P=.004) and catheter insertion (83% vs. 94%, P=.004). CONCLUSIONS Among nursing homes participating in an AHRQ-funded collaborative, VA and non-VA nursing homes differed in their approach to CAUTI prevention. Best practices from both settings should be applied universally to create an optimal infection prevention program within emerging integrated healthcare systems. PMID:27917728

  1. Predictors of home death of home palliative cancer care patients: a cross-sectional nationwide survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukui, Sakiko; Fujita, Junko; Tsujimura, Mayuko; Sumikawa, Yuka; Hayashi, Yayoi

    2011-11-01

    To identify factors influencing the place of death among home palliative cancer care patients, focusing on the role of nurses in terms of pre- and post-discharge from hospital to home care settings. A cross-sectional nationwide questionnaire survey was conducted at 1000 randomly selected homecare agencies in Japan. The questionnaires were completed by primary community nurses of home palliative patients just after their discharge. A total of 568 responses were analyzed (effective response rate, 69%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed the following independent factors of place of death among those patients: desire for home death at referral by both patient and family caregiver; caregiver relationship to patient as daughter or daughter-in-law; totally bedridden functional status of patient; patient not suffering from depression and/or anxiety at referral; patients and caregivers duly informed about the dying process/death in detail, as well as instructed by community nurses about pain management and how to treat/prevent bedsores in home care settings. This study demonstrated the importance of both the hospital and community nurses' role in increasing the patients' chance of dying at home. Hospital nurses should support early transfer to home palliative care according to their assessment of the desire of patient/family caregiver for home death, the patients' clinical status, and caregivers' ability to provide patient care at home. Community nurses should inform patients/family caregiver in detail about the dying process/death just after discharge, relieve patient pain, treat/prevent bedsores, and instruct family caregivers on their symptom control. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. 75 FR 62635 - Proposed Information Collection (Patient Satisfaction Survey Michael E. DeBakey Home Care Program...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-12

    ... Collection (Patient Satisfaction Survey Michael E. DeBakey Home Care Program) Activity: Comment Request... determine patients' satisfaction with services provided by or through the Michael E. DeBakey Home Care...: Patient Satisfaction Survey Michael E. DeBakey Home Care Program, VA Form 10-0476. OMB Control Number...

  3. 76 FR 624 - Proposed Information Collection (Patient Satisfaction Survey Michael E. DeBakey Home Care Program...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-05

    ... Collection (Patient Satisfaction Survey Michael E. DeBakey Home Care Program) Activity: Comment Request... satisfaction with the quality of services/care provided by home care program staff. An agency may not conduct... Form 10-0476).'' SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Patient Satisfaction Survey Michael E. DeBakey Home...

  4. Process evaluation to explore internal and external validity of the "Act in Case of Depression" care program in nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leontjevas, Ruslan; Gerritsen, Debby L; Koopmans, Raymond T C M; Smalbrugge, Martin; Vernooij-Dassen, Myrra J F J

    2012-06-01

    A multidisciplinary, evidence-based care program to improve the management of depression in nursing home residents was implemented and tested using a stepped-wedge design in 23 nursing homes (NHs): "Act in case of Depression" (AiD). Before effect analyses, to evaluate AiD process data on sampling quality (recruitment and randomization, reach) and intervention quality (relevance and feasibility, extent to which AiD was performed), which can be used for understanding internal and external validity. In this article, a model is presented that divides process evaluation data into first- and second-order process data. Qualitative and quantitative data based on personal files of residents, interviews of nursing home professionals, and a research database were analyzed according to the following process evaluation components: sampling quality and intervention quality. Nursing home. The pattern of residents' informed consent rates differed for dementia special care units and somatic units during the study. The nursing home staff was satisfied with the AiD program and reported that the program was feasible and relevant. With the exception of the first screening step (nursing staff members using a short observer-based depression scale), AiD components were not performed fully by NH staff as prescribed in the AiD protocol. Although NH staff found the program relevant and feasible and was satisfied with the program content, individual AiD components may have different feasibility. The results on sampling quality implied that statistical analyses of AiD effectiveness should account for the type of unit, whereas the findings on intervention quality implied that, next to the type of unit, analyses should account for the extent to which individual AiD program components were performed. In general, our first-order process data evaluation confirmed internal and external validity of the AiD trial, and this evaluation enabled further statistical fine tuning. The importance of

  5. Training of medical staff positively influences postoperative pain management at home in children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sepponen, K; Kokki, H; Ahonen, R

    1999-08-01

    The aim of this study was to describe how parents manage their child's postoperative pain at home following day-case surgery. The incidence of pain, different analgesics used and problems related to administering medications were the main interests of the study. A postal questionnaire was sent to the parents of 275 children who were under 8 years of age and had undergone an ear, nose and throat (ENT) day-case operation. The questionnaire was sent to the parents a week after discharge from hospital. Altogether, the parents of 227 children answered the questionnaire (response rate 83%). The study was divided into two phases (preintervention and postintervention), and incorporated a training program for doctors and nurses between these two phases. The training program aimed to improve the treatment practices of postoperative pain in children. Seventy-eight per cent of the children in the preintervention study and 75% in the postintervention study experienced at least mild pain after discharge. The training program for doctors and nurses affected the home treatment practices of postoperative pain. The proportion of parents treating their children increased from 68% to 80% after the training program (p = 0.028). Many parents faced problems while treating their children; for example, 19% (n = 30) of the children refused to take their medicine, and suppositories were regarded to be an especially unpleasant dosage form. However, no serious adverse effects were reported. We conclude that due to the pain experienced at home by the great majority of children following day-case ENT operations, parents need information on how to manage their child's pain. A training program for doctors and nurses can improve the treatment of children's pain even at home. Since some children dislike suppositories, it would be worth considering the use of small tablets or mixtures instead.

  6. Using the Technology Acceptance Model to explore community dwelling older adults' perceptions of a 3D interior design application to facilitate pre-discharge home adaptations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Money, Arthur G; Atwal, Anita; Young, Katherine L; Day, Yasmin; Wilson, Lesley; Money, Kevin G

    2015-08-26

    In the UK occupational therapy pre-discharge home visits are routinely carried out as a means of facilitating safe transfer from the hospital to home. Whilst they are an integral part of practice, there is little evidence to demonstrate they have a positive outcome on the discharge process. Current issues for patients are around the speed of home visits and the lack of shared decision making in the process, resulting in less than 50 % of the specialist equipment installed actually being used by patients on follow-up. To improve practice there is an urgent need to examine other ways of conducting home visits to facilitate safe discharge. We believe that Computerised 3D Interior Design Applications (CIDAs) could be a means to support more efficient, effective and collaborative practice. A previous study explored practitioners perceptions of using CIDAs; however it is important to ascertain older adult's views about the usability of technology and to compare findings. This study explores the perceptions of community dwelling older adults with regards to adopting and using CIDAs as an assistive tool for the home adaptations process. Ten community dwelling older adults participated in individual interactive task-focused usability sessions with a customised CIDA, utilising the think-aloud protocol and individual semi-structured interviews. Template analysis was used to carry out both deductive and inductive analysis of the think-aloud and interview data. Initially, a deductive stance was adopted, using the three pre-determined high-level themes of the technology acceptance model (TAM): Perceived Usefulness (PU), Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU), Actual Use (AU). Inductive template analysis was then carried out on the data within these themes, from which a number of sub-thmes emerged. Regarding PU, participants believed CIDAs served as a useful visual tool and saw clear potential to facilitate shared understanding and partnership in care delivery. For PEOU, participants were

  7. Study protocol: translating and implementing psychosocial interventions in aged home care the lifestyle engagement activity program (LEAP) for life

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Background Tailored psychosocial activity-based interventions have been shown to improve mood, behaviour and quality of life for nursing home residents. Occupational therapist delivered activity programs have shown benefits when delivered in home care settings for people with dementia. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of LEAP (Lifestyle Engagement Activity Program) for Life, a training and practice change program on the engagement of home care clients by care workers. Secondary aims are to evaluate the impact of the program on changes in client mood and behaviour. Methods/design The 12 month LEAP program has three components: 1) engaging site management and care staff in the program; 2) employing a LEAP champion one day a week to support program activities; 3) delivering an evidence-based training program to care staff. Specifically, case managers will be trained and supported to set meaningful social or recreational goals with clients and incorporate these into care plans. Care workers will be trained in and encouraged to practise good communication, promote client independence and choice, and tailor meaningful activities using Montessori principles, reminiscence, music, physical activity and play. LEAP Champions will be given information about theories of organisational change and trained in interpersonal skills required for their role. LEAP will be evaluated in five home care sites including two that service ethnic minority groups. A quasi experimental design will be used with evaluation data collected four times: 6-months prior to program commencement; at the start of the program; and then after 6 and 12 months. Mixed effect models will enable comparison of change in outcomes for the periods before and during the program. The primary outcome measure is client engagement. Secondary outcomes for clients are satisfaction with care, dysphoria/depression, loneliness, apathy and agitation; and work satisfaction for care workers. A process

  8. 75 FR 81138 - Medicare Program; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for Calendar Year 2011...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-12-27

    ... [CMS-1510-CN2] RIN 0938-AP88 Medicare Program; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for... ``Medicare Program; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for Calendar Year 2011; Changes in... Prospective Payment System Rate Update for Calendar Year 2011; Changes in Certification Requirements for Home...

  9. Parents of children with physical disabilities perceive that characteristics of home exercise programs and physiotherapists' teaching styles influence adherence: a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lillo-Navarro, Carmen; Medina-Mirapeix, Francesc; Escolar-Reina, Pilar; Montilla-Herrador, Joaquina; Gomez-Arnaldos, Francisco; Oliveira-Sousa, Silvana L

    2015-04-01

    What are the perceptions of parents of children with physical disabilities about the home exercise programs that physiotherapists prescribe? How do these perceptions affect adherence to home exercise programs? Qualitative study using focus groups and a modified grounded theory approach. Parents of children with physical disabilities who have been prescribed a home exercise program by physiotherapists. Twenty-eight parents participated in the focus groups. Two key themes that related to adherence to home exercise programs in young children with physical disabilities were identified: the characteristics of the home exercise program; and the characteristics of the physiotherapist's teaching style. In the first theme, the participants described their experiences regarding their preference for exercises, which was related to the perceived effects of the exercises, their complexity, and the number of exercises undertaken. These factors determined the amount of time spent performing the exercises, the effect of the exercises on the family's relationships, and any sense of related burden. In the second theme, participants revealed that they adhered better to prescribed exercises when their physiotherapist made an effort to build their confidence in the exercises, helped the parents to incorporate the home exercise program into their daily routine, provided incentives and increased motivation. Parents perceive that their children's adherence to home-based exercises, which are supervised by the parents, is more successful when the physiotherapist's style and the content of the exercise program are positively experienced. These findings reveal which issues should be considered when prescribing home exercise programs to children with physical disabilities. [Lillo-Navarro C, Medina-Mirapeix F, Escolar-Reina P, Montilla-Herrador J, Gomez-Arnaldos F, Oliveira-Sousa SL (2015) Parents of children with physical disabilities perceive that characteristics of home exercise programs and

  10. Development of a Self-Management Theory-Guided Discharge Intervention for Parents of Hospitalized Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sawin, Kathleen J; Weiss, Marianne E; Johnson, Norah; Gralton, Karen; Malin, Shelly; Klingbeil, Carol; Lerret, Stacee M; Thompson, Jamie J; Zimmanck, Kim; Kaul, Molly; Schiffman, Rachel F

    2017-03-01

    Parents of hospitalized children, especially parents of children with complex and chronic health conditions, report not being adequately prepared for self-management of their child's care at home after discharge. No theory-based discharge intervention exists to guide pediatric nurses' preparation of parents for discharge. To develop a theory-based conversation guide to optimize nurses' preparation of parents for discharge and self-management of their child at home following hospitalization. Two frameworks and one method influenced the development of the intervention: the Individual and Family Self-Management Theory, Tanner's Model of Clinical Judgment, and the Teach-Back method. A team of nurse scientists, nursing leaders, nurse administrators, and clinical nurses developed and field tested the electronic version of a nine-domain conversation guide for use in acute care pediatric hospitals. The theory-based intervention operationalized self-management concepts, added components of nursing clinical judgment, and integrated the Teach-Back method. Development of a theory-based intervention, the translation of theoretical knowledge to clinical innovation, is an important step toward testing the effectiveness of the theory in guiding clinical practice. Clinical nurses will establish the practice relevance through future use and refinement of the intervention. © 2017 Sigma Theta Tau International.

  11. Do Medicaid home and community based service waivers save money?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrington, Charlene; Ng, Terence; Kitchener, Martin

    2011-10-01

    This article estimates the potential savings to the Medicaid program of using 1915c Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waivers rather than institutional care. For Medicaid HCBS waiver expenditures of $25 billion in 2006, we estimate the national savings to be over $57 billion, or $57,338 per waiver participant in 2006 compared with the cost of Medicaid institutional care (for which all waiver participants are eligible). When taking into account a potential 50% "woodwork effect" (for people who might have refused institutional services), the saving would be $21 billion. This analysis demonstrates that HCBS waiver programs present significant direct financial savings to Medicaid long-term care (LTC) programs.

  12. Characteristics of Older Georgians Receiving Older Americans Act Nutrition Program Services and Other Home- and Community-Based Services: Findings from the Georgia Aging Information Management System (GA AIMS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jung Sun; Shannon, Jerry; Brown, Arvine

    2015-01-01

    This descriptive study examined characteristics of older Georgians receiving Older Americans Act Nutrition Program Services and other home- and community-based services (HCBS) using state aging administrative data (N = 31,341, mean age: 76.6 ± 9.2 y, 71.2% female, 52.3% White). Home-delivered meals (HDM) was used most frequently. The characteristics of older Georgian HCBS participants varied by the type and number of HCBS received. Those receiving HDM and other in-home and caregiving services were more likely to show poorer sociodemographic, economic, and functional characteristics, and food insecurity. Those receiving multiple HCBS were most vulnerable, but showed lower level of food insecurity than those receiving single HCBS, suggesting potential combined benefits of receiving multiple programs. This study underscores the importance of documenting dynamic needs for HCBS, especially HDM, among vulnerable older adults as part of standard administrative process to identify those at high risk of institutionalization, optimize HCBS delivery and coordination, and maximize HCBS benefits.

  13. An Occupational Therapy Fall Reduction Home Visit Program for Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Hong Kong After an Emergency Department Visit for a Fall.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chu, Mary Man-Lai; Fong, Kenneth Nai-Kuen; Lit, Albert Chau-Hung; Rainer, Timothy Hudson; Cheng, Stella Wai-Chee; Au, Frederick Lap-Yan; Fung, Henry Kwok-Kwong; Wong, Chit-Ming; Tong, Hon-Kuan

    2017-02-01

    To investigate the effects of an occupational therapy fall reduction home visit program for older adults admitted to the emergency department (ED) for a fall and discharged directly home. Single-blind, multicenter, randomized, controlled trial. EDs in three acute care hospitals in Hong Kong. Individuals aged 65 and older who had fallen (N = 311). After screening for eligibility, 204 consenting individuals were randomly assigned to an intervention group (IG) and received a single home visit from an occupational therapist (OT) within 2 weeks after discharge from the hospital or a control group (CG) and received a well-wishing visit from a research assistant not trained in fall prevention. Both groups were followed for 12 months through telephone calls made every 2 weeks by blinded assessors with a focus on the frequency of falls. Another blinded assessor followed up on their status with telephone calls 4, 8, and 12 months after ED discharge. Prospective fall records on hospital admissions were retrieved from electronic databases; 198 individuals were followed for 1 year on an intention-to-treat basis. The percentage of fallers over 1 year was 13.7% in the IG (n = 95) and 20.4% in the CG (n = 103). There were significant differences in the number of fallers (P = .03) and the number of falls (P = .02) between the two groups over 6 months. Significant differences were found in survival analysis for first fall at 6 months (log-rank test 5.052, P = .02) but not 9 or 12 months. One OT visit after a fall was more effective than a well-wishing visit at reducing future falls at 6 months. A booster OT visit at 6 months is suggested. © 2016, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2016, The American Geriatrics Society.

  14. Dialysis Modality and Readmission Following Hospital Discharge: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perl, Jeffrey; McArthur, Eric; Bell, Chaim; Garg, Amit X; Bargman, Joanne M; Chan, Christopher T; Harel, Shai; Li, Lihua; Jain, Arsh K; Nash, Danielle M; Harel, Ziv

    2017-07-01

    Readmissions following hospital discharge among maintenance dialysis patients are common, potentially modifiable, and costly. Compared with patients receiving in-center hemodialysis (HD), patients receiving peritoneal dialysis (PD) have fewer routine dialysis clinic encounters and as a result may be more susceptible to a hospital readmission following discharge. Population-based retrospective-cohort observational study. Patients treated with maintenance dialysis who were discharged following an acute-care hospitalization during January 1, 2003, to December 31, 2013, across 164 acute-care hospitals in Ontario, Canada. For those with multiple hospitalizations, we randomly selected a single hospitalization as the index hospitalization. Dialysis modality PD or in-center HD. Propensity scores were used to match each patient on PD therapy to 2 patients on in-center HD therapy to ensure that baseline indicators of health were similar between the 2 groups. All-cause 30-day readmission following the index hospital discharge. 28,026 dialysis patients were included in the study. 4,013 PD patients were matched to 8,026 in-center HD patients. Among the matched cohort, 30-day readmission rates were 7.1 (95% CI, 6.6-7.6) per 1,000 person-days for patients on PD therapy and 6.0 (95% CI, 5.7-6.3) per 1,000 person-days for patients on in-center HD therapy. The risk for a 30-day readmission among patients on PD therapy was higher compared with those on in-center HD therapy (adjusted HR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.08-1.31). The primary results were consistent across several key prespecified subgroups. Lack of information for the frequency of nephrology physician encounters following discharge from the hospital in both the PD and in-center HD cohorts. Limited validation of International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes. The risk for 30-day readmission is higher for patients on home-based PD compared to in-center HD therapy. Interventions to improve transitions in care between the

  15. Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Program: Hospital-Based Stroke Outpatient Rehabilitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rice, Danielle; Janzen, Shannon; McIntyre, Amanda; Vermeer, Julianne; Britt, Eileen; Teasell, Robert

    2016-05-01

    Few studies have considered the effectiveness of outpatient rehabilitation programs for stroke patients. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a hospital-based interdisciplinary outpatient stroke rehabilitation program with respect to physical functioning, mobility, and balance. The Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Program provides a hospital-based interdisciplinary approach to stroke rehabilitation in Southwestern Ontario. Outcome measures from physiotherapy and occupational therapy sessions were available at intake and discharge from the program. A series of paired sample t-tests were performed to assess patient changes between time points for each outcome measure. A total of 271 patients met the inclusion criteria for analysis (56.1% male; mean age = 62.9 ± 13.9 years). Significant improvements were found between admission and discharge for the Functional Independence Measure, grip strength, Chedoke-McMaster Stroke Assessment, two-minute walk test, maximum walk test, Timed Up and Go, Berg Balance Scale, and one-legged stance (P rehabilitation program was effective at improving the physical functioning, mobility, and balance of individuals after a stroke. A hospital-based, stroke-specific rehabilitation program should be considered when patients continue to experience deficits after inpatient rehabilitation. Copyright © 2016 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Effectiveness of home rehabilitation for ischemic stroke

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pakaratee Chaiyawat

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to develop and examine the effectiveness of an individual home rehabilitation program for patients with ischemic stroke. This was a randomized controlled trial in 60 patients with recent middle cerebral artery infarction. After hospital discharge for acute stroke care, they were randomly assigned to receive either a home rehabilitation program for three months (intervention group or usual care (control group. We collected outcome data over three months after their discharge from the hospital. The Barthel Index (BI, the Modified Rankin Scale (MRS, the health-related quality-of-life index (EQ-5D, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression score (HADs, and the Thai Mental State Examination (TMSE were used to analyze the outcomes. In the intervention group, all outcomes were significantly better (p<0.05 than in the control group, except in the case of TMSE. A favorable outcome, which was defined as minimal or no disability as measured by BI (score 95-100, was achieved by 93.33% of patients in the intervention group, and 90% had favorable scores (0 or 1 on the MRS. This showed a benefit in reducing disability, with two being the number of patients considered as needed-to-treat (NNT (95% CI, 1.0-1.2. All dimensions of EQ-5D in the intervention group were significantly better for quality of life and generic health status than in the control group (p=0.001. Depression was found in one patient (3.33% in the intervention group and in two patients (6.67% in the control group. Dementia was found in three patients (10% in the intervention group and in four patients (13.33% in the control group. We concluded that an early home rehabilitation program for patients with ischemic stroke in the first three-month period provides significantly better outcomes in improving function, reducing disability, increasing quality of life, and reducing depression than a program of usual care does.

  17. Lightweight UDP Pervasive Protocol in Smart Home Environment Based on Labview

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurniawan, Wijaya; Hannats Hanafi Ichsan, Mochammad; Rizqika Akbar, Sabriansyah; Arwani, Issa

    2017-04-01

    TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) technology in a reliable environment was not a problem, but not in an environment where the entire Smart Home network connected locally. Currently employing pervasive protocols using TCP technology, when data transmission is sent, it would be slower because they have to perform handshaking process in advance and could not broadcast the data. On smart home environment, it does not need large size and complex data transmission between monitoring site and monitoring center required in Smart home strain monitoring system. UDP (User Datagram Protocol) technology is quick and simple on data transmission process. UDP can broadcast messages because the UDP did not require handshaking and with more efficient memory usage. LabVIEW is a programming language software for processing and visualization of data in the field of data acquisition. This paper proposes to examine Pervasive UDP protocol implementations in smart home environment based on LabVIEW. UDP coded in LabVIEW and experiments were performed on a PC and can work properly.

  18. Home health nursing care agenda based on health policy in Korea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryu, Hosihn; An, Jiyoung; Koabyashi, Mia

    2005-06-01

    Home health nursing care (HHNC) in Korea has taken on an important role under the mandate of the national health care system since 2000. This program was developed to verify the possibility of early discharge of hospitalized patients and cost containment through a research and development project that was conducted with the government from 1994 to 1999. The process of development of HHNC provided an opportunity to realize the advancement and changes in the system into a consumer-focused structure. This is an important turning point for the Korean health care system that suggests certain possibilities for building a foundation for further changes in the service delivery structure. The structure, which had been limited to a supplier-oriented model, is moving to a consumer-oriented structure. Accordingly, the major function and role of nursing policy makers in Korea is to develop an agenda and alternatives for policy-making in a systematic manner and to present implementation strategies clearly.

  19. A comprehensive joint replacement program for total knee arthroplasty: a descriptive study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prefontaine Paul

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Total knee arthroplasty (TKA is a commonly performed surgical procedure in the US. It is important to have a comprehensive inpatient TKA program which maximizes outcomes while minimizing adverse events. The purpose of this study was to describe a TKA program – the Joint Replacement Program (JRP – and report post-surgical outcomes. Methods 74 candidates for a primary TKA were enrolled in the JRP. The JRP was designed to minimize complications and optimize patient-centered outcomes using a team approach including the patient, patient's family, and a multidisciplinary team of health professionals. The JRP consisted of a pre-operative class, standard pathways for medical care, comprehensive peri-operative pain management, aggressive physical therapy (PT, and proactive discharge planning. Measures included functional tests, knee range of motion (ROM, and medical record abstraction of patient demographics, length of stay, discharge disposition, and complications over a 6-month follow-up period. Results All patients achieved medical criteria for hospital discharge. The patients achieved the knee flexion ROM goal of 90° (91.7 ± 5.4°, but did not achieve the knee extension ROM goal of 0° (2.4 ± 2.6°. The length of hospital stay was two days for 53% of the patients, with 39% and 7% discharged in three and four days, respectively. All but three patients were discharged home with functional independence. 68% of these received outpatient physical therapy compared with 32% who received home physical therapy immediately after discharge. Two patients ( Conclusion The comprehensive JRP for TKA was associated with satisfactory clinical outcomes, short lengths of stay, a high percentage of patients discharged home with outpatient PT, and minimal complications. This JRP may represent an efficient, effective and safe protocol for providing care after a TKA.

  20. Feeling safe and motivated to achieve better health: Experiences with a partnership-based nursing practice programme for in-home patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leine, Marit; Wahl, Astrid Klopstad; Borge, Christine Råheim; Hustavenes, Magne; Bondevik, Hilde

    2017-09-01

    To explore chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients' experiences with a partnership-based nursing practice programme in the home setting. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease suffer from psychological and physiological problems, especially when they return home after hospitalisation from exacerbation. Many express a need for information and knowledge about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Partnership as practice is a patient-centred framework providing an individualised practice for each patient. This study intends to achieve a nuanced and improved understanding of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients' experiences with a partnership-based nursing practice programme comprising home visits from a respiratory nurse after hospital discharge, alongside interdisciplinary collaboration. This study has a qualitative design with interviews. Six individual semi-structured interviews collected in 2012-2013 constitute the material. Interviews were recorded, transcribed to written text and analysed using systematic text condensation. Three key themes were identified: to be seen, talked with and understood; healthcare support at home-continuity, practical support and facilitation; and exchange of knowledge. However, there were two generic themes that permeated the material: feeling safe and comforted, and motivation to achieve better health. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can experience feeling safe and comforted, and be motivated to make changes in order to achieve better health after participating in a partnership-based nursing practice programme that includes home visits from a respiratory nurse and interdisciplinary cooperation after hospital discharge. To feel safe is of great importance, and how this relates to the patient's ability to cope with illness should be explored in further research. The results suggest that the partnership-based nursing practice programme that includes home visits and interdisciplinary

  1. Innovation in a Learning Health Care System: Veteran-Directed Home- and Community-Based Services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garrido, Melissa M; Allman, Richard M; Pizer, Steven D; Rudolph, James L; Thomas, Kali S; Sperber, Nina R; Van Houtven, Courtney H; Frakt, Austin B

    2017-11-01

    A path-breaking example of the interplay between geriatrics and learning healthcare systems is the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA's) planned roll-out of a program for providing participant-directed home- and community-based services to veterans with cognitive and functional limitations. We describe the design of a large-scale, stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized trial of the Veteran-Directed Home- and Community-Based Services (VD-HCBS) program. From March 2017 through December 2019, up to 77 Veterans Affairs Medical Centers will be randomized to times to begin offering VD-HCBS to veterans at risk of nursing home placement. Services will be provided to community-dwelling participants with support from Aging and Disability Network Agencies. The VHA Partnered Evidence-based Policy Resource Center (PEPReC) is coordinating the evaluation, which includes collaboration from operational stakeholders from the VHA and Administration for Community Living and interdisciplinary researchers from the Center of Innovation in Long-Term Services and Supports and the Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care. For older veterans with functional limitations who are eligible for VD-HCBS, we will evaluate health outcomes (hospitalizations, emergency department visits, nursing home admissions, days at home) and healthcare costs associated with VD-HCBS availability. Learning healthcare systems facilitate diffusion of innovation while enabling rigorous evaluation of effects on patient outcomes. The VHA's randomized rollout of VD-HCBS to veterans at risk of nursing home placement is an example of how to achieve these goals simultaneously. PEPReC's experience designing an evaluation with researchers and operations stakeholders may serve as a framework for others seeking to develop rapid, rigorous, large-scale evaluations of delivery system innovations targeted to older adults. © 2017, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2017, The American Geriatrics Society.

  2. Would environmental pollution affect home prices? An empirical study based on China's key cities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hao, Yu; Zheng, Shaoqing

    2017-11-01

    With the development of China's economy, the problem of environmental pollution has become increasingly more serious, affecting the sustained and healthy development of Chinese cities and the willingness of residents to invest in fixed assets. In this paper, a panel data set of 70 of China's key cities from 2003 to 2014 is used to study the effect of environmental pollution on home prices in China's key cities. In addition to the static panel data regression model, this paper uses the generalized method of moments (GMM) to control for the potential endogeneity and introduce the dynamics. To ensure the robustness of the research results, this paper uses four typical pollutants: per capita volume of SO 2 emissions, industrial soot (dust) emissions, industrial wastewater discharge, and industrial chemical oxygen demand discharge. The analysis shows that environmental pollution does have a negative impact on home prices, and the magnitude of this effect is dependent on the level of economic development. When GDP per capita increases, the size of the negative impact on home prices tends to reduce. Industrial soot (dust) has the greatest impact, and the impact of industrial wastewater is relatively small. It is also found that some other social and economic factors, including greening, public transport, citizen income, fiscal situation, loans, FDI, and population density, have positive effects on home prices, but the effect of employment on home prices is relatively weak.

  3. Let's Talk About Breastfeeding: The Importance of Delivering a Message in a Home Visiting Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGinnis, Sandra; Lee, Eunju; Kirkland, Kristen; Miranda-Julian, Claudia; Greene, Rose

    2018-05-01

    To examine the potential impact of paraprofessional home visitors in promoting breastfeeding initiation and continuation among a high-risk population. A secondary analysis of program data from a statewide home visitation program. Thirty-six Healthy Families New York sites across New York State. A total of 3521 pregnant mothers at risk of poor child health and developmental outcomes. Home visitors deliver a multifaceted intervention that includes educating high-risk mothers on benefits of breastfeeding, encouraging them to breastfeed and supporting their efforts during prenatal and postnatal periods. Home visitor-reported content and frequency of home visits, participant-reported breastfeeding initiation and duration, and covariates (Kempe Family Stress Index, race and ethnicity, region, nativity, marital status, age, and education). Logistic regression. Breastfeeding initiation increased by 1.5% for each 1-point increase in the percentage of prenatal home visits that included breastfeeding discussions. Breastfeeding continuation during the first 6 months also increased with the percentage of earlier home visits that included breastfeeding discussions. Additionally, if a participant receives 1 more home visit during the third month, her likelihood of breastfeeding at 6 months increases by 11%. Effect sizes varied by months postpartum. Delivering a breastfeeding message consistently during regular home visits is important for increasing breastfeeding rates. Given that home visiting programs target new mothers least likely to breastfeed, a more consistent focus on breastfeeding in this supportive context may reduce breastfeeding disparities.

  4. Wyandotte Neighborhood Stabilization Program: Retrofit of Two Homes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lukachko, A. [Building Science Corporation (BSC), Somerville, MA (United States); Grin, A. [Building Science Corporation (BSC), Somerville, MA (United States); Bergey, D. [Building Science Corporation (BSC), Somerville, MA (United States)

    2013-04-01

    The Wyandotte NSP2 project aims to build 20 new houses and retrofit 20 existing houses in Wyandotte, MI. Wyandotte is part of a Michigan State Housing Development Authority-led consortium that is funded by HUD under the NSP2 program. The City of Wyandotte has also been awarded DOE EE&CBG funds that are being used to develop a district ground source heat pump (GSHP) system to service the project. This report details the retrofit of two existing houses in the program, and examines the energy efficiency recommendations for the homes. The report will be of interest to anyone planning an affordable, high performance retrofit of an existing home in a cold climate zone. Information from this report will also be useful to retrofit or weatherization program staff as some of the proposed retrofit solutions will apply to a wide range of projects. Preliminary results from the first complete house suggest that the technology package employed (which includes spray foam insulation and insulating sheathing) does meet the specific whole house water, air, and thermal control requirements, as well as, the project’s affordability goals. Monitoring of the GSHP system has been recommended and analysis of this information is not yet available.

  5. Wyandotte Neighborhood Stabilization Program: Retrofit of Two Homes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lukachko, A.; Grin, A.; Bergey, D.

    2013-04-01

    The Wyandotte NSP2 project aims to build 20 new houses and retrofit 20 existing houses in Wyandotte, MI. This report will detail the retrofit of 2 existing houses in the program. Wyandotte is part of a Michigan State Housing Development Authority-led consortium that is funded by HUD under the NSP2 program. The City of Wyandotte has also been awarded DOE EE&CBG funds that are being used to develop a district GSHP system to service the project. This draft report examines the energy efficiency recommendations for retrofit construction at these homes. The report will be of interest to anyone planning an affordable, high performance retrofit of an existing home in a Cold Climate zone. Information from this report will also be useful to retrofit or weatherization program staff as some of the proposed retrofit solutions will apply to a wide range of projects. Preliminary results from the first complete house suggest that the technology package employed (which includes spray foam insulation and insulating sheathing) does meet the specific whole house water, air, and thermal control requirements, as well as, the project's affordability goals. Monitoring of the GSHP system has been recommended and analysis of this information is not yet available.

  6. Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an in-home respite care program in supporting informal caregivers of people with dementia: design of a comparative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vandepitte, Sophie; Van Den Noortgate, Nele; Putman, Koen; Verhaeghe, Sofie; Annemans, Lieven

    2016-12-02

    Frequent hospitalization and permanent nursing home placement not only affect the well-being of persons with dementia, but also place great financial strain on society. Therefore, it is important to create effective strategies to support informal caregivers so that they can continue to perform their demanding role. Preliminary qualitative evidence suggests that community-based respite services can actually be important for caregivers, and that the level of evidence should be further established in terms of effectiveness. Therefore, a comparative study to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an in-home respite care program will be initiated. This manuscript described a quasi-experimental study to assess (cost)-effectiveness of an in-home respite care program to support informal caregivers of persons with dementia. 124 informal caregivers and persons with dementia will be included in the intervention group and will receive an in-home respite care program by an organization called Baluchon Alzheimer. 248 dyads will be included in the control group and will receive standard dementia care. The primary outcome is caregiver burden. Secondary outcomes are: quality of life of caregivers, frequency of behavioral problems of persons with dementia and the reactions of caregivers to those problems, intention to institutionalize the care-recipient, time to nursing home placement, resource use of the care-recipient, and willingness to pay for in-home respite care. When the trial demonstrates a difference in outcomes between both groups, within-trial and modeled cost-effectiveness analyses will be conducted in a separate economic evaluation plan to evaluate possible cost-effectiveness of the in-home respite care program compared to the control group receiving standard dementia care. Finally, the model based cost-effectiveness analyses will allow to extrapolate effects over a longer time horizon than the duration of the trial. This study will have great added value

  7. Home visiting programs for HIV-affected families: a comparison of service quality between volunteer-driven and paraprofessional models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kidman, Rachel; Nice, Johanna; Taylor, Tory; Thurman, Tonya R

    2014-10-02

    Home visiting is a popular component of programs for HIV-affected children in sub-Saharan Africa, but its implementation varies widely. While some home visitors are lay volunteers, other programs invest in more highly trained paraprofessional staff. This paper describes a study investigating whether additional investment in paraprofessional staffing translated into higher quality service delivery in one program context. Beneficiary children and caregivers at sites in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa were interviewed after 2 years of program enrollment and asked to report about their experiences with home visiting. Analysis focused on intervention exposure, including visit intensity, duration and the kinds of emotional, informational and tangible support provided. Few beneficiaries reported receiving home visits in program models primarily driven by lay volunteers; when visits did occur, they were shorter and more infrequent. Paraprofessional-driven programs not only provided significantly more home visits, but also provided greater interaction with the child, communication on a larger variety of topics, and more tangible support to caregivers. These results suggest that programs that invest in compensation and extensive training for home visitors are better able to serve and retain beneficiaries, and they support a move toward establishing a professional workforce of home visitors to support vulnerable children and families in South Africa.

  8. Daily functioning of dyspnea, self-esteem and physical self in patients with moderate COPD before, during and after a first inpatient rehabilitation program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ninot, Gregory; Moullec, Gregory; Desplan, Jacques; Prefaut, Christian; Varray, Alain

    2007-11-30

    Inpatient rehabilitation improves dyspnea and increases self-esteem between admission and discharge in patients with moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Some researchers nevertheless argue that the changes may be due to nursing effects and thus that scores will decrease quickly at home after discharge. This study assessed the change in dyspnea, self-esteem and physical self mean scores and stability in patients with moderate COPD during three consecutive four-week periods: at home, during an inpatient rehabilitation program, and again at home post-discharge. Twenty-three consecutive patients [63.9 years (SD 6.6)] with moderate COPD [FEV1 = 55.8% (SD 13.2)] were included. The participants responded to the Physical Self Inventory and rated dyspnea using a visual analogue scale twice a day. Exercise tolerance was assessed with the six-minute walk test (6MWT) at admission and discharge. 6MWT performance improved between admission and discharge [452.3 m. (SD 74.0) vs. 503.3 m. (SD 80.4), p self-esteem and physical self scores between the two home periods (p self-worth at home post-discharge compared to pre-admission (p self-esteem, the perceptions of physical condition and attractive body were all significant. After rehabilitation, the coefficients between dyspnea, and perceived physical condition, physical strength and sport competence were significant (p self scores in patients with moderate COPD and decreases their instability; the program also improves dyspnea. However, the impact of rehabilitation was greater on specific perceptions of physical abilities than on the global self-esteem. Randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these changes, which were probably due to rehabilitation program.

  9. Same-day discharge after laparoscopic hysterectomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perron-Burdick, Misa; Yamamoto, Miya; Zaritsky, Eve

    2011-05-01

    To estimate readmission rates and emergency care use by patients discharged home the same day after laparoscopic hysterectomy. This was a retrospective case series of patients discharged home the same-day after total or supracervical laparoscopic hysterectomy in a managed care setting. Chart reviews were performed for outcomes of interest which included readmission rates, emergency visits, and surgical and demographic characteristics. The two hysterectomy groups were compared using χ² tests for categorical variables and t tests or Wilcoxon rank-sum tests for continuously measured variables. One-thousand fifteen laparoscopic hysterectomies were performed during the 3-year study period. Fifty-two percent (n=527) of the patients were discharged home the same-day; of those, 46% (n=240) had total laparoscopic hysterectomies and 54% (n=287) had supracervical. Cumulative readmission rates were 0.6%, 3.6%, and 4.0% at 48 hours, 3 months, and 12 months, respectively. The most common readmission diagnoses included abdominal incision infection, cuff dehiscence, and vaginal bleeding. Less than 4% of patients presented for emergency care within 48 or 72 hours, most commonly for nausea or vomiting, pain, and urinary retention. Median uterine weight was 155 g, median blood loss was 70 mL, and median surgical time was 150 minutes. There was no difference in readmission rates or emergency visits for the total compared with the supracervical laparoscopic hysterectomy group. Same-day discharge after laparoscopic hysterectomy is associated with low readmission rates and minimal emergency visits in the immediate postoperative period. Same-day discharge may be a safe option for healthy patients undergoing uncomplicated laparoscopic hysterectomy.

  10. Pilot Evaluation of a Home Visit Parent Training Program in Disadvantaged Families

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leung, Cynthia; Tsang, Sandra; Heung, Kitty

    2013-01-01

    Objectives: The study reported the pilot evaluation of the Healthy Start Home Visit Program for disadvantaged Chinese parents with preschool children, delivered by trained parent assistants. Home visiting was used to make services more accessible to disadvantaged families. Method: The participants included 21 parent-child dyads. Outcome measures…

  11. The Parent-Child Home Program in Western Manitoba: A 20-Year Evaluation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gfellner, Barbara M.; McLaren, Lorraine; Metcalfe, Arron

    2008-01-01

    This article is a 20-year evaluation of the Parent-Child Home Program (PCHP) of Child and Family Services in Western Manitoba. Following Levenstein's (1979, 1988) approach, home visitors model parent-child interchanges using books and toys to enhance children's cognitive development through appropriate parenting behaviors. The evaluation provides…

  12. Actualizing culture change: The Promoting Excellent Alternatives in Kansas Nursing Homes (PEAK 2.0) program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doll, Gayle A; Cornelison, Laci J; Rath, Heath; Syme, Maggie L

    2017-08-01

    Nursing homes have been challenged in their attempts to achieve deep, organizational change (i.e., culture change) aimed at providing quality of care and quality of life for nursing home residents through person-centered care. To attain deep change, 2 well-defined components must be in place: a shared understanding of (a) the what, or content goals, and (b) the how, or process of change. However, there are few examples of this at a macro or micro level in long-term care. In an effort to enact true culture change in nursing homes statewide, the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services implemented the Promoting Excellent Alternatives in Kansas Nursing Homes program. This program is a Medicaid, pay-for-performance program that formalizes the content and process of achieving culture change through person-centered care principles. This article aims to detail the content (what) and process (how) of a model macro-level program of culture change throughout the State of Kansas. Applications to the micro level (individual homes) are presented, and implications for psychologists' roles in facilitating culture change are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  13. Effects of a multifactorial falls prevention program for people with stroke returning home after rehabilitation: a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Batchelor, Frances A; Hill, Keith D; Mackintosh, Shylie F; Said, Catherine M; Whitehead, Craig H

    2012-09-01

    To determine whether a multifactorial falls prevention program reduces falls in people with stroke at risk of recurrent falls and whether this program leads to improvements in gait, balance, strength, and fall-related efficacy. A single blind, multicenter, randomized controlled trial with 12-month follow-up. Participants were recruited after discharge from rehabilitation and followed up in the community. Participants (N=156) were people with stroke at risk of recurrent falls being discharged home from rehabilitation. Tailored multifactorial falls prevention program and usual care (n=71) or control (usual care, n=85). Primary outcomes were rate of falls and proportion of fallers. Secondary outcomes included injurious falls, falls risk, participation, activity, leg strength, gait speed, balance, and falls efficacy. There was no significant difference in fall rate (intervention: 1.89 falls/person-year, control: 1.76 falls/person-year, incidence rate ratio=1.10, P=.74) or the proportion of fallers between the groups (risk ratio=.83, 95% confidence interval=.60-1.14). There was no significant difference in injurious fall rate (intervention: .74 injurious falls/person-year, control: .49 injurious falls/person-year, incidence rate ratio=1.57, P=.25), and there were no significant differences between groups on any other secondary outcome. This multifactorial falls prevention program was not effective in reducing falls in people with stroke who are at risk of falls nor was it more effective than usual care in improving gait, balance, and strength in people with stroke. Further research is required to identify effective interventions for this high-risk group. Copyright © 2012 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Home-based Constraint Induced Movement Therapy Poststroke

    OpenAIRE

    Stephen Isbel HScD; Christine Chapparo PhD; David McConnell PhD; Judy Ranka PhD

    2014-01-01

    Background: This study examined the efficacy of a home-based Constraint Induced Movement Therapy (CI Therapy) protocol with eight poststroke survivors. Method: Eight ABA, single case experiments were conducted in the homes of poststroke survivors. The intervention comprised restraint of the intact upper limb in a mitt for 21 days combined with a home-based and self-directed daily activity regime. Motor changes were measured using The Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) and the Motor Activity L...

  15. Testing a two step Nursing intervention focused on decreasing rehospitalizations and nursing home sdmission post discharge from acute care

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rosted, Elizabeth Emilie; Poulsen, Ingrid; Hendriksen, Carsten

    2013-01-01

    Older adults are at high risk of readmission on discharge from the Acute Medical and Emergency Department (ED). This study examines the effect of a two-stage nursing assessment and intervention to address older adults' uncompensated problems and thus intend to prevent readmission and functional...... decline. A randomized controlled study was conducted. Included were 271 patients aged 70 and over admitted to an ED. A brief standardized nursing assessment and intervention was carried out after discharge and at follow-up. No effect was found on readmission to hospital, admission to nursing home......, or death but the intervention group was less likely to be at risk of depression after 180 days. Whether this method can be recommended needs further study as well as knowledge is needed as to the organization and to reveal older adults' experiences on follow-up after ED stay....

  16. Glow discharge based device for solving mazes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dubinov, Alexander E., E-mail: dubinov-ae@yandex.ru; Mironenko, Maxim S.; Selemir, Victor D. [Russian Federal Nuclear Center − All-Russian Scientific and Research Institute of Experimental Physics (RFNC-VNIIEF), Sarov, Nizhni Novgorod region 607188 (Russian Federation); Sarov Institute of Physics and Technology (SarFTI) of National Research Nuclear University “MEPhI,” Sarov, Nizhni Novgorod region 607188 (Russian Federation); Maksimov, Artem N.; Pylayev, Nikolay A. [Russian Federal Nuclear Center − All-Russian Scientific and Research Institute of Experimental Physics (RFNC-VNIIEF), Sarov, Nizhni Novgorod region 607188 (Russian Federation)

    2014-09-15

    A glow discharge based device for solving mazes has been designed and tested. The device consists of a gas discharge chamber and maze-transformer of radial-azimuth type. It allows changing of the maze pattern in a short period of time (within several minutes). The device has been tested with low pressure air. Once switched on, a glow discharge has been shown to find the shortest way through the maze from the very first attempt, even if there is a section with potential barrier for electrons on the way. It has been found that ionization waves (striations) can be excited in the maze along the length of the plasma channel. The dependancy of discharge voltage on the length of the optimal path through the maze has been measured. A reduction in discharge voltage with one or two potential barriers present has been found and explained. The dependency of the magnitude of discharge ignition voltage on the length of the optimal path through the maze has been measured. The reduction of the ignition voltage with the presence of one or two potential barriers has been observed and explained.

  17. [Maintaining patients' autonomy at home].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niang, Bénédicte; Coudre, Jean Pierre

    2015-01-01

    To maintain the flow of hospital discharges, the patient's return home with support from a home nursing service is important. If any difficulties are identified, there are various programmes or good practices which can be put into place. The future law on adapting society to ageing also comprises a scheme combining home assistance and nursing care.

  18. Fall risk factors in community-dwelling elderly who receive Medicaid-supported home- and community-based care services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamashita, Takashi; Jeon, Haesang; Bailer, A John; Nelson, Ian M; Mehdizadeh, Shahla

    2011-06-01

    This study identifies fall risk factors in an understudied population of older people who receive community-based care services. Data were collected from enrollees of Ohio's Medicaid home- and community-based waiver program (preadmission screening system providing options and resources today [PASSPORT]). A total of 23,182 participants receiving PASSPORT services in 2005/2006 was classified as fallers and nonfallers, and a variety of risk factors for falling was analyzed using logistic regressions. The following factors were identified as risk factors for falling: previous fall history, older age, White race, incontinence, higher number of medications, fewer numbers of activity of daily living limitations, unsteady gait, tremor, grasping strength, and absence of supervision. Identifying risk factors for the participants of a Medicaid home- and community-based waiver program are useful for a fall risk assessment, but it would be most helpful if the community-based care service programs incorporate measurements of known fall risk factors into their regular data collection, if not already included.

  19. Capacitor Discharge - A Capacitor Tutorial [video

    OpenAIRE

    Naval Postgraduate School Physics

    2014-01-01

    NPS Physics Physics Demonstrations Here's a capacitor discharge demonstrated by physicist Dr. Dernardo. Dr. D gives a nice capacitor lesson along with some fireworks. Charging and Discharging a Capacitor is dangerous. Do not try this at home. Dr. Bruce Denardo uses eleven 9V batteries, connected in series for a total of 99 creating a pretty large spark.

  20. The Natural History of Nursing Home Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Mary Ann; And Others

    1985-01-01

    Former nursing home residents (N=197) were followed for 2 years after discharge. Four subgroups of patients were identified on the basis of different patterns of survival and use of health care resources: those who returned home, died in nursing homes, transferred to hospitals, or transferred to other nursing homes. (NRB)

  1. Implementing the Namaste Care Program for residents with advanced dementia: exploring the perceptions of families and staff in UK care homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stacpoole, Min; Hockley, Jo; Thompsell, Amanda; Simard, Joyce; Volicer, Ladislav

    2017-10-01

    each other, seeing the person, and, enhanced well-being, emerged. Namaste Care can enrich the quality of life of older people with advanced dementia in care homes. The program was welcomed by care home staff and families, and was achieved with only modest expenditure and no change in staffing levels. The positive impact on residents quality of life influenced the well-being of family carers. Care staff found the changes in care enjoyable and rewarding. Namaste Care was valued for the benefits seen in residents; the improvement in relationships; and the shift towards a person-centred, relationship-based culture of care brought about by introducing the program. Namaste Care deserves further exploration and investigation including a randomised controlled trial.

  2. Quantifying Carbon and distributional benefits of solar home system programs in Bangladesh

    OpenAIRE

    Wang, Limin; Bandyopadhyay, Sushenjit; Cosgrove-Davies, Mac; Samad, Hussain

    2011-01-01

    Scaling-up adoption of renewable energy technology, such as solar home systems, to expand electricity access in developing countries can accelerate the transition to low-carbon economic development. Using a purposely collected national household survey, this study quantifies the carbon and distributional benefits of solar home system programs in Bangladesh. Three key findings are generated...

  3. Home-based care

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Mrs. Patience Edoho Samson-Akpan

    study was to ascertain the relationship between home-based care and quality of life of PLWHA in support groups in. Calabar South Local Government Area. A correlational design was utilized and a purposive sample of 74 PLWHA participated in the study. A self developed and well validated questionnaire was used for data ...

  4. Ten weeks of home-based exercise attenuates symptoms of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in breast cancer patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karen Y. Wonders

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this investigation was to determine if a structured, home-based exercise program was beneficial to reduce symptoms of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and improve quality of life (QOL. A total of 50 women who are breast cancer survivors and are listed in the Breast Cancer Registry of Greater Cincinnati database were recruited by mail. Participants were initially asked to complete the McGill QOL questionnaire and the Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs, before beginning a 10-week home-based exercise program. At the completion of the exercise program, subjects were asked again to complete the same two questionnaires. Pre- and post-intervention data were analyzed using a repeated measures ANOVA, at a significance level of α<0.05. Six individuals completed the investigation. Prior to the 10-week exercise program, participants described their pain as unpleasant skin sensations (Pre-HBEx, N=6, abnormally sensitive to touch (Pre-HBEx, N=6, and coming on suddenly in bursts for no apparent reason (Pre-HBEx, N=5. Following 10-weeks of exercise, participants reported experiencing less of these symptoms (Post- HBEx, N=3, 1, and 4 respectively; P=0.05. It was also determined that troublesome symp- toms were significantly reduced after 10- weeks of home-based exercise (P=0.05.

  5. Assessment of orofacial pain management in a pediatric emergency department and at home after discharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguilar de la Red, Yurena; Manrique Martín, Gema; Guerrero Marquez, Gloria; González Herrero, Concepción; Vázquez López, Paula; Míguez Navarro, Concepción

    2018-02-01

    An inadequate pain management is common in the emergency department. Our objective was to analyze pain management among children with an orofacial infection or trauma in the emergency department and to assess compliance and satisfaction with analgesia prescribed at discharge. Cross-sectional, observational and analytical study in children attending the emergency department for an orofacial infection or trauma over 2 months. Pain management in the emergency department, analgesia prescribed at home and, following a call to parents, treatment provided and its adequacy to control pain were registered. In total, 252patients (mean age: 4.5 years, SD: 3.89) were included. Pain assessment was recorded at the triage for 8.7%, and in the medical report, for 3.6%. Analgesia was administered to 41.3% in the emergency room. At discharge, no analgesia was prescribed to 13.9%; scheduled analgesia, to 25.4%; and as needed, to 60.3%. Pediatricians prescribed scheduled analgesia more frequently than surgeons (34.4% versus 16.5%, p Pain assessment and management was scarce in the emergency department. The most common prescription was as needed, contrary to what is recommended in the guidelines. Analgesic control worked better for trauma injuries than for infections. Sociedad Argentina de Pediatría

  6. Action dependent heuristic dynamic programming based residential energy scheduling with home energy inter-exchange

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu, Yancai; Liu, Derong; Wei, Qinglai

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • The algorithm is developed in the two-household energy management environment. • We develop the absent energy penalty cost for the first time. • The algorithm has ability to keep adapting in real-time operations. • Its application can lower total costs and achieve better load balancing. - Abstract: Residential energy scheduling is a hot topic nowadays in the background of energy saving and environmental protection worldwide. To achieve this objective, a new residential energy scheduling algorithm is developed for energy management, based on action dependent heuristic dynamic programming. The algorithm works under the circumstance of residential real-time pricing and two adjacent housing units with energy inter-exchange, which can reduce the overall cost and enhance renewable energy efficiency after long-term operation. It is designed to obtain the optimal control policy to manage the directions and amounts of electricity energy flux. The algorithm’s architecture is mainly constructed based on neural networks, denoting the learned characteristics in the linkage of layers. To get close to real situations, many constraints such as maximum charging/discharging power of batteries are taken into account. The absent energy penalty cost is developed for the first time as a part of the performance index function. When the environment changes, the residential energy scheduling algorithm gains new features and keeps adapting in real-time operations. Simulation results show that the developed algorithm is beneficial to energy conversation

  7. Ostomy Home Skills Program

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... kit contains: A booklet with information on the operation, home skills such as emptying and changing a pouch, problem solving, and home management. A DVD with demonstration of each skill Stoma ...

  8. Cost-effectiveness of a transitional pharmaceutical care program for patients discharged from the hospital

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    F. Karapinar-Çarkit (Fatma); R. van der Knaap (Ronald); Bouhannouch, F. (Fatiha); S.D. Borgsteede (Sander); M.J.A. Janssen (Marjo); Siegert, C.E.H. (Carl E. H.); T.C.G. Egberts (Toine C.G.); P.M.L.A. van den Bemt (Patricia); M.F. van Wier (Marieke); J.E. Bosmans (Judith)

    2017-01-01

    textabstractBackground To improve continuity of care at hospital admission and discharge and to decrease medication errors pharmaceutical care programs are developed. This study aims to determine the cost-effectiveness of the COACH program in comparison with usual care from a societal perspective.

  9. False Labor at Term in Singleton Pregnancies: Discharge After a Standardized Assessment and Perinatal Outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, David B; McIntire, Donald D; Leveno, Kenneth J

    2017-07-01

    To evaluate perinatal outcomes in women sent home with a diagnosis of false labor at term and assess the time interval to return for delivery. This was a prospective observational cohort study of women at 37 0/7 to 41 6/7 weeks of gestation without pre-existing medical complications who presented to our hospital-based triage unit with symptoms of labor and underwent a standardized evaluation. Women diagnosed as having false labor with a live singleton fetus in cephalic presentation without a prior cesarean delivery and sent home were compared with a group of similar women diagnosed to be in spontaneous labor. Women with hypertension, diabetes, and known fetal malformations were excluded. Using a perinatal composite outcome of respiratory insufficiency, intraventricular hemorrhage, culture-proven sepsis, Apgar score 3 or less at 5 minutes, phototherapy, and perinatal death, we tested the noninferiority of being sent home compared with being admitted for labor. The relationship of cervical dilatation to the time interval from discharge home to delivery was also analyzed. Between October 2012 and March 2016, a total of 3,949 women met inclusion criteria and were diagnosed with false labor, discharged, and returned to deliver, whereas 2,592 similar women were admitted in early labor. The mean interval from discharge to return was 4.9 days. Cesarean delivery rates were not different between the study groups-11% for both (P=.69), and the perinatal composite outcome rates were not significantly different between those sent home and those admitted-3.2% compared with 3.1% (P=.79). Women with more advanced cervical dilatation at discharge returned and delivered significantly earlier than those with less dilatation regardless of parity. Discharge with false labor at term after a standardized assessment in a triage unit was not associated with increased rates of adverse perinatal composite outcomes or cesarean delivery. The time interval to return for delivery was

  10. Cognitive Radio-based Home Area Networks

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sarijari, M.A.B.

    2016-01-01

    A future home area network (HAN) is envisaged to consist of a large number of devices that support various applications such as smart grid, security and safety systems, voice call, and video streaming. Most of these home devices are communicating based on various wireless networking technologies

  11. School- And Home-Based Drug Prevention: Environmental, Parent, and Child Risk Reduction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hahn, Ellen J.; Hall, Lynne A.; Rayens, Mary Kay; Myers, April V.; Bonnel, Galadriel

    2007-01-01

    The study purpose was to test the effect of a school- and home-based alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) prevention program on reducing environmental, parent, and child risk factors for ATOD use. The design was a three-group pretest-posttest with interviews at baseline and 1 and 6 months post-intervention. The sample was 126 parents and their…

  12. Greenbelt Homes Pilot Program: Summary of Building Envelope Retrofits, Planned HVAC Equipment Upgrades, and Energy Savings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wiehagen, J. [Partnership for Home Innovation, Upper Marlboro, MD (United States); Del Bianco, M. [Partnership for Home Innovation, Upper Marlboro, MD (United States); Mallay, D. [Partnership for Home Innovation, Upper Marlboro, MD (United States)

    2015-05-01

    In the fall of 2010, a multiyear pilot energy efficiency retrofit project was undertaken by Greenbelt Homes, Inc, (GHI) a 1,566 home cooperative of circa 1930 and 1940 homes in Greenbelt, Maryland. GHI established this pilot project to serve as a basis for decision making for the rollout of a decade-long community-wide upgrade program that will incorporate energy efficiency improvements to the building envelope and mechanical equipment. It presents a unique opportunity to evaluate and prioritize the wide-range of benefits of high-performance retrofits based on member experience with and acceptance of the retrofit measures implemented during the pilot project. Addressing the complex interactions between benefits, trade-offs, construction methods, project management implications, realistic upfront costs, financing, and other considerations, serves as a case study for energy retrofit projects to include high-performance technologies based on the long-term value to the homeowner. The pilot project focused on identifying the added costs and energy savings benefits of improvements.

  13. Ostomy Home Skills Program

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Overview The skills kit contains: A booklet with information on the operation, home skills such as emptying and changing a pouch, problem solving, and home management. A DVD with demonstration of each skill Stoma ...

  14. Cost-effectiveness of a transitional pharmaceutical care program for patients discharged from the hospital.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fatma Karapinar-Çarkıt

    Full Text Available To improve continuity of care at hospital admission and discharge and to decrease medication errors pharmaceutical care programs are developed. This study aims to determine the cost-effectiveness of the COACH program in comparison with usual care from a societal perspective.A controlled clinical trial was performed at the Internal Medicine department of a general teaching hospital. All admitted patients using at least one prescription drug were included. The COACH program consisted of medication reconciliation, patient counselling at discharge, and communication to healthcare providers in primary care. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with an unplanned rehospitalisation within three months after discharge. Also, the number of quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs was assessed. Cost data were collected using cost diaries. Uncertainty surrounding cost differences and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios between the groups was estimated by bootstrapping.In the COACH program, 168 patients were included and in usual care 151 patients. There was no significant difference in the proportion of patients with unplanned rehospitalisations (mean difference 0.17%, 95% CI -8.85;8.51, and in QALYs (mean difference -0.0085, 95% CI -0.0170;0.0001. Total costs for the COACH program were non-significantly lower than usual care (-€1160, 95% CI -3168;847. Cost-effectiveness planes showed that the program was not cost-effective compared with usual care for unplanned rehospitalisations and QALYs gained.The COACH program was not cost-effective in comparison with usual care. Future studies should focus on high risk patients and include other outcomes (e.g. adverse drug events as this may increase the chances of a cost-effective intervention. Dutch trial register NTR1519.

  15. Work-Related Stressors Among Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Home Visitors: A Qualitative Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alitz, Paige J; Geary, Shana; Birriel, Pamela C; Sayi, Takudzwa; Ramakrishnan, Rema; Balogun, Omotola; Salloum, Alison; Marshall, Jennifer T

    2018-05-31

    Background The Florida Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program delivers evidence-based home visiting services to over 1400 families each year. Home visitors are integral in providing resources for families to promote healthy pregnancy, child development, family wellness, and self-sufficiency. Due to the nature of this work, home visitors experience work-related pressures and stressors that can impact staff well-being and retention. Objectives The purpose of this study was to understand primary sources of work-related stress experienced by home visitors, subsequent effects on their engagement with program participants, and to learn of coping mechanisms used to manage stress. Methods In 2015, Florida MIECHV program evaluators conducted ten focus groups with 49 home visitors during which they ranked and discussed their top sources of work-related stress. Qualitative analysis was conducted to identify emergent themes in work-related stressors and coping/supports. Results Across all sites, the burden of paperwork and data entry were the highest ranked work-related stressors perceived as interfering with home visitors' engagement with participants. The second-highest ranked stressors included caseload management, followed by a lack of resources for families, and dangerous environments. Home visitors reported gratification in their helping relationships families, and relied on coworkers or supervisors as primary sources of workplace support along with self-care (e.g. mini-vacations, recreation, and counseling). Conclusions for practice Florida MIECHV home visitors across all ten focus groups shared similar work-related stressors that they felt diminished engagement with program participants and could impact participant and staff retention. In response, Florida MIECHV increased resources to support home visitor compensation and reduce caseloads, and obtained a competitive award from HRSA to implement a mindfulness-based stress reduction

  16. Wildfire ignition resistant home design(WIRHD) program: Full-scale testing and demonstration final report.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Quarles, Stephen, L.; Sindelar, Melissa

    2011-12-13

    The primary goal of the Wildfire ignition resistant home design(WIRHD) program was to develop a home evaluation tool that could assess the ignition potential of a structure subjected to wildfire exposures. This report describes the tests that were conducted, summarizes the results, and discusses the implications of these results with regard to the vulnerabilities to homes and buildings.

  17. Cost-effectiveness of a transitional pharmaceutical care program for patients discharged from the hospital

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Karapinar-Çarkıt, Fatma; van der Knaap, Ronald; Bouhannouch, Fatiha; Borgsteede, Sander D; Janssen, Marjo J A; Siegert, Carl E H; Egberts, Toine C G; van den Bemt, Patricia M L A; van Wier, Marieke F; Bosmans, Judith E

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: To improve continuity of care at hospital admission and discharge and to decrease medication errors pharmaceutical care programs are developed. This study aims to determine the cost-effectiveness of the COACH program in comparison with usual care from a societal perspective. METHODS: A

  18. The Impact of Discharge Disposition on Episode-of-Care Reimbursement After Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sabeh, Karim G; Rosas, Samuel; Buller, Leonard T; Roche, Martin W; Hernandez, Victor H

    2017-10-01

    Total joint arthroplasty (TJA) accounts for more Medicare expenditure than any other inpatient procedure. The Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement model was introduced to decrease cost and improve quality in TJA. The largest portion of episode-of-care costs occurs after discharge. This study sought to quantify the cost variation of primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) according to discharge disposition. The Medicare and Humana claims databases were used to extract charges and reimbursements to compare day-of-surgery and 91-day postoperative costs simulating episode-of-care reimbursements. Of the patients who underwent primary THA, 257,120 were identified (204,912 from Medicare and 52,208 from Humana). Patients were stratified by discharge disposition: home with home health, skilled nursing facility, or inpatient rehabilitation facility. There is a significant difference in the episode-of-care costs according to discharge disposition, with discharge to an inpatient rehabilitation facility the most costly and discharge to home the least costly. Postdischarge costs represent a sizeable portion of the overall expense in THA, and optimizing patients to allow safe discharge to home may help reduce the cost of THA. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Computer-based instrumentation for partial discharge detection in GIS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Md Enamul Haque; Ahmad Darus; Yaacob, M.M.; Halil Hussain; Feroz Ahmed

    2000-01-01

    Partial discharge is one of the prominent indicators of defects and insulation degradation in a Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS). Partial discharges (PD) have a harmful effect on the life of insulation of high voltage equipment. The PD detection using acoustic technique and subsequent analysis is currently an efficient method of performing non-destructive testing of GIS apparatus. A low cost PC-based acoustic PD detection instrument has been developed for the non-destructive diagnosis of GIS. This paper describes the development of a PC-based instrumentation system for partial discharge detection in GIS and some experimental results have also presented. (Author)

  20. Volume of Home and Community Based Services and...

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Volume of Home- and Community-Based Services and Time to Nursing-Home Placement The purpose of this study was to determine whether the volume of Home and Community...

  1. Maximizing post-stroke upper limb rehabilitation using a novel telerehabilitation interactive virtual reality system in the patient's home: study protocol of a randomized clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kairy, Dahlia; Veras, Mirella; Archambault, Philippe; Hernandez, Alejandro; Higgins, Johanne; Levin, Mindy F; Poissant, Lise; Raz, Amir; Kaizer, Franceen

    2016-03-01

    Telerehabilitation (TR), or the provision of rehabilitation services from a distance using telecommunication tools such as the Internet, can contribute to ensure that patients receive the best care at the right time. This study aims to assess the effect of an interactive virtual reality (VR) system that allows ongoing rehabilitation of the upper extremity (UE) following a stroke, while the person is in their own home, with offline monitoring and feedback from a therapist at a distance. A single-blind (evaluator is blind to group assignment) two-arm randomized controlled trial is proposed, with participants who have had a stroke and are no longer receiving rehabilitation services randomly allocated to: (1) 4-week written home exercise program, i.e. usual care discharge home program or (2) a 4-week home-based TR exercise program using VR in addition to usual care i.e. treatment group. Motor recovery of the UE will be assessed using the Fugl-Meyer Assessment-UE and the Box and Block tests. To determine the efficacy of the system in terms of functional recovery, the Motor Activity Log, a self-reported measure of UE use will be used. Impact on quality of life will be determined using the Stroke Impact Scale-16. Lastly, a preliminary cost-effectiveness analysis will be conducted using costs and outcomes for all groups. Findings will contribute to evidence regarding the use of TR and VR to provide stroke rehabilitation services from a distance. This approach can enhance continuity of care once patients are discharged from rehabilitation, in order to maximize their recovery beyond the current available services. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. 41 CFR 302-14.100 - How should we administer our home marketing incentive payment program?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... reduce your overall relocation costs. You must not make a home marketing incentive payment that exceeds... our home marketing incentive payment program? 302-14.100 Section 302-14.100 Public Contracts and... 14-HOME MARKETING INCENTIVE PAYMENTS Agency Responsibilities § 302-14.100 How should we administer...

  3. Ostomy Home Skills Program

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Validation Programs Accreditation, Verification, and Validation Programs Accredited Education Institutes ... Entering Resident Readiness Assessment Evidence-Based Decisions in ...

  4. Design and implementation of an integrated, continuous evaluation, and quality improvement system for a state-based home-visiting program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCabe, Bridget K; Potash, Dru; Omohundro, Ellen; Taylor, Cathy R

    2012-10-01

    To describe the design and implementation of an evaluation system to facilitate continuous quality improvement (CQI) and scientific evaluation in a statewide home visiting program, and to provide a summary of the system's progress in meeting intended outputs and short-term outcomes. Help Us Grow Successfully (HUGS) is a statewide home visiting program that provides services to at-risk pregnant/post-partum women, children (0-5 years), and their families. The program goals are to improve parenting skills and connect families to needed services and thus improve the health of the service population. The evaluation system is designed to: (1) integrate evaluation into daily workflow; (2) utilize standardized screening and evaluation tools; (3) facilitate a culture of CQI in program management; and, (4) facilitate scientifically rigorous evaluations. The review of the system's design and implementation occurred through a formative evaluation process (reach, dose, and fidelity). Data was collected through electronic and paper surveys, administrative data, and notes from management meetings, and medical chart review. In the design phase, four process and forty outcome measures were selected and are tracked using standardized screening and monitoring tools. During implementation, the reach and dose of training were adequate to successfully launch the evaluation/CQI system. All staff (n = 165) use the system for management of families; the supervisors (n = 18) use the system to track routine program activities. Data quality and availability is sufficient to support periodic program reviews at the region and state level. In the first 7 months, the HUGS evaluation system tracked 3,794 families (7,937 individuals). System use and acceptance is high. A successful implementation of a structured evaluation system with a strong CQI component is feasible in an existing, large statewide program. The evaluation/CQI system is an effective mechanism to drive modest change in management

  5. 75 FR 76293 - Medicare Program; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for Calendar Year 2011...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-12-08

    ... [CMS-1510-CN] RIN 0938-AP88 Medicare Program; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for... Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for Calendar Year 2011; Changes in Certification... effective as if they had been included in the Medicare Program; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate...

  6. Comparison of home and away-from-home physical activity using accelerometers and cellular network-based tracking devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramulu, Pradeep Y; Chan, Emilie S; Loyd, Tara L; Ferrucci, Luigi; Friedman, David S

    2012-08-01

    Measuring physical at home and away from home is essential for assessing health and well-being, and could help design interventions to increase physical activity. Here, we describe how physical activity at home and away from home can be quantified by combining information from cellular network-based tracking devices and accelerometers. Thirty-five working adults wore a cellular network-based tracking device and an accelerometer for 6 consecutive days and logged their travel away from home. Performance of the tracking device was determined using the travel log for reference. Tracking device and accelerometer data were merged to compare physical activity at home and away from home. The tracking device detected 98.6% of all away-from-home excursions, accurately measured time away from home and demonstrated few prolonged signal drop-out periods. Most physical activity took place away from home on weekdays, but not on weekends. Subjects were more physically active per unit of time while away from home, particularly on weekends. Cellular network-based tracking devices represent an alternative to global positioning systems for tracking location, and provide information easily integrated with accelerometers to determine where physical activity takes place. Promoting greater time spent away from home may increase physical activity.

  7. Determination of the plasma impedance of a glow discharge in carbon dioxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiselev, A. S.; Smirnov, E. A.

    2017-07-01

    In this work an expression for the dynamic resistance of a glow discharge flowing in long tubes is obtained and analyzed. The expression describes the physical processes occurring in the positive column of a glow discharge. The frequency dependences of the active and reactive components as well as the dynamic resistance module for the discharge conditions corresponding to CO2-lasers have been calculated. Based on the simulation results developed a computer program in the C# programming language for modeling the dynamic resistance discharge of glow discharge lasers.

  8. Impact of Post-Discharge Disposition on Risk and Causes of Readmission Following Liver and Pancreas Surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Qinyu; Merath, Katiuscha; Olsen, Griffin; Bagante, Fabio; Idrees, Jay J; Akgul, Ozgur; Cloyd, Jordan; Schmidt, Carl; Dillhoff, Mary; Beal, Eliza W; White, Susan; Pawlik, Timothy M

    2018-03-22

    The relationship between the post-discharge settings and the risk of readmission has not been well examined. We sought to identify the association between discharge destinations and readmission rates after liver and pancreas surgery. The 2013-2015 Medicare-Provider Analysis and Review (MEDPAR) database was reviewed to identify liver and pancreas surgical patients. Patients were subdivided into three groups based on discharge destination: home/self-care (HSC), home with home health assistance (HHA), and skilled nursing facility (SNF). The association between post-acute settings, readmission rates, and readmission causes was assessed. Among 15,141 liver or pancreas surgical patients, 60% (n = 9046) were HSC, 26.9% (n = 4071) were HHA, and 13.4% (n = 2024) were SNF. Older, female patients and patients with ≥ 2 comorbidities, ≥ 2 previous admissions, an emergent index admission, an index complication, and ≥ 5-day length of stay were more likely to be discharged to HHA or SNF compared to HSC (all P readmission, respectively. The HHA and SNF settings were also associated with a 33 and a 69% higher risk of 90-day readmission. There was no association between discharge destination and readmission causes. Among liver and pancreas surgical patients, HHA and SNF patients had a higher risk of readmission within 30 and 90 days. There was no difference in readmission causes and discharge settings. The association between discharge setting and the higher risk of readmission should be further evaluated as the healthcare system seeks to reduce readmission rates after surgery.

  9. Challenges for sustainability of home based economic activities in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Factors accountable for successful and sustainable home based economic activities were determined. Impacts of home based economic activities were found to be significant in the education of the children, income security and social welfare of families. The study emphasized home economic entrepreneurial education, ...

  10. Rationale for a home dialysis virtual ward: design and implementation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schachter, Michael E; Bargman, Joanne M; Copland, Michael; Hladunewich, Michelle; Tennankore, Karthik K; Levin, Adeera; Oliver, Matthew; Pauly, Robert P; Perl, Jeffrey; Zimmerman, Deborah; Chan, Christopher T

    2014-02-14

    Home-based renal replacement therapy (RRT) [peritoneal dialysis (PD) and home hemodialysis (HHD)] offers independent quality of life and clinical advantages compared to conventional in-center hemodialysis. However, follow-up may be less complete for home dialysis patients following a change in care settings such as post hospitalization. We aim to implement a Home Dialysis Virtual Ward (HDVW) strategy, which is targeted to minimize gaps of care. The HDVW Pilot Study will enroll consecutive PD and HHD patients who fulfilled any one of our inclusion criteria: 1. following discharge from hospital, 2. after interventional procedure(s), 3. prescription of anti-microbial agents, or 4. following completion of home dialysis training. Clinician-led telephone interviews are performed weekly for 2 weeks until VW discharge. Case-mix (modified Charlson Comorbidity Index), symptoms (the modified Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale) and patient satisfaction are assessed serially. The number of VW interventions relating to eight pre-specified domains will be measured. Adverse events such as re-hospitalization and health-services utilization will be ascertained through telephone follow-up after discharge from the VW at 2, 4, 12 weeks. The VW re-hospitalization rate will be compared with a contemporary cohort (matched for age, gender, renal replacement therapy and co-morbidities). Our protocol has been approved by research ethics board (UHN: 12-5397-AE). Written informed consent for participation in the study will be obtained from participants. This report serves as a blueprint for the design and implementation of a novel health service delivery model for home dialysis patients. The major goal of the HDVW initiative is to provide appropriate and effective supports to medically complex patients in a targeted window of vulnerability. (NCT01912001).

  11. CQI project improves discharge process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1998-08-01

    At Gibson Rehab Center in Williamsport, PA, a continuous quality improvement project to bolster the institution's discharge planning process has resulted in increased satisfaction and an award for quality. The 15-month project was spearheaded by a multidisciplinary team charged with identifying areas that had a significant impact on customer service and suggesting better ways of delivering that service. Among the changes the group suggested were establishing a weekly discharge planning group for new neuro patients, assigning a discharge coordinator for each treatment team, and creating an interdisciplinary communication sheet for the home health therapy staff.

  12. Predicting discharge destination after stroke: A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mees, Margot; Klein, Jelle; Yperzeele, Laetitia; Vanacker, Peter; Cras, Patrick

    2016-03-01

    Different factors have been studied and proven to significantly influence discharge destination of acute stroke patients after hospitalization. Few reviews have been published combining the results of these studies. Therefore we aim to present an overview of the studies conducted regarding these predicting factors. Through conducting a systematic review we aimed to study the different predictive factors influencing discharge destination of acute stroke patients after hospitalization. Nineteen articles were selected in accordance with the research question and inclusion criteria. The factors found were, according to their significance in the articles, subcategorized in age, gender, functional status, cognitive status, race and ethnicity, co morbidities, education, stroke characteristics, social and living situation. The main factors significantly associated with other than home discharge were functional dependence/comorbidities, neurocognitive dysfunction and previous living circumstances/marital status. A medium or large infarct is associated with institutionalization. The stroke volume is not associated with home discharge. The effect of other factors remain controversial and results differ between studies. These include: age, gender, race, affected hemisphere and availability of a caregiver not living at home. Factors such as education, hospital complications, geographic location and FIM progression during hospitalization have not been studied sufficiently. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. EXAMINING LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF AN INFANT MENTAL HEALTH HOME-BASED EARLY HEAD START PROGRAM ON FAMILY STRENGTHS AND RESILIENCE.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mckelvey, Lorraine; Schiffman, Rachel F; Brophy-Herb, Holly E; Bocknek, Erika London; Fitzgerald, Hiram E; Reischl, Thomas M; Hawver, Shelley; Cunningham Deluca, Mary

    2015-01-01

    Infant Mental Health based interventions aim to promote the healthy development of infants and toddlers through promoting healthy family functioning to foster supportive relationships between the young child and his or her important caregivers. This study examined impacts of an Infant Mental Health home-based Early Head Start (IMH-HB EHS) program on family functioning. The sample includes 152 low-income families in the Midwestern United States, expectant or parenting a child younger than 1 year of age, who were randomly assigned to receive IMH-HB EHS services (n = 75) or to a comparison condition (n = 77). Mothers who received IMH-HB EHS services reported healthier psychological and family functioning, outcomes that are consistent with the IMH focus, when their children were between the ages of 3 and 7 years of age. Specifically, mothers in the IMH-HB EHS group reported healthier family functioning and relationships, better coping skills needed to advocate for their families, and less stress in the parenting role versus those in the comparison condition. The study also examined support seeking coping, some of which changed differently over time based on program group assignment. Overall, findings suggest that the gains families achieve from participating in IMH-HB EHS services are maintained after services cease. © 2015 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

  14. Home-based Constraint Induced Movement Therapy Poststroke

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephen Isbel HScD

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Background: This study examined the efficacy of a home-based Constraint Induced Movement Therapy (CI Therapy protocol with eight poststroke survivors. Method: Eight ABA, single case experiments were conducted in the homes of poststroke survivors. The intervention comprised restraint of the intact upper limb in a mitt for 21 days combined with a home-based and self-directed daily activity regime. Motor changes were measured using The Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT and the Motor Activity Log (MAL. Results: Grouped results showed statistically and clinically significant differences on the WMFT (WMFT [timed items]: Mean 7.28 seconds, SEM 1.41, 95% CI 4.40 – 10.18, p = 0.000; WMFT (Functional Ability: z = -4.63, p = 0.000. Seven out of the eight participants exceeded the minimal detectable change on both subscales of the MAL. Conclusion: This study offers positive preliminary data regarding the feasibility of a home-based CI Therapy protocol. This requires further study through an appropriately powered control trial.

  15. Cost savings and enhanced hospice enrollment with a home-based palliative care program implemented as a hospice-private payer partnership.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerr, Christopher W; Donohue, Kathleen A; Tangeman, John C; Serehali, Amin M; Knodel, Sarah M; Grant, Pei C; Luczkiewicz, Debra L; Mylotte, Kathleen; Marien, Melanie J

    2014-12-01

    In the United States, 5% of the population is responsible for nearly half of all health care expenditures, with a large concentration of spending driven by individuals with expensive chronic conditions in their last year of life. Outpatient palliative care under the Medicare Hospice Benefit excludes a large proportion of the chronically ill and there is widespread recognition that innovative strategies must be developed to meet the needs of the seriously ill while reducing costs. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a home-based palliative care program, implemented through a hospice-private payer partnership, on health care costs and utilization. This was a prospective, observational database study where insurance enrollment and claims data were analyzed. The study population consisted of Home Connections (HC) program patients enrolled between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2012 who subsequently expired (n=149) and who were also Independent Health members. A control group (n=537) was derived using propensity-score matching. The primary outcome variable was overall costs within the last year of life. Costs were also examined at six months, three months, one month, and two weeks. Inpatient, outpatient, ancillary, professional, and pharmacy costs were compared between the two groups. Medical service utilization and hospice enrollment and length of stay were also evaluated. Cost savings were apparent in the last three months of life—$6,804 per member per month (PMPM) cost for palliative care participants versus $10,712 for usual care. During the last two weeks of life, total allowed PMPM was $6,674 versus $13,846 for usual care. Enhanced hospice entry (70% versus 25%) and longer length of stay in hospice (median 34 versus 9 days) were observed. Palliative care programs partnered with community hospice providers may achieve cost savings while helping provide care across the continuum.

  16. Extended architecture for home base stations with multimedia services

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Voicu, A.; Jarnikov, D.S.

    2011-01-01

    This paper describes the use of mobile access points (home node base stations, femtocells) for providing TV streaming to mobile devices inside the home. The research is focused on finding commonalities between architectures of the home node base station for different technologies. The result is a

  17. Hospital-based home care for children with cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansson, Eva Helena; Kjaergaard, H; Schmiegelow, K

    2012-01-01

    , as it decreased the strain on the family and the ill child, maintained normality and an ordinary everyday life and fulfilled the need for safety and security. According to family members of children with cancer, hospital-based home care support enhanced their quality of life during the child's cancer trajectory......The study aims to describe the experiences of a hospital-based home care programme in the families of children with cancer. Fourteen parents, representing 10 families, were interviewed about their experiences of a hospital-based home care programme during a 4-month period in 2009 at a university...... hospital in Denmark. Five children participated in all or part of the interview. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using qualitative content analysis. The findings indicate that hospital-based home care enabled the families to remain intact throughout the course of treatment...

  18. An Early Look at Families and Local Programs in the Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation-Strong Start: Third Annual Report. OPRE Report 2016-37

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Helen; Crowne, Sarah; Faucetta, Kristen; Hughes, Rebecca

    2016-01-01

    The Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation-Strong Start (MIHOPE-Strong Start) is the largest random assignment study to date to examine the effectiveness of home visiting services on improving birth outcomes and infant and maternal health care use for expectant mothers. The study includes local home visiting programs that use one of…

  19. CAREGIVER COMPLIANCE WITH PHYSICAL THERAPY HOME PROGRAM: A PILOT STUDY IN PEDIATRIC OUTPATIENT CLINICS IN KUWAIT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maryam M. Almandil

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: Compliance depends on the caregiver and the health care professional committing to the same objectives.Compliance with the prescribed physical therapy (PT home program is a significant contributor to treatment success. Methods: One hundred caregivers were invited to fill in a questionnaire after the explanation of the procedure, and signing the consent form. The questionnaire explored factors affecting compliance including nature of the exercise, physical and emotional stresses on the caregiver, and the role of PT in teaching and counseling the caregiver. Result: Ninety-one participants out of the 100 were committed to administering the exercises with their children. Despite this, there was a discrepancy in either the frequency of repeating the exercises per day or the content of the exercise program when compared with the exercise program prescribed by the therapist. Some of the primary reasons for these differences were the pain experienced by the child when exercising (71%, having other family commitments (57%, not having the time to administer the home program (37%, and lacking skills or equipment to administer the exercises (34%. Conclusion: Adherence to treatment is a complex act that requires an understanding of treatment approach, having the confidence in one’s skills to administer the unsupervised home program and the existence of a support system both in the hospital and at home that can provide aid when needed. It is the PT role to address all these issues when prescribing a home program to meet treatment objectives.

  20. HOME CARE NURSES’ ROLES IN ENHANCING QUALITY OF NURSING CARE FOR PATIENTS AT HOME: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY

    OpenAIRE

    Titan Ligita

    2017-01-01

    Background: Provision of health care service at home is one of the advanced forms of care for patients being discharged from hospitalization. Little is known about the experience of nurses providing home care services through a nursing home-care model especially in Indonesian context. Objective: This study aims to explore the experience in order to increase understanding on the form of home care provision, and consequently the nurses may understand the form of home care globally. Metho...

  1. Competition and quality in home health care markets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Kyoungrae; Polsky, Daniel

    2014-03-01

    Market-based solutions are often proposed to improve health care quality; yet evidence on the role of competition in quality in non-hospital settings is sparse. We examine the relationship between competition and quality in home health care. This market is different from other markets in that service delivery takes place in patients' homes, which implies low costs of market entry and exit for agencies. We use 6 years of panel data for Medicare beneficiaries during the early 2000s. We identify the competition effect from within-market variation in competition over time. We analyze three quality measures: functional improvements, the number of home health visits, and discharges without hospitalization. We find that the relationship between competition and home health quality is nonlinear and its pattern differs by quality measure. Competition has positive effects on functional improvements and the number of visits in most ranges, but in the most competitive markets, functional outcomes and the number of visits slightly drop. Competition has a negative effect on discharges without hospitalization that is strongest in the most competitive markets. This finding is different from prior research on hospital markets and suggests that market-specific environments should be considered in developing polices to promote competition. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  2. COMPETITION AND QUALITY IN HOME HEALTH CARE MARKETS†

    Science.gov (United States)

    JUNG, KYOUNGRAE; POLSKY, DANIEL

    2013-01-01

    SUMMARY Market-based solutions are often proposed to improve health care quality; yet evidence on the role of competition in quality in non-hospital settings is sparse. We examine the relationship between competition and quality in home health care. This market is different from other markets in that service delivery takes place in patients’ homes, which implies low costs of market entry and exit for agencies. We use 6 years of panel data for Medicare beneficiaries during the early 2000s. We identify the competition effect from within-market variation in competition over time. We analyze three quality measures: functional improvements, the number of home health visits, and discharges without hospitalization. We find that the relationship between competition and home health quality is nonlinear and its pattern differs by quality measure. Competition has positive effects on functional improvements and the number of visits in most ranges, but in the most competitive markets, functional outcomes and the number of visits slightly drop. Competition has a negative effect on discharges without hospitalization that is strongest in the most competitive markets. This finding is different from prior research on hospital markets and suggests that market-specific environments should be considered in developing polices to promote competition. PMID:23670849

  3. Integrating Parenting Support Within and Beyond the Pediatric Medical Home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linton, Julie M; Stockton, Maria Paz; Andrade, Berta; Daniel, Stephanie

    2018-01-01

    Positive parenting programs, developmental support services, and evidence-based home visiting programs can effectively provide parenting support and improve health and developmental outcomes for at-risk children. Few models, however, have integrated referrals for on-site support and home visiting programs into the provision of routine pediatric care within a medical home. This article describes an innovative approach, through partnership with a community-based organization, to deliver on-site and home visiting support services for children and families within and beyond the medical home. Our model offers a system of on-site services, including parenting, behavior, and/or development support, with optional intensive home visiting services. Assessment included description of the population served, delineation of services provided, and qualitative identification of key themes of the impact of services, illustrated by case examples. This replicable model describes untapped potential of the pediatric medical home as a springboard to mitigate risk and optimize children's health and development.

  4. Impact of a Post-Discharge Integrated Disease Management Program on COPD Hospital Readmissions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Russo, Ashlee N; Sathiyamoorthy, Gayathri; Lau, Chris; Saygin, Didem; Han, Xiaozhen; Wang, Xiao-Feng; Rice, Richard; Aboussouan, Loutfi S; Stoller, James K; Hatipoğlu, Umur

    2017-11-01

    Readmission following a hospitalization for COPD is associated with significant health-care expenditure. A multicomponent COPD post-discharge integrated disease management program was implemented at the Cleveland Clinic to improve the care of patients with COPD and reduce readmissions. This retrospective study reports our experience with the program. Groups of subjects who were exposed to different components of the program were compared regarding their readmission rates. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to build predictive models for 30- and 90-d readmission. One hundred sixty subjects completed a 90-d follow-up, of which, 67 attended the exacerbation clinic, 16 subjects received care coordination, 51 subjects completed both, and 26 subjects did not participate in any component despite referral. Thirty- and 90-d readmission rates for the entire group were 18.1 and 46.2%, respectively. Thirty- and 90-d readmission rates for the individual groups were: exacerbation clinic, 11.9 and 35.8%; care coordination, 25.0 and 50.0%; both, 19.6 and 41.2%; and neither, 26.9 and 80.8%, respectively. The model with the best predictive ability for 30-d readmission risk included the number of hospitalizations within the previous year and use of noninvasive ventilation (C statistic of 0.84). The model for 90-d readmission risk included receiving any component of the post-discharge integrated disease management program, the number of hospitalizations, and primary care physician visits within the previous year (C statistic of 0.87). Receiving any component of a post-discharge integrated disease management program was associated with reduced 90-d readmission rate. Previous health-care utilization and lung function impairment were strong predictors of readmission. Copyright © 2017 by Daedalus Enterprises.

  5. A Study of Coherent Radiation Generated in an Ablative Capillary Discharge

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jakub Hübner

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Feasible soft-X-ray amplification in the CVI and NVII Balmer transition is investigated in a capillary discharge. The best conditions and parameters for the experimental set-up are found for an ablative capillary. The most optimistic results have shown that the gain would be greater than one, which is the condition for successful ASE (Amplified spontaneous emission in capillary discharges. The capillary discharge evolution is modeled using the NPINCH program, employing a one-dimensional physical model based on MHD equations. The information about the capillary discharge evolution is processed in the FLY, FLYPAPER, FLYSPEC programs, enabling the population to be modeled on specific levels during capillary discharge.

  6. WIRELESS HOME AUTOMATION SYSTEM BASED ON MICROCONTROLLER

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MUNA H. SALEH

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the development of Global System Mobile (GSM-based control home air-conditioner for home automation system. The main aim of the prototype development is to reduce electricity wastage. GSM module was used for receiving Short Message Service (SMS from the user’s mobile phone that automatically enable the controller to take any further action such as to switch ON and OFF the home air-conditioner. The system controls the air-conditioner based on the temperature reading through the sensor. Every period temperature sensor sends the degree to Micro Controller Unit (MCU through ZigBee. Based on temperature degree MCU send ON or OFF signal to switch. Additionally, system allows user to operate or shut down the airconditioner remotely through SMS.

  7. Reciprocal Learning in Partnership Practice: An Exploratory Study of a Home Visiting Program for Mothers with Depression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fowler, Cathrine; Dunston, Roger; Lee, Alison; Rossiter, Chris; McKenzie, Jo

    2012-01-01

    This paper reports on a small exploratory study that investigates the place and role of reciprocal learning within a partnership-based home visiting program for mothers experiencing depression. The study is one important example of an increased focus on reciprocal learning within practice that has significant implications for the development of…

  8. Post-Discharge Care Duration, Charges, and Outcomes Among Medicare Patients After Primary Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ponnusamy, Karthikeyan E; Naseer, Zan; El Dafrawy, Mostafa H; Okafor, Louis; Alexander, Clayton; Sterling, Robert S; Khanuja, Harpal S; Skolasky, Richard L

    2017-06-07

    In April 2016, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services initiated mandatory 90-day bundled payments for total hip and knee arthroplasty for much of the country. Our goal was to determine duration of care, 90-day charges, and readmission rates by discharge disposition and U.S. region after hip or knee arthroplasty. Using the 2008 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review database 100% sample, we identified patients who had undergone elective primary total hip or knee arthroplasty. We collected data on patient age, sex, comorbidities, U.S. Census region, discharge disposition, duration of care, 90-day charges, and readmission. Multivariate regression was used to assess factors associated with readmission (logistic) and charges (linear). Significance was set at p total hip arthroplasties were discharged to home (18%), home health care (34%), extended-care facilities (35%), and inpatient rehabilitation (13%); patients undergoing 329,233 total knee arthroplasties were discharged to home (21%), home health care (38%), extended-care facilities (31%), and inpatient rehabilitation (10%). Patients in the Northeast were more likely to be discharged to extended-care facilities or inpatient rehabilitation than patients in other regions. Patients in the West had the highest 90-day charges. Approximately 70% of patients were discharged home from extended-care facilities, whereas after inpatient rehabilitation, >50% of patients received home health care. Among those discharged to home, 90-day readmission rates were highest in the South (9.6%) for patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty and in the Midwest (8.7%) and the South (8.5%) for patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. Having ≥4 comorbidities, followed by discharge to inpatient rehabilitation or an extended-care facility, had the strongest associations with readmission, whereas the region of the West and the discharge disposition to inpatient rehabilitation had the strongest association with higher charges

  9. Effect of a Home Based Exercise Program on Postmenopausal Women’s Shoulder Girdle Muscle Strength for Women with Breast Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Akoochakian

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Introduction & Objective: Reducing in muscle strength of the shoulder girdle is a side effect of breast cancer treatment. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of 4 weeks of resistance and mobility training on the shoulder girdle strength of women with breast cancer. Materials & Methods: In this randomized clinical trial study twenty-seven postmenopausal women with breast cancer (mean age, 51±5.96 years, (mean height, 158.08±7.2 cm, (mean weight, 63.08±11.06 kg who underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, were purposefully selected and divided into two groups of intervention and control. Intervention group performed 4 weeks (4 sessions per week of resistance training with flex-band and stretch training at home, but the control group did not participate in any sports or physical program. Muscle strength before and after intervention was measured using a handheld dynamometer. The data were analyzed using ANCOVA. Results: Significant differences were seen between intervention and control groups in shoulder flexion, scapula abduction and upward rotation, shoulder internal rotation, shoulder external rotation, shoulder horizontal adduction and scapula depression and adduction strength, as all strength variables increased after 4 weeks exercise. Conclusion: Since strength plays an important role in ADL performance and shoulder girdle function in breast cancer survivors, it seems that muscle strength improvement following combined home based exercise program can help patients after treatment to easier and faster rehabilitation. (Sci J Hamadan Univ Med Sci 2014; 21 (3: 185-195

  10. [Early discharge of newborns: what problems should we anticipate?].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Straczek, H; Vieux, R; Hubert, C; Miton, A; Hascoet, J-M

    2008-06-01

    Following Nordic and Anglo-Saxon countries, France is directing towards an early discharge policy from maternity hospitals. French National Authority for Health has published recommendations focusing on the importance to highlight the dangers of such a policy so as to be able to anticipate them. To describe the complications diagnosed in the newborn infants from day 2 to the current hospital's discharge (noteworthy, if infants are discharged early, these complications may occur at home) to determine predictive factors and to validate those proposed by the French National Authority for Health. Prospective study conducted in the maternity ward of Nancy's level III facility, from January 6th to May 6th 2005. Nine hundred and three newborn infants were included. Forty-two (4.6%) presented with complications diagnosed from day 2 to hospital's discharge, among which 4 required urgent neonatal care. The most frequent complication was hyperbilirubinemia: 23 newborns were treated with phototherapy between day 2 and day 10. Statistically significant risk factors of hyperbilirubinemia after day 2 in multivariate analysis were instrumental vaginal delivery (OR=2.94; CI 95% [1.04-8.34]) and jaundice before day 2 (OR=7.39; CI 95% [2.66-20.55]). According to the French National Authority for Health's policy, 33 among 42 infants presenting with a complication would have been withdrawn from an early discharge program. In our population, French National Authority for Health's recommendations were relevant to guide an early discharge project.

  11. Who cares for the carers at hospital discharge at the end of life? A qualitative study of current practice in discharge planning and the potential value of using The Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool (CSNAT) Approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ewing, Gail; Austin, Lynn; Jones, Debra; Grande, Gunn

    2018-05-01

    Carer factors prevent patients achieving timely and appropriate hospital discharge. There is a lack of research into interventions to support carers at hospital discharge. To explore whether and how family carers are currently supported during patient discharge at end of life; to assess perceived benefits, acceptability and feasibility of using The Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool (CSNAT) Approach in the hospital setting to support carers. Qualitative. Three National Health Service Trusts in England: focus groups with 40 hospital and community-based practitioners and 22 carer interviews about experiences of carer support during hospital discharge and views of The CSNAT Approach. Two workshops brought together 14 practitioners and five carers to discuss implementation issues. Framework analysis was conducted. Current barriers to supporting carers at hospital discharge were an organisational focus on patients' needs, what practitioners perceived as carers' often 'unrealistic expectations' of end-of-life caregiving at home and lack of awareness of patients' end-of-life situation. The CSNAT Approach was viewed as enabling carer support and addressing difficulties of discussing the realities of supporting someone at home towards end of life. Implementation in hospital required organisational considerations of practitioner workload and training. To enhance carer support, a two-stage process of assessment and support (hospital with community follow-up) was suggested using the CSNAT as a carer-held record to manage the transition. This study identifies a novel intervention, which expands the focus of discharge planning to include assessment of carers' support needs at transition, potentially preventing breakdown of care at home and patient readmissions to hospital.

  12. Can the care transitions measure predict rehospitalization risk or home health nursing use of home healthcare patients?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryvicker, Miriam; McDonald, Margaret V; Trachtenberg, Melissa; Peng, Timothy R; Sridharan, Sridevi; Feldman, Penny H

    2013-01-01

    The Care Transitions Measure (CTM) was designed to assess the quality of patient transitions from the hospital. Many hospitals are using the measure to inform their efforts to improve transitional care. We sought to determine if the measure would have utility for home healthcare providers by predicting newly admitted patients at heightened risk for emergency department use, rehospitalization, or increased home health nursing visits. The CTM was administered to 495 home healthcare patients shortly after hospital discharge and home healthcare admission. Follow-up interviews were completed 30 and 60 days post hospital discharge. Interview data were supplemented with agency assessment and service use data. We did not find evidence that the CTM could predict home healthcare patients having an elevated risk for emergent care, rehospitalization, or higher home health nursing use. Because Medicare/Medicaid-certified home healthcare providers already use a comprehensive, mandated start of care assessment, the CTM may not provide them additional crucial information. Process and outcome measurement is increasingly becoming part of usual care. Selection of measures appropriate for each service setting requires thorough site-specific evaluation. In light of our findings, we cannot recommend the CTM as an additional measure in the home healthcare setting. © 2013 National Association for Healthcare Quality.

  13. Mental models of adherence: parallels in perceptions, values, and expectations in adherence to prescribed home exercise programs and other personal regimens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rizzo, Jon; Bell, Alexandra

    2018-05-09

    A mental model is the collection of an individual's perceptions, values, and expectations about a particular aspect of their life, which strongly influences behaviors. This study explored orthopedic outpatients mental models of adherence to prescribed home exercise programs and how they related to mental models of adherence to other types of personal regimens. The study followed an interpretive description qualitative design. Data were collected via two semi-structured interviews. Interview One focused on participants prior experiences adhering to personal regimens. Interview Two focused on experiences adhering to their current prescribed home exercise program. Data analysis followed a constant comparative method. Findings revealed similarity in perceptions, values, and expectations that informed individuals mental models of adherence to personal regimens and prescribed home exercise programs. Perceived realized results, expected results, perceived social supports, and value of convenience characterized mental models of adherence. Parallels between mental models of adherence for prescribed home exercise and other personal regimens suggest that patients adherence behavior to prescribed routines may be influenced by adherence experiences in other aspects of their lives. By gaining insight into patients adherence experiences, values, and expectations across life domains, clinicians may tailor supports that enhance home exercise adherence. Implications for Rehabilitation A mental model is the collection of an individual's perceptions, values, and expectations about a particular aspect of their life, which is based on prior experiences and strongly influences behaviors. This study demonstrated similarity in orthopedic outpatients mental models of adherence to prescribed home exercise programs and adherence to personal regimens in other aspects of their lives. Physical therapists should inquire about patients non-medical adherence experiences, as strategies patients

  14. Effects of intensive home visiting programs for older people with poor health status: a systematic review.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bouman, A.; Rossum, E. van; Nelemans, P.; Kempen, G.I.J.M.; Knipschild, P.

    2008-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Home visiting programs have been developed aimed at improving the health and independent functioning of older people. Also, they intend to reduce hospital and nursing home admission and associated cost. A substantial number of studies have examined the effects of preventive home visiting

  15. Home Health Agency Characteristics and Quality Outcomes for Medicare Beneficiaries With Rehabilitation-Sensitive Conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mroz, Tracy M; Meadow, Ann; Colantuoni, Elizabeth; Leff, Bruce; Wolff, Jennifer L

    2018-06-01

    To examine associations between organizational characteristics of home health agencies (eg, profit status, rehabilitation therapy staffing model, size, and rurality) and quality outcomes in Medicare beneficiaries with rehabilitation-sensitive conditions, conditions for which occupational, physical, and/or speech therapy have the potential to improve functioning, prevent or slow substantial decline in functioning, or increase ability to remain at home safely. Retrospective analysis. Home health agencies. Fee-for-service beneficiaries (N=1,006,562) admitted to 9250 Medicare-certified home health agencies in 2009. Not applicable. Institutional admission during home health care, community discharge, and institutional admission within 30 days of discharge. Nonprofit (vs for-profit) home health agencies were more likely to discharge beneficiaries to the community (odds ratio [OR], 1.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13-1.33) and less likely to have beneficiaries incur institutional admissions within 30 days of discharge (OR, .93; 95% CI, .88-.97). Agencies in rural (vs urban) counties were less likely to discharge patients to the community (OR, .83; 95% CI, .77-.90) and more likely to have beneficiaries incur institutional admissions during home health (OR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.18-1.30) and within 30 days of discharge (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.10-1.22). Agencies with contract (vs in-house) therapy staff were less likely to discharge beneficiaries to the community (OR, .79, 95% CI, .70-.91) and more likely to have beneficiaries incur institutional admissions during home health (OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.03-1.15) and within 30 days of discharge (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.07-1.28). As payers continue to test and implement reimbursement mechanisms that seek to reward value over volume of services, greater attention should be paid to organizational factors that facilitate better coordinated, higher quality home health care for beneficiaries who may benefit from rehabilitation. Copyright © 2017

  16. A Report of the Home Based Working Conference, Learning Institute of North Carolina (LINC) (March 12-15, 1973).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Learning Inst. of North Carolina, Durham.

    The primary objective of this conference was to provide Head Start program representatives with information and descriptive materials on approaches to home-based education for preschool children with the parent as the focal point. Descriptions of six different programs outline objectives, services, advantages, and disadvantages, cost, evaluation…

  17. LHC@home takes centre stage : some of the people behind the CPSS and LHC@home programs

    CERN Multimedia

    maximilien Brice

    2005-01-01

    From left to right: Frank Schmidt (AB), Jukka Klem (Helsinki Institute of Physics), Andreas Wagner (IT), Eric McIntosh (IT) and Ben Segal (IT). The program of LHC@home, which aims to use the computing power of PCs when the screen saver is activated, is being relauched as part of the World Year of Physics.

  18. The Future of Home Health project: developing the framework for health care at home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Teresa; Schiller, Jennifer

    2015-02-01

    In addition to providing high-quality care to vulnerable patient populations, home healthcare offers the least costly option for patients and the healthcare system, particularly in postacute care. As the baby boom generation ages, policymakers are expressing concerns about rising costs, variation in home healthcare service use, and program integrity. The Alliance for Home Health Quality and Innovation seeks to develop a research-based strategic framework for the future of home healthcare for older Americans and those with disabilities. This article describes the initiative and invites readers to provide comments and suggestions.

  19. Automated Clinical Assessment from Smart home-based Behavior Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dawadi, Prafulla Nath; Cook, Diane Joyce; Schmitter-Edgecombe, Maureen

    2016-01-01

    Smart home technologies offer potential benefits for assisting clinicians by automating health monitoring and well-being assessment. In this paper, we examine the actual benefits of smart home-based analysis by monitoring daily behaviour in the home and predicting standard clinical assessment scores of the residents. To accomplish this goal, we propose a Clinical Assessment using Activity Behavior (CAAB) approach to model a smart home resident’s daily behavior and predict the corresponding standard clinical assessment scores. CAAB uses statistical features that describe characteristics of a resident’s daily activity performance to train machine learning algorithms that predict the clinical assessment scores. We evaluate the performance of CAAB utilizing smart home sensor data collected from 18 smart homes over two years using prediction and classification-based experiments. In the prediction-based experiments, we obtain a statistically significant correlation (r = 0.72) between CAAB-predicted and clinician-provided cognitive assessment scores and a statistically significant correlation (r = 0.45) between CAAB-predicted and clinician-provided mobility scores. Similarly, for the classification-based experiments, we find CAAB has a classification accuracy of 72% while classifying cognitive assessment scores and 76% while classifying mobility scores. These prediction and classification results suggest that it is feasible to predict standard clinical scores using smart home sensor data and learning-based data analysis. PMID:26292348

  20. Internet-based home training is capable to improve balance in multiple sclerosis: a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frevel, D; Mäurer, M

    2015-02-01

    Balance disorders are common in multiple sclerosis. Aim of the study is to investigate the effectiveness of an Internet-based home training program (e-Training) to improve balance in patients with multiple sclerosis. A randomized, controlled study. Academic teaching hospital in cooperation with the therapeutic riding center Gut Üttingshof, Bad Mergentheim. Eighteen multiple sclerosis patients (mean EDSS 3,5) took part in the trial. Outcome of patients using e-Training (N.=9) was compared to the outcome of patients receiving hippotherapy (N.=9), which can be considered as an advanced concept for the improvement of balance and postural control in multiple sclerosis. After simple random allocation patients received hippotherapy or Internet-based home training (balance, postural control and strength training) twice a week for 12 weeks. Assessments were done before and after the intervention and included static and dynamic balance (primary outcome). Isometric muscle strength of the knee and trunk extension/flexion (dynamometer), walking capacity, fatigue and quality of life served as secondary outcome parameters. Both intervention groups showed comparable and highly significant improvement in static and dynamic balance capacity, no difference was seen between the both intervention groups. However looking at fatigue and quality of life only the group receiving hippotherapy improved significantly. Since e-Training shows even comparable effects to hippotherapy to improve balance, we believe that the established Internet-based home training program, specialized on balance and postural control training, is feasible for a balance and strength training in persons with multiple sclerosis. We demonstrated that Internet-based home training is possible in patients with multiple sclerosis.

  1. Effectiveness of a discharge education program in reducing the severity of postpartum depression: a randomized controlled evaluation study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Shiao-Ming; Heh, Shu-Shya; Jevitt, Cecilia M; Huang, Lian-Hua; Fu, Yu-Ying; Wang, Li-Lin

    2009-10-01

    The effectiveness of a hospital discharge education program including information on postnatal depression was evaluated to reduce psychological morbidity after childbirth. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted in a regional hospital in Taipei. Two hundred first-time mothers agreed to take part and were randomly allocated to an intervention group (n=100) or control group (n=100). The intervention group received discharge education on postnatal depression provided by postpartum ward nurses. The control group received general postpartum education. The main outcome measure was the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) administered by postal questionnaire at six weeks and three months after delivery. Women who received discharge education intervention on postnatal depression were less likely to have high depression scores when compared to the control group at three months postpartum. A discharge educational intervention including postnatal depression information given to women during the postpartum stay benefits psychological well-being. A postpartum discharge education program including information on postnatal depression should be integrated into postpartum discharge care in general practice. 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  2. The Bonneville Power Administration new energy-efficient homes programs: Final environmental impact statement: Volume 1, Assessing indoor air quality options

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1988-03-01

    BPA has underway marketing and incentive programs to encourage the construction of new energy-efficient homes that comply with Model Conservation Standards (MCS) developed by the Northwest Power Planning Council. These homes are designed to have lower infiltration rates than current building practices provide, which is likely to contribute to increased levels of indoor air pollutants, and may adversely affect the health of occupants. BPA's current and past new homes programs maintained ventilation rates comparable to those found in current practice homes by requiring balanced mechanical ventilation. BPA now proposes to give builders and consumers more flexibility by increasing the options for protecting indoor air quality in its new homes programs. This proposal is the impetus for this Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which was prepared for BPA by Pacific Northwest Laboratory. BPS is preparing this EIS to assess whether other techniques maintain indoor air quality comparable to that found in homes built using current practices. Although many pollutants are potentially of great concern, our analysis concentrates on radon and formaldehyde. It is based on measured concentrations of these pollutants and measured ventilation rates in current practice. Ventilation was measured using fan pressurization tests, which measure only air leakage, and perfluorocarbon tracer gas (PFT) tests, which account for ventilation from mechanical devices and occupant behavior in addition to air leakage. These tests yielded two different estimates. We used these data to estimate pollutant concentrations and lifetime cancer rates under three alternative actions. Under all of the alternatives, radon had a much greater effect than formaldehyde. 102 refs

  3. Improving Chronic Disease Self-Management by Older Home Health Patients through Community Health Coaching

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cheryl Dye

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of the study was to pilot test a model to reduce hospital readmissions and emergency department use of rural, older adults with chronic diseases discharged from home health services (HHS through the use of volunteers. The study’s priority population consistently experiences poorer health outcomes than their urban counterparts due in part to lower socioeconomic status, reduced access to health services, and incidence of chronic diseases. When they are hospitalized for complications due to poorly managed chronic diseases, they are frequently readmitted for the same conditions. This pilot study examines the use of volunteer community members who were trained as Health Coaches to mentor discharged HHS patients in following the self-care plan developed by their HHS RN; improving chronic disease self-management behaviors; reducing risk of falls, pneumonia, and flu; and accessing community resources. Program participants increased their ability to monitor and track their chronic health conditions, make positive lifestyle changes, and reduce incidents of falls, pneumonia and flu. Although differences in the ED and hospital admission rates after discharge from HHS between the treatment and comparison group (matched for gender, age, and chronic condition were not statistically significant, the treatment group’s rate was less than the comparison group thus suggesting a promising impact of the HC program (90 day: 263 comparison vs. 129 treatment; p = 0.65; 180 day 666.67 vs. 290.32; p = 0.19. The community health coach model offers a potential approach for improving the ability of discharged older home health patients to manage chronic conditions and ultimately reduce emergent care.

  4. HOME Income Limits

    Data.gov (United States)

    Department of Housing and Urban Development — HOME Income Limits are calculated using the same methodology that HUD uses for calculating the income limits for the Section 8 program. These limits are based on HUD...

  5. Understanding the agency of home-based care volunteers ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In traditional Zulu communities, caregiving is rooted in compassionate and hardworking personal identity precepts and the traditional identity expectations of women. Home-based-care volunteerism in the community represents the performance of this identity. Data from a series of interviews with 15 home-based care ...

  6. Ostomy Home Skills Program

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Program State Legislation Tracked by the College Maintenance of Certification Quality Quality Quality Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Program Physician Quality Reporting System Value-Based Payment Modifier Quality and Resource Use ...

  7. Sms-Based Home Management System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paing Soe Oo

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Mobile phones are widely used nowadays for different application such as wireless control and monitoring due to its availability and ease of use. The implemented system is based on global system mobile GSM network by using short message service SMS. The design mainly contains a GSM modem and Arduino Uno. In this work the system will be described how to manage and control home appliances using mobile phone people can use this system to do things in their home from a far place before they reach home. For instance user may controlmanage hisher home lighting door or water pump which needed in daily life in different area House Office or factory etc. when they are away from home. The user can check the condition in the home that light is on or off door is locked or unlocked water pump is on or off and so on. If the time taken for this appliances to perform a task is known that can also be set so that if the time elapsed the appliance will automatically switch off itself. The control is done by sending a specific SMS messages from smart phone to a SIM900 and Arduino Uno which is connected to the appliance once the message is received the SIM 900 will send the command to a microcontroller in Arduino for controlling the appliance appropriately. Also feedback status of three devices can be requested in designed system.

  8. Discharge destination's effect on bounce-back risk in Black, White, and Hispanic acute ischemic stroke patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kind, Amy J H; Smith, Maureen A; Liou, Jinn-Ing; Pandhi, Nancy; Frytak, Jennifer R; Finch, Michael D

    2010-02-01

    To determine whether racial and ethnic effects on bounce-back risk (ie, movement to settings of higher care intensity within 30 d of hospital discharge) in acute stroke patients vary depending on initial posthospital discharge destination. Retrospective analysis of administrative data. Four hundred twenty-two hospitals, southern/eastern United States. All Medicare beneficiaries 65 years or more with hospitalization for acute ischemic stroke within one of the 422 target hospitals during the years 1999 or 2000 (N=63,679). Not applicable. Adjusted predicted probabilities for discharge to and for bouncing back from each initial discharge site (ie, home, home with home health care, skilled nursing facility [SNF], or rehabilitation center) by race (ie, black, white, and Hispanic). Models included sociodemographics, comorbidities, stroke severity, and length of stay. Blacks and Hispanics were significantly more likely to be discharged to home health care (blacks=21% [95% confidence interval (CI), 19.9-22.8], Hispanic=19% [17.1-21.7] vs whites=16% [15.5-16.8]) and less likely to be discharged to SNFs (blacks=26% [95% CI, 23.6-29.3], Hispanics=28% [25.4-31.6] vs whites=33% [31.8-35.1]) than whites. However, blacks and Hispanics were significantly more likely to bounce back when discharged to SNFs than whites (blacks=26% [95% CI, 24.2-28.6], Hispanics=28% [24-32.6] vs whites=21% [20.3-21.9]). Hispanics had a lower risk of bouncing back when discharged home than either blacks or whites (Hispanics=14% [95% CI, 11.3-17] vs blacks=20% [18.4-22.2], whites=18% [16.8-18.3]). Patients discharged to home health care or rehabilitation centers demonstrated no significant differences in bounce-back risk. Racial/ethnic bounce-back risk differs depending on initial discharge destination. Additional research is needed to fully understand this variation in effect. Copyright 2010 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. 78 FR 41013 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for CY 2014...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-07-09

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 42 CFR Parts 431 [CMS-1450-CN] RIN 0938-AR52 Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate... period titled ``Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for CY...

  10. The effect of pay-for-performance in nursing homes: evidence from state Medicaid programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Werner, Rachel M; Konetzka, R Tamara; Polsky, Daniel

    2013-08-01

    Pay-for-performance (P4P) is commonly used to improve health care quality in the United States and is expected to be frequently implemented under the Affordable Care Act. However, evidence supporting its use is mixed with few large-scale, rigorous evaluations of P4P. This study tests the effect of P4P on quality of care in a large-scale setting-the implementation of P4P for nursing homes by state Medicaid agencies. 2001-2009 nursing home Minimum Data Set and Online Survey, Certification, and Reporting (OSCAR) datasets. Between 2001 and 2009, eight state Medicaid agencies adopted P4P programs in nursing homes. We use a difference-in-differences approach to test for changes in nursing home quality under P4P, taking advantage of the variation in timing of implementation across these eight states and using nursing homes in the 42 non-P4P states plus Washington, DC as contemporaneous controls. Quality improvement under P4P was inconsistent. While three clinical quality measures (the percent of residents being physically restrained, in moderate to severe pain, and developed pressure sores) improved with the implementation of P4P in states with P4P compared with states without P4P, other targeted quality measures either did not change or worsened. Of the two structural measures of quality that were tied to payment (total number of deficiencies and nurse staffing) deficiency rates worsened slightly under P4P while staffing levels did not change. Medicaid-based P4P in nursing homes did not result in consistent improvements in nursing home quality. Expectations for improvement in nursing home care under P4P should be tempered. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  11. Weatherization and Indoor Air Quality: Measured Impacts in Single Family Homes Under the Weatherization Assistance Program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pigg, Scott [Energy Center of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Cautley, Dan [Energy Center of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Francisco, Paul [Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL (United States); Hawkins, Beth A [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Brennan, Terry M [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2014-09-01

    This report summarizes findings from a national field study of indoor air quality parameters in homes treated under the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). The study involved testing and monitoring in 514 single-family homes (including mobile homes) located in 35 states and served by 88 local weatherization agencies.

  12. The practice of terminal discharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radha Krishna, Lalit Kumar; Murugam, Vengadasalam; Quah, Daniel Song Chiek

    2017-01-01

    'Terminal discharges' are carried out in Singapore for patients who wish to die at home. However, if due diligence is not exercised, parallels may be drawn with euthanasia. We present a theoretical discussion beginning with the definition of terminal discharges and the reasons why they are carried out in Singapore. By considering the intention behind terminal discharges and utilising a multidisciplinary team to deliberate on the clinical, social and ethical intricacies with a patient- and context-specific approach, euthanasia is avoided. It is hoped that this will provide a platform for professionals in palliative medicine to negotiate challenging issues when arranging a terminal discharge, so as to avoid the pitfall of committing euthanasia in a country such as Singapore where euthanasia is illegal. It is hoped that a set of guidelines for terminal discharges may someday be realised to assist professionals in Singapore and around the world.

  13. Age and weight at final discharge from an early discharge programme for stable but tube-fed preterm infants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ahnfeldt, A M; Stanchev, H.; Jørgensen, Henrik Løvendahl

    2015-01-01

    the programme (p difference in weight-for-age at discharge (p = 0.15), but infants in the early discharge group were more frequently fully or partly breastfed (88% versus 80%, p ... comparability of the two groups, weight-for-age at discharge was similar, but the programme appeared to allow better breastfeeding success at the expense of a later final discharge......., and during the programme, they received home visits by neonatal nurses. We evaluated the programme, focusing on the infants' well-being, using weight gain, breastfeeding rates and total duration of hospitalisation as outcomes. METHODS: Over an 11-year period, 500 infants participated in the programme...

  14. The effectiveness of a clinical and home-based physical activity program and simple lymphatic drainage in the prevention of breast cancer-related lymphedema: A prospective randomized controlled study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dönmez, Ayşe Arıkan; Kapucu, Sevgisun

    2017-12-01

    To investigate the effectiveness of a clinical and home-based, nurse-led physical activity program (PAP) and simple lymphatic drainage (SLD) in the prevention of breast cancer-related lymphedema. A total of 52 breast cancer patients were randomized to either a PAP and SLD program (n = 25) or a control group (n = 27). Patients in both groups were also provided training for lymphedema. The PAP and SLD were administered through home visits by the investigators, twice a week for six weeks, in the intervention group. The control group did not undergo intervention. The circumference of the upper extremity, symptom severity, and physical function were measured in both groups. The upper extremity circumference increased by about two times from the baseline, in the control group, especially in the sixth week (p breast cancer surgery, starting from before surgery and continuing until after, to prevent breast cancer-related lymphedema. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Evaluation of patients with stroke monitored by home care programs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Railka de Souza Oliveira

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to evaluate the patient with a stroke in home treatment, investigating physical capacity, mental status and anthropometric analysis. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Fortaleza/CE, from January to April of 2010. Sixty-one individuals monitored by a home care program of three tertiary hospitals were investigated, through interviews and the application of scales. The majority of individuals encountered were female (59%, elderly, bedridden, with a low educational level, a history of other stroke, a high degree of dependence for basic (73.8% and instrumental (80.3 % activities of daily living, and a low cognitive level (95.1%. Individuals also presented with tracheostomy, gastric feeding and urinary catheter, difficulty hearing, speaking, chewing, swallowing, and those making daily use of various medications. It was concluded that home care by nurses is an alternative for care of those individuals with a stroke.

  16. Evaluation of patients with stroke monitored by home care programs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Railka de Souza Oliveira

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to evaluate the patient with a stroke in home treatment, investigating physical capacity, mental status and anthropometric analysis. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Fortaleza/CE, from January to April of 2010. Sixty-one individuals monitored by a home care program of three tertiary hospitals were investigated, through interviews and the application of scales. The majority of individuals encountered were female (59%, elderly, bedridden, with a low educational level, a history of other stroke, a high degree of dependence for basic (73.8% and instrumental (80.3 % activities of daily living, and a low cognitive level (95.1%. Individuals also presented with tracheostomy, gastric feeding and urinary catheter, difficulty hearing, speaking, chewing, swallowing, and those making daily use of various medications. It was concluded that home care by nurses is an alternative for care of those individuals with a stroke.

  17. Improving patients' home cooking - A case series of participation in a remote culinary coaching program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polak, Rani; Pober, David M; Budd, Maggi A; Silver, Julie K; Phillips, Edward M; Abrahamson, Martin J

    2017-08-01

    This case series describes and examines the outcomes of a remote culinary coaching program aimed at improving nutrition through home cooking. Participants (n = 4) improved attitudes about the perceived ease of home cooking (p culinary skills (p = 0.02); and also improved in confidence to continue online learning of culinary skills and consume healthier food. We believe this program might be a viable response to the need for effective and scalable health-related culinary interventions.

  18. Parent-Child Relationships and Family Functioning of Children and Youth Discharged from Residential Mental Health Treatment or a Home-Based Alternative

    Science.gov (United States)

    Preyde, Michele; Cameron, Gary; Frensch, Karen; Adams, Gerald

    2011-01-01

    This report stems from a larger study on the outcomes of children and youth who accessed residential treatment or a home-based alternative. In this report an analysis of family descriptive information, the nature of family relationships, and indicators of family functioning for children and youth who have participated in children's mental health…

  19. Improving care transitions from hospital to home: standardized orders for home health nursing with remote telemonitoring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heeke, Sheila; Wood, Felecia; Schuck, Jennifer

    2014-01-01

    A task force at a multihospital health care system partnered with home health agencies to improve gaps during the discharge transition process. A standardized order template for home health nursing and remote telemonitoring was developed to decrease discrepancies in communication between hospital health care providers and home health nurses caring for patients with heart failure. Pilot results showed significantly improved communication with no readmissions, using the order template.

  20. Going to Bed with Captain Marvel and a Flashlight Is Not a Home Reading Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenfeld, Stuart

    1971-01-01

    Described is a home reading program for educationally disadvantaged elementary school children who need motivation to read at home. Principles of behavior change and parent role are the major motivation factors used in developing the children's reading ability. (CB)

  1. The Home as Workplace: Investigating Home Based Enterprises in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The research revealed the importance of home based enterprises as a major source of income generation and socialization in urban areas. Recommendations include the adoption of case-specific planning models, consideration of cultural contexts in planning and the adoption of local economic development strategies in ...

  2. Effect of a rehabilitation-based chronic disease management program targeting severe COPD exacerbations on readmission patterns

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lalmolda C

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available C Lalmolda,1–3 R Coll-Fernández,4 N Martínez,1 M Baré,5 M Teixidó Colet,5 F Epelde,6 E Monsó1–3 On behalf of the COPD Multidisciplinary Management Group 1Respiratory Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Parc Tauli, 2Ciber de Enfermedades Respiratorias – Ciberes, 3Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona – UAB, 4Rehabilitation Department, Hospital Universitari Parc Tauli, 5Primary Care Unit Vallés Occidental, Institut Català de la Salut, 6Short Stay Unit, Emergency Service, Hospital Universitari Parc Taulí, Barcelona, Spain Background: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR is recommended after a severe COPD exacerbation, but its short- and long-term effects on health care utilization have not been fully established. Aims: The aims of this study were to evaluate patient compliance with a chronic disease management (CDM program incorporating home-based exercise training as the main component after a severe COPD exacerbation and to determine its effects on health care utilization in the following year. Materials and methods: COPD patients with a severe exacerbation were included in a case-cohort study at admission. An intervention group participated in a nurse-supervised CDM program during the 2 months after discharge, comprising of home-based PR with exercise components directly supervised by a physiotherapist, while the remaining patients followed usual care.Results: Nineteen of the twenty-one participants (90.5% were compliant with the CDM program and were compared with 29 usual-care patients. Compliance with the program was associated with statistically significant reductions in admissions due to respiratory disease in the following year (median [interquartile range]: 0 [0–1] vs 1 [0–2.5]; P=0.022 and in days of admission (0 [0–7] vs 7 [0–12]; P=0.034, and multiple linear regression analysis confirmed the protective effect of the CDM program (β coefficient -0.785, P=0.014, and R2=0.219.Conclusion: A CDM program incorporating

  3. Quality management in home care: models for today's practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verhey, M P

    1996-01-01

    In less than a decade, home care providers have been a part of two major transitions in health care delivery. First, because of the advent of managed care and a shift from inpatient to community-based services, home care service delivery systems have experienced tremendous growth. Second, the principles and practices of total quality management and continuous quality improvement have permeated the organization, administration, and practice of home health care. Based on the work of Deming, Juran, and Crosby, the basic tenets of the new quality management philosophy involve a focus on the following five key areas: (1) systems and processes rather than individual performance; (2) involvement, collaboration, and empowerment; (3) internal and external "customers"; (4) data and measurement; and (5) standards, guidelines, and outcomes of care. Home care providers are among those in the forefront who are developing and implementing programs that integrate these foci into the delivery of quality home care services. This article provides a summary of current home care programs that address these five key areas of quality management philosophy and provide models for innovative quality management practice in home care. For further information about each program, readers are referred to the original reports in the home care and quality management journal literature, as cited herein.

  4. Red herring vaginal discharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jun Hee; Pringle, Kirsty; Rajimwale, Ashok

    2013-09-18

    Labial hair tourniquet syndrome is a rare condition that can be easily misdiagnosed and ultimately lead to irreversible damage. An 11-year-old premenarche girl presented with a 5-day history of pain and swelling in the labia with associated vaginal discharge. The general practitioner treated her with clotrimazole without improvement. On examination, there was an oedematous swelling of the right labia with a proximal hair tourniquet. Local anaesthetic was applied and the hair removed with forceps. There was instant relief of pain and the discharge stopped within 24 h. The patient was sent home with a course of antibiotics.

  5. Pilot States Program report: Home energy ratings systems and energy-efficient mortgages

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Farhar, B.

    2000-04-04

    This report covers the accomplishments of the home energy ratings systems/energy-efficient mortgages (HERS/EEMs) pilot states from 1993 through 1998, including such indicators as funding, ratings and EEMs achieved, active raters, and training and marketing activities. A brief description of each HERS program's evolution is included, as well as their directors' views of the programs' future prospects. Finally, an analysis is provided of successful HERS program characteristics and factors that appear to contribute to HERS program success.

  6. Factors related to home health-care transition in trisomy 13.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kitase, Yuma; Hayakawa, Masahiro; Kondo, Taiki; Saito, Akiko; Tachibana, Takashi; Oshiro, Makoto; Ieda, Kuniko; Kato, Eiko; Kato, Yuichi; Hattori, Tetsuo; Hayashi, Seiji; Ito, Masatoki; Hyodo, Reina; Muramatsu, Yukako; Sato, Yoshiaki

    2017-10-01

    Trisomy 13 (T13) is accompanied by severe complications, and it can be challenging to achieve long-term survival without aggressive treatment. However, recently, some patients with T13 have been receiving home care. We conducted this study to investigate factors related to home health-care transition for patients with T13.We studied 28 patients with T13 born between January 2000 and December 2014. We retrospectively compared nine home care transition patients (the home care group) and 19 patients that died during hospitalization (the discharge at death group). The median gestational age of the patients was 36.6 weeks, with a median birth weight of 2,047 g. Currently, three patients (11%) have survived, and 25 (89%) have died. The home care group exhibited a significantly longer gestational age (38.9 vs. 36.3 weeks, p = 0.039) and significantly larger occipitofrontal circumference Z score (-0.04 vs. -0.09, p = 0.019). Congenital heart defects (CHD) was more frequent in the discharge at death group, with six patients in the home care group and 18 patients in the discharge at death group (67% vs. 95%, p = 0.047), respectively. Survival time was significantly longer in the home care group than in the discharge at death group (171 vs. 19 days, p = 0.012). This study has shown that gestational age, occipitofrontal circumference Z score at birth, and the presence of CHD are helpful prognostic factors for determining treatment strategy in patients with T13. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Keys to the House: Unlocking Residential Savings With Program Models for Home Energy Upgrades

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grevatt, Jim [Energy Futures Group (United States); Hoffman, Ian [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Hoffmeyer, Dale [US Department of Energy, Washington, DC (United States)

    2017-07-05

    After more than 40 years of effort, energy efficiency program administrators and associated contractors still find it challenging to penetrate the home retrofit market, especially at levels commensurate with state and federal goals for energy savings and emissions reductions. Residential retrofit programs further have not coalesced around a reliably successful model. They still vary in design, implementation and performance, and they remain among the more difficult and costly options for acquiring savings in the residential sector. If programs are to contribute fully to meeting resource and policy objectives, administrators need to understand what program elements are key to acquiring residential savings as cost effectively as possible. To that end, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored a comprehensive review and analysis of home energy upgrade programs with proven track records, focusing on those with robustly verified savings and constituting good examples for replication. The study team reviewed evaluations for the period 2010 to 2014 for 134 programs that are funded by customers of investor-owned utilities. All are programs that promote multi-measure retrofits or major system upgrades. We paid particular attention to useful design and implementation features, costs, and savings for nearly 30 programs with rigorous evaluations of performance. This meta-analysis describes program models and implementation strategies for (1) direct install retrofits; (2) heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) replacement and early retirement; and (3) comprehensive, whole-home retrofits. We analyze costs and impacts of these program models, in terms of both energy savings and emissions avoided. These program models can be useful guides as states consider expanding their strategies for acquiring energy savings as a resource and for emissions reductions. We also discuss the challenges of using evaluations to create program models that can be confidently applied in

  8. Comparison of home- and gymnasium-based resistance training on ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Comparison of home- and gymnasium-based resistance training on flexibility in the ... which is especially essential in the maintenance of functional abilities of the ... the effects of a home- and gymnasium-based resistance training programme ...

  9. A sex risk reduction text-message program for young adult females discharged from the emergency department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suffoletto, Brian; Akers, Aletha; McGinnis, Kathleen A; Calabria, Jaclyn; Wiesenfeld, Harold C; Clark, Duncan B

    2013-09-01

    To pilot test a text message (SMS) sex risk reduction program among at-risk young adult female patients discharged from an emergency department (ED). A convenience sample of 52 female patients with hazardous drinking behavior and recent risky sexual encounters were recruited from an urban ED and randomized to the SMS program (n = 23) or a control group (n = 29). All participants completed a web-based questionnaire in the ED and at 3-month follow-up. For 12 weeks, SMS participants were asked to report whether they had a risky sexual encounter in the past week, received theory-based feedback, and were asked if they were willing set a goal to refrain from having another risky encounter. Thirty-nine percent of SMS participants completed all weeks of SMS reports, and noncompletion increasing from 12% on week 1 to a 33% by week 12. Three-month follow-up was completed in 56% of participants. In the intervention group, there was an increase in the proportion with condom use with last vaginal sex from 20% (95% CI 4%-48%) to 53% (95% CI 27%-79%) and an increase in always condom use over the past 28 days from 0% (95% CI 0%-22%) to 33% (95% CI 12%-62%). These changes were not statistically different from control participants. SMS programs may be useful to reduce risk for sexually transmitted diseases among at-risk young adults being discharged from the ED. Future trials should examine ways to improve adherence to SMS dialog over time and measure objective outcomes in a larger sample. Copyright © 2013 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. A Qualitative Evaluation of Engagement and Attrition in a Nurse Home Visiting Program: From the Participant and Provider Perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beasley, Lana O; Ridings, Leigh E; Smith, Tyler J; Shields, Jennifer D; Silovsky, Jane F; Beasley, William; Bard, David

    2018-05-01

    Beginning parenting programs in the prenatal and early postnatal periods have a large potential for impact on later child and maternal outcomes. Home-based parenting programs, such as the Nurse Family Partnership (NFP), have been established to help address this need. Program reach and impact is dependent on successful engagement of expecting mothers with significant risks; however, NFP attrition rates remain high. The current study qualitatively examined engagement and attrition from the perspectives of NFP nurses and mothers in order to identify mechanisms that enhance service engagement. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in focus groups composed of either engaged (27 total mothers) or unengaged (15 total mothers) mothers from the NFP program. NFP nurses (25 total nurses) were recruited for individual semi-structured interviews. Results suggest that understanding engagement in the NFP program requires addressing both initial and sustained engagement. Themes associated with enhanced initial engagement include nurse characteristics (e.g., flexible, supportive, caring) and establishment of a solid nurse-family relationship founded on these characteristics. Factors impacting sustained engagement include nurse characteristics, provision of educational materials on child development, individualized services for families, and available family support. Identified barriers to completing services include competing demands and lack of support. Findings of this study have direct relevance for workforce planning, including hiring and training through integrating results regarding effective nurse characteristics. Additional program supports to enhance parent engagement may be implemented across home-based parenting programs in light of the current study's findings.

  11. Nutritional variables predict chances of returning home and activities of daily living in post-acute geriatric care

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maeda, Keisuke; Koga, Takayuki; Akagi, Junji

    2018-01-01

    Background Little is known about the association between malnutrition and the chances of returning home from post-acute facilities in older adult patients. This study aimed to understand whether malnutrition and malnutrition-related factors would be determinants for returning home and activities of daily living (ADL) at discharge after post-acute care. Methods Patients aged ≥65 years living at home before the onset of an acute disease and admitted to a post-acute ward were enrolled (n=207) in this prospective observational study. Malnutrition was defined based on the criteria of the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Nutritional parameters included the nutritional intake at the time of admission and oral conditions evaluated by the Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT). The Barthel Index was used to assess daily activities. A Cox regression analysis of the length of stay was performed. Multivariable linear regression analyses to determine associations between malnutrition, returning home, and ADL at discharge were performed, after adjusting the variables of acute care setting. Results The mean patient age was 84.7±6.7 years; 38% were men. European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism-defined malnutrition was observed in 129 (62.3%) patients, and 118 (57.0%) of all patients returned home. Multivariable regression analyses showed that malnutrition was a negative predictor of returning home (hazard ratio: 0.517 [0.351–0.761], p=0.001), and an increase in the nutritional intake (kcal/kg/d) was a positive predictor of the Barthel Index at discharge (coefficient: 0.34±0.15, p=0.021). The OHAT was not associated with returning home and ADL. Conclusion Malnutrition and nutritional intake are associated with returning home and ADL at discharge, respectively, after post-acute care. Further studies investigating the effects of a nutritional intervention for post-acute patients would be necessary. PMID:29416323

  12. The Impact of a Home-Based Computerized Cognitive Training Intervention on Fall Risk Measure Performance in Community Dwelling Older Adults, a Pilot Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blackwood, J; Shubert, T; Fogarty, K; Chase, C

    2016-02-01

    Cognitive intervention studies have reported improvements in various domains of cognition as well as a transfer effect of improved function post training. Despite the availability of web based cognitive training programs, most intervention studies have been performed under the supervision of researchers. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to first, examine the feasibility of a six week home based computerized cognitive training (CCT) program in a group of community dwelling older adults and, second, to determine if a CCT program which focused on set shifting, attention, and visual spatial ability impacted fall risk measure performance. This pilot study used a pretest/posttest experimental design with randomization by testing site to an intervention or control group. Community dwelling older adults (mean age = 74.6 years) participated in either the control (N=25) or the intervention group (N=19). Intervention group subjects participated in 6 weeks of home based CCT 3x/week for an average of 23 minutes/session, using an online CCT program. Comparisons of mean scores on three measures of physical function (usual gait speed, five times sit to stand, timed up and go) were completed at baseline and week 7. Following the completion of an average of 18 sessions of CCT at home with good adherence (86%) and retention (92%) rates, a statistically significant difference in gait speed was found between groups with an average improvement of 0.14 m/s in the intervention group. A home based CCT program is a feasible approach to targeting cognitive impairments known to influence fall risk and changes in gait in older adults.

  13. What happens to stroke patients after hospital discharge?

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Noone, I

    2001-05-01

    Of 231 stroke patients discharged from hospital, 34 patients (14.7%) had died when reviewed 6 months later. Of 195 survivors, 115 (58%) were independent and living in the community. The remaining 80 (42%) patients were dependent. The majority of dependent patients were in institutional care but 29 (36%) were residing in the community of whom a substantial number were not receiving physiotherapy, occupational therapy or day care. Patients who were dependent in nursing homes were less likely to have received physiotherapy (48% versus 70%) or occupational therapy (28% versus 60%) compared to disabled patients in hospital based extended nursing care. 45 patients (24%) had been re-admitted to hospital although only 48% of patients had been reviewed in hospital outpatients since discharge. 64% of patients were on anti-thrombotic treatment. This survey suggests that 6 months after hospital discharge, most stroke patients are still alive and living in the community. Many of the dependent survivors have ongoing unmet medical and rehabilitation needs.

  14. [Effects of an inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program on dyspnea, exercise capacity, and health related quality of life for patients with chronic lung disease].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Chang Kwan

    2007-04-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program on dyspnea, exercise capacity, and health related quality of life in inpatients with chronic lung disease. This quasi experimental study was designed with a nonequivalent control group pre-post test time series. Twenty three patients were assigned to the experimental group and nineteen to the control group. The inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program was composed of upper and lower extremity exercise, breathing retraining, inspiratory muscle training, education, relaxation and telephone contacts. This program consisted of 4 sessions with inpatients and 4 weeks at home after discharge. The control group was given a home based pulmonary rehabilitation program at the time of discharge. The outcomes were measured by the Borg score, 6MWD and the Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire(CRQ). There was a statistically significant difference in dyspnea between the experimental group and control group, but not among time sequence, or interaction between groups and time sequence. Also significant improvements in exercise capacity and health related quality of life were found only in the experimental group. An Inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program may be a useful intervention to reduce dyspnea, and increase exercise capacity and health related quality of life for chronic lung disease patients.

  15. Searching for ET with Help from Three Million Volunteers: The SETI@Home, Serendip, Sevendip and Spck SETI Programs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Werthimer, Dan; Anderson, David; Bowyer, Stuart; Cobb, Jeff; Demorest, Paul

    2002-01-01

    We summarize results from two radio and two optical SETI programs based at the University of California, Berkeley. We discuss the most promising candidate signals from these searches and present plans for future SETI searches, including SERENDIP V and SETI@home II. The ongoing SERENDIP sky survey searches for radio signals at the 300 meter Arecibo Observatory. SERENDIP IV uses a 168 million channel spectrum analyser and a dedicated receiver to take data 24 hours a day, year round. The sky survey covers a 100 MHz band centered at the 21 cm line (1420 MHz) and declinations from -2 to +38 degrees. SETI@home uses desktop computers of 3.5 million volunteers to analyse 50 Terabytes of data taken at Arecibo. The SETI@home sky survey is 10 times more sensitive and searches a much wider variety of signal types than SERRENDIP IV but covers only a 2.5 MHz band. SETI@home is the planet's largest supercomputer, averaging 25 Tflops. SETI@home participants have contributed over a million years of computing time so far. The SEVENDIP optical pulse search looks for nS time scale pulses at optical wavelengths. It utilizes an automated 30 inch telescope, three ultra fast photo multiplier tubes and a coincidence detector. The target list includes F,G,K and M stars, globular cluster and galaxies. The SPOCK optical SETI program searches for narrow band continuous signals using spectra taken by Marcy and his colleagues in their planet search at Keck observatory.

  16. Preventing deaths from rising opioid overdose in the US – the promise of naloxone antidote in community-based naloxone take-home programs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Straus MM

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Michele M Straus, Udi E Ghitza, Betty Tai Center for the Clinical Trials Network, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA Abstract: The opioid overdose epidemic is an alarming and serious public health problem in the United States (US that has been escalating for 11 years. The 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH demonstrated that 1 in 20 persons in the US aged 12 or older reported nonmedical use of prescription painkillers in the past year. Prescription drug overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death in the United States – surpassing motor vehicle accidents. Great efforts have been initiated to curb the overdose crisis. Notable examples of these efforts are (1 the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA National Take-Back Initiative instituted in 2010; (2 the Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs implemented in most US states to provide practitioners with point-of-care information regarding a patient's controlled substance use; (3 the naloxone rescue programs initiated in the community to avert mortality resulting from overdose. The use of naloxone rescue strategies has gained traction as an effective measure to prevent fatal opioid overdose. Many US federal-government agencies are working to make these strategies more accessible to first responders and community participants. This new approach faces many challenges, such as accessibility to naloxone and the equipment and training needed to administer it, but none is more challenging than the fear of legal repercussions. US federal-government agencies, local governments, health care institutions, and community-based organizations have begun to tackle these barriers, and naloxone take-home programs have gained recognition as a feasible and sensible preventive strategy to avoid a fatal result from opioid overdose. Although many challenges still need to be overcome

  17. Medicaid 1915(c) Home- and Community-Based Services Waivers for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

    Science.gov (United States)

    Velott, Diana L.; Agbese, Edeanya; Mandell, David; Stein, Bradley D.; Dick, Andrew W.; Yu, Hao; Leslie, Douglas L.

    2016-01-01

    This research aims to describe the characteristics of 1915(c) Home- and Community-Based Services waivers for children with autism spectrum disorder across states and over time. While increasingly popular, little is known about these Medicaid waivers. Understanding the characteristics of these programs is important to clinicians and policymakers in…

  18. Development of a hospital-based care coordination program for children with special health care needs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petitgout, Janine M; Pelzer, Daniel E; McConkey, Stacy A; Hanrahan, Kirsten

    2013-01-01

    A hospital-based Continuity of Care program for children with special health care needs is described. A family-centered team approach provides care coordination and a medical home. The program has grown during the past 10 years to include inpatients and outpatients from multiple services and outreach clinics. Improved outcomes, including decreased length of stay, decreased cost, and high family satisfaction, are demonstrated by participants in the program. Pediatric nurse practitioners play an important role in the medical home, collaborating with primary care providers, hospital-based specialists, community services, and social workers to provide services to children with special health care needs. Copyright © 2013 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Fair cost distribution among smart homes with microgrid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Di; Liu, Songsong; Papageorgiou, Lazaros G.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Work aims at fair cost distribution among smart homes with microgrid. • An MILP-based approach is adopted based on lexicographic minimax method. • Domestic appliances from multiple smart homes are scheduled. • Results from two illustrative examples indicate fair cost distribution. - Abstract: Microgrid is composed of a set of distributed energy resources (DER) and is considered as an alternative energy providing system to the current centralised energy generation. Smart homes equipped with smart grid technology, such as smart meter and communication system, are becoming popular for their lower energy cost and provision of comfort. Flexible energy-consuming household tasks can be scheduled coordinately among multiple homes which share the common microgrid. When local DERs cannot fulfill the whole demand, smart homes will compete with each other to obtain energy from local DERs and achieve their respective lowest energy cost. In this paper, a mathematical programming formulation is presented for the fair cost distribution among smart homes with microgrid. The proposed model is based on the lexicographic minimax method using a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) approach. One-day forecasted energy cost of each smart home is minimised under fairness concern. DER operation, DER output sharing among smart homes and electricity consumption household tasks are scheduled. Two numerical examples with 10 and 50 smart homes are studied. The computational results illustrate that the proposed approach can obtain obvious cost savings (30% and 24% respectively) and fair cost distribution among multiple homes under given fairness scenario

  20. An Ontology-based Context-aware System for Smart Homes: E-care@home

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marjan Alirezaie

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Smart home environments have a significant potential to provide for long-term monitoring of users with special needs in order to promote the possibility to age at home. Such environments are typically equipped with a number of heterogeneous sensors that monitor both health and environmental parameters. This paper presents a framework called E-care@home, consisting of an IoT infrastructure, which provides information with an unambiguous, shared meaning across IoT devices, end-users, relatives, health and care professionals and organizations. We focus on integrating measurements gathered from heterogeneous sources by using ontologies in order to enable semantic interpretation of events and context awareness. Activities are deduced using an incremental answer set solver for stream reasoning. The paper demonstrates the proposed framework using an instantiation of a smart environment that is able to perform context recognition based on the activities and the events occurring in the home.

  1. An Ontology-based Context-aware System for Smart Homes: E-care@home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alirezaie, Marjan; Renoux, Jennifer; Köckemann, Uwe; Kristoffersson, Annica; Karlsson, Lars; Blomqvist, Eva; Tsiftes, Nicolas; Voigt, Thiemo; Loutfi, Amy

    2017-07-06

    Smart home environments have a significant potential to provide for long-term monitoring of users with special needs in order to promote the possibility to age at home. Such environments are typically equipped with a number of heterogeneous sensors that monitor both health and environmental parameters. This paper presents a framework called E-care@home, consisting of an IoT infrastructure, which provides information with an unambiguous, shared meaning across IoT devices, end-users, relatives, health and care professionals and organizations. We focus on integrating measurements gathered from heterogeneous sources by using ontologies in order to enable semantic interpretation of events and context awareness. Activities are deduced using an incremental answer set solver for stream reasoning. The paper demonstrates the proposed framework using an instantiation of a smart environment that is able to perform context recognition based on the activities and the events occurring in the home.

  2. [Perspective of informal caregivers on home care. Qualitative study with a computer program].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prieto Rodríguez, M Angeles; Gil García, Eugenia; Heierle Valero, Cristina; Frías Osuna, Antonio

    2002-01-01

    A hot debate exists in our country as to the models of home care which must be developed. This study is aimed at ascertaining how the family caregivers of terminal cancer patients, of the elderly suffering from dementia and of individuals having undergone major operations in outpatient surgery programs rate the quality of the home care provided. A phenomenological type qualitative study based on discussion groups (9), triangular groups (5) and in-depth interviews (22). This study was conducted in Andalusia throughout the 1999-2000 period. The subjects of the study were the main caregivers of patients provided with home care through the healthcare centers. The information must be analyzed by means of a Nudist-4 software-aided content analysis. The analysis variables were those of the Servqual model. For the caregivers of cancer patients, the most important aspects of the quality of the home care provided were the Response Capacity and Accessibility. This analysis revealed that the patients suffered pain but the pain was not controlled. Negative aspects hindering accessibility were the lack of home care coverage outside of regular working hours, the difficulty of getting in touch by phone, the length of time it takes for someone to come and the visits solely on request. The caregivers of patients having undergone major outpatient surgery want Security and Reliability. They complain of the short length of time within which the patients are released from the hospital and of the home care provided by the health care center. The caregivers of the elderly with dementia place top priority on being provided with the materials they need to take care of these patients. Caregivers' and patients' expectations differ, depending on health problems, therefore, the type of home care provided should vary, according to the health problems involved. It is necessary to develop a flexible model, capable of adapting to different patient needs and the diverse circumstances that affect

  3. Nurse led home-based care for people with HIV/AIDS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, Elizabeth M; Zani, Babalwa; Esterhuizen, Tonya M; Young, Taryn

    2018-03-27

    Home-based care is used in many countries to increase quality of life and limit hospital stay, particularly where public health services are overburdened. Home-based care objectives for HIV/AIDS can include medical care, delivery of antiretroviral treatment and psychosocial support. This review assesses the effects of home-based nursing on morbidity in people infected with HIV/AIDS. The trials studied are in HIV positive adults and children, regardless of sex or setting and all randomised controlled. Home-based care provided by qualified nurses was compared with hospital or health-facility based treatment. The following electronic databases were searched from January 1980 to March 2015: AIDSearch, CINAHL, Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, MEDLINE and PsycINFO/LIT, with an updated search in November 2016. Two authors independently screened titles and abstracts from the electronic search based on the study design, interventions and types of participant. For all selected abstracts, full text articles were obtained. The final study selection was determined with use of an eligibility form. Data extraction was performed independently from assessment of risk of bias. The results were analysed by narrative synthesis, in order to be able to obtain relevant effect measures plus 95% confidence intervals. Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. The trial size varied from 37 to 238 participants. Only one trial was conducted in children. Five studies were conducted in the USA and two in China. Four studies looked at home-based adherence support and the rest at providing home-based psychosocial support. Reported adherence to antiretroviral drugs improved with nurse-led home-based care but did not affect viral load. Psychiatric nurse support in those with existing mental health conditions improved mental health and depressive symptoms. Home-based psychological support impacted on HIV stigma, worry and physical functioning and in certain cases depressive symptoms

  4. Affecting culture change and performance improvement in Medicaid nursing homes: the Promote Understanding, Leadership, and Learning (PULL) Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eliopoulos, Charlotte

    2013-01-01

    A growing number of nursing homes are implementing culture change programming to create a more homelike environment in which residents and direct care staff are empowered with greater participation in care activities. Although nursing homes that have adopted culture change practices have brought about positive transformation in their settings that have improved quality of care and life, as well as increased resident and staff satisfaction, they represent a minority of all nursing homes. Nursing homes that serve primarily a Medicaid population without supplemental sources of funding have been limited in the resources to support such change processes. The purpose of this project was to gain insight into effective strategies to provide culture change and quality improvement programming to low-performing, under-resourced nursing homes that represent the population of nursing homes least likely to have implemented this programming. Factors that interfered with transformation were identified and insights were gained into factors that need to be considered before transformational processes can be initiated. Effective educational strategies and processes that facilitate change in these types of nursing homes were identified. Despite limitations to the study, there was evidence that the experiences and findings can be of value to other low-performing, under-resourced nursing homes. Ongoing clinical work and research are needed to refine the implementation process and increase the ability to help these settings utilize resources and implement high quality cost effective care to nursing home residents. Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Home visitation programs: An untapped opportunity for the delivery of early childhood obesity prevention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salvy, Sarah-Jeanne; de la Haye, Kayla; Galama, Titus; Goran, Michael I.

    2016-01-01

    Background Extant obesity efforts have had limited impact among low-income underserved children, in part because of limitations inherent to existing programs: 1) short duration and low intensity; 2) late timing of implementation, when children are already overweight or obese; 3) intervention delivery limiting their accessibility and sustainability; and 4) failure to address barriers such as a lack of culturally competent services, poverty and housing instability, which interfere with healthy lifestyle changes. Objective This concept paper proposes an innovative model of obesity prevention implemented in infancy and sustained throughout early childhood to address the limitations of current obesity prevention efforts. Specifically, we propose to integrate sustained, weekly, in-home obesity prevention as part of the services already delivered by ongoing Home Visitation Programs, which currently do not target obesity prevention. Conclusion The home visiting structure represents an ideal model for impactful obesity prevention as home visitation programs: (1) already provide comprehensive services to diverse low-income infants and families who are most at risk for obesity and poor health due to socio-economic and structural conditions; (2) services are initiated in infancy and sustained throughout critical developmental periods for the formation of healthy/unhealthy behaviors; and (3) have been in place for more than 40 years, with a widespread presence across the United States and nationwide, which is critical for the scalability and sustainability of obesity prevention. PMID:27911984

  6. Home visitation programs: an untapped opportunity for the delivery of early childhood obesity prevention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salvy, S-J; de la Haye, K; Galama, T; Goran, M I

    2017-02-01

    Extant obesity efforts have had limited impact among low-income underserved children, in part because of limitations inherent to existing programs: (i) short duration and low intensity; (ii) late timing of implementation, when children are already overweight or obese; (iii) intervention delivery limiting their accessibility and sustainability; and (iv) failure to address barriers such as a lack of culturally competent services, poverty and housing instability, which interfere with healthy lifestyle changes. This concept paper proposes an innovative model of obesity prevention implemented in infancy and sustained throughout early childhood to address the limitations of current obesity prevention efforts. Specifically, we propose to integrate sustained, weekly, in-home obesity prevention as part of the services already delivered by ongoing Home Visitation Programs, which currently do not target obesity prevention. The home visiting structure represents an ideal model for impactful obesity prevention as home visitation programs: (i) already provide comprehensive services to diverse low-income infants and families who are most at risk for obesity and poor health because of socio-economic and structural conditions; (ii) services are initiated in infancy and sustained throughout critical developmental periods for the formation of healthy/unhealthy behaviors; and (iii) have been in place for more than 40 years, with a widespread presence across the United States and nationwide, which is critical for the scalability and sustainability of obesity prevention. © 2016 World Obesity Federation.

  7. Canadian contribution to the European Union Home Team program for ITER

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murdoch, D.K.; Blevins, J.D.; Gierszewski, P.; Matsugu, R.

    1998-01-01

    Canadian participation in R and D and design tasks for the ITER project is predominantly in the fuel cycle, remote handling and safety fields. These tasks are carried out in Canada by Ontario Hydro, research institutes, industry and universities. In addition, Canada provides the services of a number of specialist engineers and scientists in key positions at the three ITER work sites and in the European Home Team. The Canadian contribution, which is coordinated by the Canadian Fusion Fuels Technology Project (CFFTP), forms an integral part of the European Union Home Team program. The key components of the Canadian contribution are described. (author)

  8. [Community coordination of dental care needs in a home medical care support ward and at home].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sumi, Yasunori; Ozawa, Nobuyoshi; Miura, Hiroko; Miura, Hisayuki; Toba, Kenji

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to ascertain the current statuses and problems of dental home care patients by surveying the oral care status and needs of patients in the home medical care support ward at the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology. Patients that required continuous oral management even after discharge from the hospital were referred to local dental clinics to receive home dental care. We investigated the suitability and problems associated with such care, and identified the dental care needs of home patients and the status of local care coordination, including those in hospitals. The subjects were 82 patients. We ascertained their general condition and oral status, and also investigated the problems associated with patients judged to need specialized oral care by a dentist during oral treatment. Patients who required continuous specialized oral care after discharge from hospital were referred to dental clinics that could provide regular care, and the problems at the time of referral were identified. Dry mouth was reported by many patients. A large number of patients also needed specialized dental treatment such as the removal of dental calculus or tooth extraction. Problems were seen in oral function, with 38 of the patients (46%) unable to gargle and 23 (28%) unable to hold their mouths open. About half of the patients also had dementia, and communication with these patients was difficult. Of the 43 patients who were judged to need continuing oral care after discharge from hospital, their referral to a dental clinic for regular care was successful for 22 (51%) patients and unsuccessful for 21 (49%) patients. The reasons for unsuccessful referrals included the fact that the family, patient, nurse, or caregiver did not understand the need for specialized oral care. The present results suggest the need for specialized oral treatment in home medical care. These findings also suggest that coordinating seamless dental care among primary physicians

  9. Theory! The missing link in understanding the performance of neonate/infant home-visiting programs to prevent child maltreatment: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segal, Leonie; Sara Opie, Rachelle; Dalziel, Kim

    2012-03-01

    Home-visiting programs have been offered for more than sixty years to at-risk families of newborns and infants. But despite decades of experience with program delivery, more than sixty published controlled trials, and more than thirty published literature reviews, there is still uncertainty surrounding the performance of these programs. Our particular interest was the performance of home visiting in reducing child maltreatment. We developed a program logic framework to assist in understanding the neonate/infant home-visiting literature, identified through a systematic literature review. We tested whether success could be explained by the logic model using descriptive synthesis and statistical analysis. Having a stated objective of reducing child maltreatment-a theory or mechanism of change underpinning the home-visiting program consistent with the target population and their needs and program components that can deliver against the nominated theory of change-considerably increased the chance of success. We found that only seven of fifty-three programs demonstrated such consistency, all of which had a statistically significant positive outcome, whereas of the fifteen that had no match, none was successful. Programs with a partial match had an intermediate success rate. The relationship between program success and full, partial or no match was statistically significant. Employing a theory-driven approach provides a new way of understanding the disparate performance of neonate/infant home-visiting programs. Employing a similar theory-driven approach could also prove useful in the review of other programs that embody a diverse set of characteristics and may apply to diverse populations and settings. A program logic framework provides a rigorous approach to deriving policy-relevant meaning from effectiveness evidence of complex programs. For neonate/infant home-visiting programs, it means that in developing these programs, attention to consistency of objectives, theory

  10. Comparing the Effects of Group and Home-based Physical Activity on Mental Health in the Elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mortazavi, Seyede Salehe; Shati, Mohsen; Ardebili, Hassan Eftekhar; Mohammad, Kazem; Beni, Reza Dorali; Keshteli, A H

    2013-11-01

    The present study focuses on comparing the effects of home-based (HB) and group-based (GB) physical activity on mental health in a sample of older adults in Shahr-e-kord. In this quasi-experimental study, a twice-weekly physical activity program for 2 months was provided either individually at home or in a group format for 181 people who were divided into two groups (HB and GB). The outcome, mental health, was measured with the 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). Mental health status improved after participation in the physical activity program. The decrease in GHQ-28 total score in GB group, 3 months after intervention, was 3.61 ± 2.28 (P effects of GB physical activity on mental health compared with HB physical activity, adjusted for related baseline variables, were significant. These findings reveal the probable effects of GB rather than HB physical activity on mental health among the elderly.

  11. Ostomy Home Skills Program

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Medicare Payment Rules Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) Value-Based Payment Modifier Third Party Payors State Legislation ... Records (EHR) Incentive Program Physician Quality Reporting System Value-Based Payment Modifier Quality and Resource Use Reports ...

  12. Ostomy Home Skills Program

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Inpatient & Outpatient Rules Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) Value-Based Payment Modifier Accountable Care Organizations Stark Law ... Records (EHR) Incentive Program Physician Quality Reporting System Value-Based Payment Modifier Quality and Resource Use Reports ...

  13. Thrombolysis with Intravenous Tissue Plasminogen Activator (rt-PA) Predicts Favorable Discharge Disposition in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ifejika-Jones, Nneka L.; Harun, Nusrat; Mohammed-Rajput, Nareesa A.; Noser, Elizabeth A.; Grotta, James C.

    2011-01-01

    Background and Purpose Acute ischemic stroke patients receiving IV tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) within 3 hours of symptom onset are 30% more likely to have minimal disability at three months. During hospitalization, short-term disability is subjectively measured by discharge disposition, whether to home, Inpatient Rehabilitation (IR), Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) or Subacute Care (Sub). There are no studies assessing the role of rt-PA use as a predictor of post-stroke disposition. Methods Retrospective analysis of all ischemic stroke patients admitted to the University of Texas Houston Medical School (UTHMS) Stroke Service between Jan 2004 and Oct 2009. Baseline demographics and National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score were collected. Cerebrovascular disease risk factors were used for risk stratification. Results Home vs. IR, SNF, Sub Of 2225 acute ischemic stroke patients, 1019 were discharged home, 1206 to another level of care. Patients who received rt-PA therapy were 1.9 times more likely to be discharged home (P = stroke patients, 719 patients were discharged to acute IR, 371 were discharged to SNF, 116 to Sub. There were no differences in disposition between patients who received rt-PA therapy. Conclusions Stroke patients who receive IV rt-PA for acute ischemic stroke are more 1.9 times more likely to be discharged directly home after hospitalization. This study is limited by its retrospective nature and the undetermined role of psychosocial factors related to discharge. PMID:21293014

  14. Study of the switching rate of gas-discharge devices based on the open discharge with counter-propagating electron beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bokhan, P. A.; Gugin, P. P.; Lavrukhin, M. A.; Zakrevsky, Dm. E.

    2015-01-01

    The switching rate of gas-discharge devices “kivotrons” based on the open discharge with counter-propagating electron beams has been experimentally studied. Structures with 2-cm 2 overall cathode area were examined. The switching time was found to show a monotonic decrease with increasing the working-gas helium pressure and with increasing the voltage across the discharge gap at breakdown. The minimum switching time was found to be ∼240 ps at 17 kV voltage, and the maximum rate of electric-current rise limited by the discharge-circuit inductance was 3 × 10 12  A/s

  15. A Pilot Health Information Technology-Based Effort to Increase the Quality of Transitions From Skilled Nursing Facility to Home: Compelling Evidence of High Rate of Adverse Outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donovan, Jennifer L; Kanaan, Abir O; Gurwitz, Jerry H; Tjia, Jennifer; Cutrona, Sarah L; Garber, Lawrence; Preusse, Peggy; Field, Terry S

    2016-04-01

    Older adults are often transferred from hospitals to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) for post-acute care. Patients may be at risk for adverse outcomes after SNF discharges, but little research has focused on this period. Assessment of the feasibility of a transitional care intervention based on a combination of manual information transmission and health information technology to provide automated alert messages to primary care physicians and staff; pre-post analysis to assess potential impact. A multispecialty group practice. Adults aged 65 and older, discharged from SNFs to home; comparison group drawn from SNF discharges during the previous 1.5 years, matched on facility, patient age, and sex. For the pre-post analysis, we tracked rehospitalization within 30 days after discharge and adverse drug events within 45 days. The intervention was developed and implemented with manual transmission of information between 8 SNFs and the group practice followed by entry into the electronic health record. The process required a 5-day delay during which a large portion of the adverse events occurred. Over a 1-year period, automated alert messages were delivered to physicians and staff for the 313 eligible patients discharged from the 8 SNFs to home. We compared outcomes to those of individually matched discharges from the previous 1.5 years and found similar percentages with 30-day rehospitalizations (31% vs 30%, adjusted HR 1.06, 95% CI 0.80-1.4). Within the adverse drug event (ADE) study, 30% of the discharges during the intervention period and 30% of matched discharges had ADEs within 45 days. Older adults discharged from SNFs are at high risk of adverse outcomes immediately following discharge. Simply providing alerts to outpatient physicians, especially if delivered multiple days after discharge, is unlikely to have any impact on reducing these rates. Copyright © 2016 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All

  16. The Importance of Trust in Successful Home Visit Programs for Older People

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maaike E. Muntinga

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Outcomes of proactive home visit programs for frail, older people might be influenced by aspects of the caregiver–receiver interaction. We conducted a naturalistic case study to explore the interactional process between a nurse and an older woman during two home visits. Using an ethics of care, we posit that a trusting relationship is pivotal for older people to accept care that is proactively offered to them. Trust can be build when nurses meet the relational needs of older people. Nurses can achieve insight in these needs by exploring older people’s value systems and life stories. We argue that a strong focus on older people’s relational needs might contribute to success of proactive home visits for frail, older people.

  17. A HOME-BASED MASSED PRACTICE SYSTEM FOR PEDIATRIC NEUROREHABILITATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi-Ning Wu

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this paper is to introduce a novel low-cost human-computer interface (HCI system for home-based massed practice for children with upper limb impairment due to brain injury. Successful massed practice, a type of neurorehabilitation, may be of value for children with brain injury because it facilitates impaired limb use. Use of automated, home-based systems could provide a practical means for massed practice. However, the optimal strategy to deliver and monitor home-based massed practice is still unclear. We integrated motion sensor, video game, and HCI software technologies to create a useful home-based massed practice at targeted joints. The system records joint angle and number of movements using a low-cost custom hand-held sensor. The sensor acts as an input device to play video games. We demonstrated the system’s functionality and provided preliminary observations on usage by children with brain injury, including joint motion and muscle activation.

  18. Hydrogen production by methane reforming based on micro-gap discharge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, N N; Wang, M X; Liu, K Y; Bai, M D

    2013-01-01

    Based on micro-gap strong ionization discharge, this paper presents a study of hydrogen production by methane reforming at room temperature and atmospheric pressure without catalyst. Influence rules of conversion of methane and production of hydrogen were studied by changing discharge power and feed gas flow rate. Results show that when the discharge power was about 341 W, the discharge gap was 0.47 mm and the flow rate of feed gas was 100 mL min −1 , the conversion of methane and yield of hydrogen reached optimization. The conversion rate of methane and the highest yield of hydrogen were 68.14 % and 51.34 %, respectively.

  19. Manufactured Home Energy Audit (MHEA)Users Manual (Version 7)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gettings, M.B.

    2003-01-27

    The Manufactured Home Energy Audit (MHEA) is a software tool that predicts manufactured home energy consumption and recommends weatherization retrofit measures. It was developed to assist local weatherization agencies working with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program. Whether new or experienced, employed within or outside the Weatherization Assistance Program, all users can benefit from incorporating MHEA into their manufactured home weatherization programs. DOE anticipates that the state weatherization assistance programs that incorporate MHEA into their programs will find significant growth in the energy and cost savings achieved from manufactured home weatherization. The easy-to-use MHEA uses a relatively standard Windows graphical interface for entering simple inputs and provides understandable, usable results. The user enters information about the manufactured home construction, heating equipment, cooling equipment appliances, and weather site. MHEA then calculates annual energy consumption using a simplified building energy analysis technique. Weatherization retrofit measures are evaluated based on the predicted energy savings after installation of the measure, the measure cost, and the measure life. Finally, MHEA recommends retrofit measures that are energy and cost effective for the particular home being evaluated. MHEA evaluates each manufactured home individually and takes into account local weather conditions, retrofit measure costs, and fuel costs. The recommended package of weatherization retrofit measures is tailored to the home being evaluated. More traditional techniques apply the same package of retrofit measures to all manufactured homes, often the same set of measures that are installed into site-built homes. Effective manufactured home weatherization can be achieved only by installing measures developed specifically for manufactured homes. The unique manufactured home construction characteristics require that

  20. Research on numerical method for multiple pollution source discharge and optimal reduction program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Mingchang; Dai, Mingxin; Zhou, Bin; Zou, Bin

    2018-03-01

    In this paper, the optimal method for reduction program is proposed by the nonlinear optimal algorithms named that genetic algorithm. The four main rivers in Jiangsu province, China are selected for reducing the environmental pollution in nearshore district. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) is studied as the only pollutant. The environmental status and standard in the nearshore district is used to reduce the discharge of multiple river pollutant. The research results of reduction program are the basis of marine environmental management.

  1. Stroke rehabilitation at home before and after discharge reduced disability and improved quality of life

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Rune Skovgaard; Østergaard, Ann; Kjær, Pia

    2016-01-01

    part of usual treatment and rehabilitation services. Thirty-three control patients received treatment and rehabilitation following usual guidelines for the treatment of stroke patients. MAIN MEASURES: Ninety days post-stroke the modified Rankin Scale score was the primary endpoint. Other outcome...... score (Intervention median = 2, IQR = 2-3; Control median = 3, IQR = 2-4; P=0.04). EuroQol-5D™ quality of life median scores were improved in intervention patients (Intervention median = 0.77, IQR = 0.66-0.79; Control median = 0.66, IQR = 0.56 - 0.72; P=0.03). The total amount of home-based training...... and increased quality of life. Compared to standard care, home-based stroke rehabilitation was more cost-effective....

  2. [Effects of a fall prevention program on falls in frail elders living at home in rural communities].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoo, Jae-Soon; Jeon, Mi Yang; Kim, Chul-Gyu

    2013-10-01

    This study was conducted to determine the effects of a fall prevention program on falls, physical function, psychological function, and home environmental safety in frail elders living at home in rural communities. The design of this study was a nonequivalent control group pre posttest design. The study was conducted from July to November, 2012 with 30 participants in the experimental group and 30 in the control group. Participants were registered at the public health center of E County. The prevention program on falls consisted of laughter therapy, exercise, foot care and education. The program was provided once a week for 8 weeks and each session lasted 80 minutes. The risk score for falls and depression in the experimental group decreased significantly compared with scores for the control group. Compliance with prevention behavior related to falls, knowledge score on falls, safety scores of home environment, physical balance, muscle strength of lower extremities, and self-efficacy for fall prevention significantly increased in the experimental group compared with the control group. These results suggest that the prevention program on falls is effective for the prevention of falls in frail elders living at home.

  3. Changes in body weight, C-reactive protein, and total adiponectin in non-obese women after 12 months of a small-volume, home-based exercise program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mediano, Mauro Felippe Felix; Neves, Fabiana Alves; Cunha, Alessandra Cordeiro de Souza Rodrigues; Souza, Erica Patricia Garcia de; Moura, Anibal Sanchez; Sichieri, Rosely

    2013-01-01

    Our objective was to evaluate the effects of small-volume, home-based exercise combined with slight caloric restriction on the inflammatory markers C-reactive protein and adiponectin. In total, 54 women were randomly assigned to one of two groups for exercise intervention: the control or home-based exercise groups. Weight, waist and hip circumferences, and inflammatory markers were measured at baseline and after 6 and 12 months. Women allocated to the home-based exercise group received a booklet explaining the physical exercises to be practiced at home at least 3 times per week, 40 minutes per session, at low-to-moderate intensity. All participants received dietary counseling aimed at reducing caloric intake by 100-300 calories per day, with a normal distribution of macro-nutrients (26-28% of energy as fat). Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01206413 RESULTS: The home-based exercise group showed a significantly greater reduction in weight and body mass index at six months, but no difference between groups was observed thereafter. With regard to the inflammatory markers, a greater but non-statistically significant reduction was found for C-reactive protein in the home-based exercise group at six months; however, this difference disappeared after adjusting for weight change. No differences in adiponectin were found at the 6- or 12-month follow-up. Small-volume, home-based exercise did not promote changes in inflammatory markers independent of weight change.

  4. Heart failure - home monitoring

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000113.htm Heart failure - home monitoring To use the sharing features on ... your high blood pressure Fast food tips Heart failure - discharge Heart failure - fluids and diuretics Heart failure - what to ...

  5. Is the Cardiovascular Response Equivalent Between a Supervised Center-Based Setting and a Self-care Home-Based Setting When Rating of Perceived Exertion Is Used to Guide Aerobic Exercise Intensity During a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tang, Lars H.; Zwisler, Ann Dorthe; Kikkenborg Berg, Selina

    2017-01-01

    and atrial fibrillation post–radiofrequency ablation) participating in exercise-based rehabilitation were included. Patients performed a 12-week program in either a center- or a home-based setting. Using RPE, patients recorded their exercise intensity 3 times during an aerobic training phase. Exercise...... intensity was objectively measured using heart rate (HR) monitors. RESULTS: A total of 2622 RPE values with corresponding HR data were available. There was no difference in the level of association (interaction P = 0.51) between HR and RPE seen in the center-based setting (mean of 6.1 beats/min per 1...

  6. Long-term changes in parenting and child behavior after the Home-Start family support program

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hermanns, J.M.A.; Asscher, J.J.; Zijlstra, B.J.H.; Hoffenaar, P.J.; Deković, M.

    2013-01-01

    Background: The intervention Home-Start is a wide spread program in a number of countries, among which the Netherlands. In Home-Start, trained volunteers visit families with young children in need of support once or twice a week to help them to deal with problems in family life and parenting. Little

  7. Effectiveness of a Home Program Intervention for Young Children with Autism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozonoff, Sally; Cathcart, Kristina

    1998-01-01

    This project evaluated the effectiveness of the Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication handicapped CHildren (TEACCH) home program intervention model for young children with autism, which encourages parents to be active, ongoing co-therapists. The 11 children in the treatment group, compared to the control, improved…

  8. Experience with Designing and Implementing a Bundled Payment Program for Total Hip Replacement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitcomb, Winthrop F; Lagu, Tara; Krushell, Robert J; Lehman, Andrew P; Greenbaum, Jordan; McGirr, Joan; Pekow, Penelope S; Calcasola, Stephanie; Benjamin, Evan; Mayforth, Janice; Lindenauer, Peter K

    2015-09-01

    Bundled payments, also known as episode-based payments, are intended to contain health care costs and promote quality. In 2011 a bundled payment pilot program for total hip replacement was implemented by an integrated health care delivery system in conjunction with a commercial health plan subsidiary. In July 2015 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Model to test bundled payment for hip and knee replacement. Stakeholders were identified and a structure for program development and implementation was created. An Oversight Committee provided governance over a Clinical Model Subgroup and a Financial Model Subgroup. The pilot program included (1) a clinical model of care encompassing the period from the preoperative evaluation through the third postoperative visit, (2) a pricing model, (3) a program to share savings, and (4) a patient engagement and expectation strategy. Compared to 32 historical controls-patients treated before bundle implementation-45 post-bundle-implementation patients with total hip replacement had a similar length of hospital stay (3.0 versus 3.4 days, p=.24), higher rates of discharge to home or home with services than to a rehabilitation facility (87% versus 63%), similar adjusted median total payments ($22,272 versus $22,567, p=.43), and lower median posthospital payments ($704 versus $1,121, p=.002), and were more likely to receive guideline-consistent care (99% versus 95%, p=.05). The bundled payment pilot program was associated with similar total costs, decreased posthospital costs, fewer discharges to rehabilitation facilities, and improved quality. Successful implementation of the program hinged on buy-in from stakeholders and close collaboration between stakeholders and the clinical and financial teams.

  9. DAMPAK HOME PROGRAM PADA ANAK BALITA DENGAN HAMBATAN TUMBUH KEMBANG DI DAERAH ENDEMIK GAKI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diah Yunitawati

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Background: Abnormalities that emerge because of lack of iodine will verv interfere and obstruct children's growth and development. Psycho-motor dysfunction children often experienciug difficulty perform developing tasks such as sit without help, standing, and walking. The hampered of psycho-motor developing process certainly will complicate next developiug processes.Objective: This study will examine the impact of home program-training for mothers in order 10 improve stunted growth children's motor abilities. Method: This study is using applied research by experimental quasi design. The location is in Kabupaten Magelang, precisely in Balai Penelitian dan Pengembangan CAKI Magelang throughout l O monthfrom March to December 2008. Questionnaires are used to measure identifying data, medical history, pre¬screening development and Bailey Scales of Infant Development, 2nd Edition to da ta ofmotor and men ta I development of ch i Idren.Result: Molor developing, mental developing, and nutritional status in treatment group (home program-tra in ed and control group (un-trained among before and after trained do es liat indicate sign ifican t difference (p>O. 05.Key words: Barriers of growth and developing, home program, iodine deficiency disorder. underfive children

  10. HIV Prevalence and Antenatal Care Attendance among Pregnant Women in a Large Home-Based HIV Counseling and Testing Program in Western Kenya.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ndege, Samson; Washington, Sierra; Kaaria, Alice; Prudhomme-O'Meara, Wendy; Were, Edwin; Nyambura, Monica; Keter, Alfred K; Wachira, Juddy; Braitstein, Paula

    2016-01-01

    To describe the uptake of and factors associated with HIV prevalence among pregnant women in a large-scale home-based HIV counseling and testing (HBCT) program in western Kenya. In 2007, the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare Program (AMPATH) initiated HBCT to all individuals aged ≥13 years and high-risk children HIV prevalence. There were 119,678 women eligible for analysis; median age 25 (interquartile range, IQR: 18-34) years. Of these, 7,396 (6.2%) were pregnant at the time of HBCT; 4,599 (62%) had ever previously tested for HIV and 2,995 (40.5%) had not yet attended ANC for their current pregnancy. Testing uptake among pregnant women was high (97%). HBCT newly identified 241 (3.3%) pregnant HIV-positive women and overall HIV prevalence among all pregnant women was 6.9%. HIV prevalence among those who had attended ANC in this pregnancy was 5.4% compared to 9.0% among those who had not. Pregnant women were more likely to newly test HIV-positive in HBCT if they had not attended ANC in the current pregnancy (AOR: 6.85, 95% CI: 4.49-10.44). Pregnant women who had never attended ANC were about 6 times more likely to newly test HIV-positive compared to those who had attended ANC, suggesting that the cascade of services for prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission should optimally begin at the home and village level if elimination of perinatal HIV transmission is to be achieved.

  11. Seafloor monitoring for synthetic-based mud discharged in the Western Gulf of Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Candler, J.E.; Hoskin, S.; Churan, M.

    1995-01-01

    Synthetic-based muds have been used to simultaneously improve drilling and environmental performance. The fate and effects of synthetic-based mud discharges in the marine environment have been issues of concern with the drilling industry and governmental agencies. Most of the environmental data on synthetic-based muds have been generated under laboratory conditions. This study uses field-collected data to investigate, the fate and effects of a polyalphaolefin synthetic-based drilling fluid. The first well drilled in the Gulf of Mexico using synthetic-based mud was completed in June 1992. Approximately 441 bbl of cuttings and 354 bbl of synthetic-based mud were discharged over a 9-day period. Three sampling trips have been made to the discharge location to collect sediment samples for chemical and biological analysis over a 2-year period. The sediment samples were analyzed for content of organic compounds and barium. On the third trip, infaunal samples were also taken. Information collected from the chemical and biological analysis is documented and compared to similar field studies performed on oil-based and water-based muds. Sampling techniques and analytical protocols are described to facilitate future studies. Two years after discharges of synthetic-based cuttings were completed, an area within 50 m of the discharge point continued to exhibit alterations in the benthic community not normally associated with water-based mud discharges. However, the study indicates that polyalphaolefin synthetic-based mud exhibits significant improvements over oil-based mud in terms of removal of organic contamination and minimization of adverse effects on the benthic community

  12. Personal vulnerability and work-home interaction: the effect of job performance-based self-esteem on work/home conflict and facilitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Innstrand, Siw Tone; Langballe, Ellen Melbye; Espnes, Geir Arild; Aasland, Olaf Gjerløw; Falkum, Erik

    2010-12-01

    The aim of the present study was to examine the longitudinal relationship between job performance-based self-esteem (JPB-SE) and work-home interaction (WHI) in terms of the direction of the interaction (work-to-home vs. home-to-work) and the effect (conflict vs. facilitation). A sample of 3,475 respondents from eight different occupational groups (lawyers, physicians, nurses, teachers, church ministers, bus drivers, and people working in advertising and information technology) supplied data at two points of time with a two-year time interval. The two-wave, cross-lagged structural equations modeling (SEM) analysis demonstrated reciprocal relationships between these variables, i.e., job performance-based self-esteem may act as a precursor as well as an outcome of work-home interaction. The strongest association was between job performance-based self-esteem and work-to-home conflict. Previous research on work-home interaction has mainly focused on situational factors. This longitudinal study expands the work-home literature by demonstrating how individual vulnerability (job performance-based self-esteem) contributes to the explanation of work-home interactions. © 2010 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology © 2010 The Scandinavian Psychological Associations.

  13. Welcoming Home the Patient with a New Ostomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, Cynthia A; Rau, Lou Ann; Green, Mary Phyllis

    2015-01-01

    The 5-day average inpatient hospital length-of-stay postostomy limits opportunities for patients and family members to master self-care of the new ostomy prior to discharge. The literature suggests premature discharge, poor care coordination, lack of symptom reporting and follow-up as the primary factors supporting causes of readmissions. Home care nurses are faced with failed handoffs, limited resources, poor care coordination, payor restrictions, and knowledge and skill deficits that negatively impact safe and effective discharge practices of patients with a new ostomy. This article describes an evolving community standard related to nursing care of the patient with a new ostomy as identified by the Baltimore Wound, Ostomy, Continence (WOC) Nursing Affiliate. Case managers, discharge planners, intake team members, and home care nurses benefit from ongoing education from WOC nurse experts to master the skills needed to care for patients with ostomies.

  14. A clinician-driven home care delivery system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    August, D A; Faubion, W C; Ryan, M L; Haggerty, R H; Wesley, J R

    1993-12-01

    The financial, entrepreneurial, administrative, and legal forces acting within the home care arena make it difficult for clinicians to develop and operate home care initiatives within an academic setting. HomeMed is a clinician-initiated and -directed home care delivery system wholly owned by the University of Michigan. The advantages of a clinician-directed system include: Assurance that clinical and patient-based factors are the primary determinants of strategic and procedural decisions; Responsiveness of the system to clinician needs; Maintenance of an important role for the referring physician in home care; Economical clinical research by facilitation of protocol therapy in ambulatory and home settings; Reduction of lengths of hospital stays through clinician initiatives; Incorporation of outcome analysis and other research programs into the mission of the system; Clinician commitment to success of the system; and Clinician input on revenue use. Potential disadvantages of a clinician-based system include: Entrepreneurial, financial, and legal naivete; Disconnection from institutional administrative and data management resources; and Inadequate clinician interest and commitment. The University of Michigan HomeMed experience demonstrates a model of clinician-initiated and -directed home care delivery that has been innovative, profitable, and clinically excellent, has engendered broad physician, nurse, pharmacist, and social worker enthusiasm, and has supported individual investigator clinical protocols as well as broad outcomes research initiatives. It is concluded that a clinician-initiated and -directed home care program is feasible and effective, and in some settings may be optimal.

  15. Employees' views on home-based, after-hours telephone triage by Dutch GP cooperatives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Backhaus, Ramona; van Exel, Job; de Bont, Antoinette

    2013-11-04

    Dutch out-of-hours (OOH) centers find it difficult to attract sufficient triage staff. They regard home-based triage as an option that might attract employees. Specially trained nurses are supposed to conduct triage by telephone from home for after-hours medical care. The central aim of this research is to investigate the views of employees of OOH centers in The Netherlands on home-based telephone triage in after-hours care. The study is a Q methodology study. Triage nurses, general practitioners (GPs) and managers of OOH centers ranked 36 opinion statements on home-based triage. We interviewed 10 participants to help develop and validate the statements for the Q sort, and 77 participants did the Q sort. We identified four views on home-based telephone triage. Two generally favor home-based triage, one highlights some concerns and conditions, and one opposes it out of concern for quality. The four views perceive different sources of credibility for nurse triagists working from home. Home-based telephone triage is a controversial issue among triage nurses, GPs and managers of OOH centers. By identifying consensus and dissension among GPs, triagists, managers and regulators, this study generates four perspectives on home-based triage. In addition, it reveals the conditions considered important for home-based triage.

  16. A Multi-homed VPN Architecture Based on Extended SOCKS+TLS Protocols

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2005-01-01

    A multi-homed VPN architecture based on extended SOCKSv5 and TLS was proposed. The architecture employs a dynamic connection mechanism for multiple proxies in the end system,in which the security-demanded transmission connections can switch smoothly among the multiple proxies by maintaining a coherent connection context. The mechanism is transparent to application programs and can support the building of VPN. With the cooperation of some other security components,the mechanism guarantees the resource availability and reliability of the end system against some attacks to the specific ports or hosts.

  17. Treating Emotionally Disturbed Youth: Home-Based Family Focused Intervention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anders-Cibik, Pamela; And Others

    Home-based intervention services for emotionally disturbed youth are also commonly known as in-home services, family-centered services, family-based services, intensive family services, or family preservation services. They have developed as a way to deal with serious family problems that often result in the removal of a child or adolescent from…

  18. Entrepreneurial Checklist Tool for Beginning Farm and Home-Based Businesses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rafie, A. R.; Nartea, Theresa

    2012-01-01

    Extension educators entertain frequent questions on beginning a farm or starting a home-based business. Retired, unemployed, and displaced workers consider starting a small farm or home-based business. Determining educational needs or individual business aptitude is time consuming. Lengthy and comprehensive skill-based checklists exist for…

  19. Appliance based control for Home Power Management Systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Özkan, Hanife Apaydın

    2016-01-01

    This study scrutinizes energy-friendly smart home appliances (hereafter ‘smart appliances’), control of these appliances and their effects on the efficient use of energy. To accomplish this, smart appliances and their operation principles are introduced and their energy savings compared to conventional appliances are analyzed using precise measurements. Then, a real-time Appliance-based Home Power Management System (Ab-HPMS) which manages power consumption of smart appliances and that of the house as a whole is proposed. For Ab-HPMS, an appliance control algorithm, called Appliance-based Rolling Wave Planning (Ab-RWP), is developed with the aim of reducing electricity cost and improving energy efficiency while maintaining user comfort. Ab-RWP algorithm interacts with appliances in a priority order based on user comfort which is determined by utilizing their smart operational characteristics. Operations of smart appliances and their integrations with Ab-HPMS are modeled with Petri nets to verify that they meet the requirements expressed in the specifications. Simulation results demonstrate that proposed Ab-HPMS provides improvements in terms of the energy consumption reduction of about 5%–16%, cost reduction of about 10%–24% and peak reduction at high demand period of about 38%–53% compared to conventional appliances usage. - Highlights: • The effects of smart home appliances on energy saving are investigated. • Petri nets models of smart appliances are developed to simulate their operations in smart home. • A real-time appliance-based home power management system (Ab-HPMS) is proposed. • Power density function is evaluated to interrupt the operation of smart washing machine.

  20. Acute impact of home parenteral nutrition in patients with late-stage cancer on family caregivers: preliminary data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santarpia, Lidia; Bozzetti, Federico

    2018-02-01

    Since there is no information regarding quality of life of caregivers assisting patients with advanced malignancy on home parenteral nutrition, herewith we report a preliminary series of 19 patients who received total parenteral nutrition at home under the strict supervision of their relatives. The relatives of 19 incurable patients with cancer-related cachexia, discharged from the hospital with a home parenteral nutrition program, were prospectively studied. They filled out a validated questionnaire, the Family Strain Questionnaire Short Form, prior to patient discharge and after 2 weeks of home care. The questionnaire included 30 items, which explored different domains regarding the superimposed burden on caregivers in relation to the assistance given to their relatives. Our findings show that the basal level of strain was relatively high (about three quarters of positive answers) but did not increase after 2 weeks of home care. Similarly, there was no difference in the nutritional status and quality of life of the patients. Eight patients and their relatives could be also analyzed after 2 months and the results maintained unchanged. This preliminary investigation shows that home parenteral nutrition does not exacerbate the level of strain on caregivers involved in surveillance of such a supportive intervention. It is possible that the perception of an active contribution to the benefit of patients, who maintained unchanged their nutritional status and quality of life, could gratify caregivers despite the objective burden in the constant supervision of administering Parenteral Nutrition.