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Sample records for hospitals nursing homes

  1. Involvement in decisions about intravenous treatment for nursing home patients: nursing homes versus hospital wards.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klomstad, Kristin; Pedersen, Reidar; Førde, Reidun; Romøren, Maria

    2018-05-08

    Many of the elderly in nursing homes are very ill and have a reduced quality of life. Life expectancy is often hard to predict. Decisions about life-prolonging treatment should be based on a professional assessment of the patient's best interest, assessment of capacity to consent, and on the patient's own wishes. The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare how these types of decisions were made in nursing homes and in hospital wards. Using a questionnaire, we studied the decision-making process for 299 nursing home patients who were treated for dehydration using intravenous fluids, or for bacterial infections using intravenous antibiotics. We compared the 215 (72%) patients treated in nursing homes to the 84 (28%) nursing home patients treated in the hospital. The patients' capacity to consent was considered prior to treatment in 197 (92%) of the patients treated in nursing homes and 56 (67%) of the patients treated in hospitals (p nursing homes than in hospital (90% vs. 52%). Next of kin and other health personnel were also more rarely involved when the nursing home patient was treated in hospital. Whether advance care planning had been carried out, was more often unknown in the hospital (69% vs. 17% in nursing homes). Hospital doctors expressed more doubt about the decision to admit the patient to the hospital than about the treatment itself. This study indicates a potential for improvement in decision-making processes in general, and in particular when nursing home patients are treated in a hospital ward. The findings corroborate that nursing home patients should be treated locally if adequate health care and treatment is available. The communication between the different levels of health care when hospitalization is necessary, must be better. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01023763 (12/1/09) [The registration was delayed one month after study onset due to practical reasons].

  2. 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.

  3. Perceived barriers to communication between hospital and nursing home at time of patient transfer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Faraaz; Burack, Orah; Boockvar, Kenneth S

    2010-05-01

    To identify perceived barriers to communication between hospital and nursing home at the time of patient transfer and examine associations between perceived barriers and hospital and nursing home characteristics. Mailed survey. Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes in New York State. Nursing home administrators, with input from other nursing home staff. Respondents rated the importance as a barrier to hospital-nursing home communication of (1) hospital providers' attitude, time, effort, training, payment, and familiarity with nursing home patients; (2) unplanned and off-hours transfers; (3) HIPAA privacy regulations; and (4) lost or failed information transmission. Associations were determined between barriers and the following organizational characteristics: (1) hospital-nursing home affiliations, pharmacy or laboratory agreements, cross-site staff visits, and cross-site physician care; (2) hospital size, teaching status, and frequency of geriatrics specialty care; (3) nursing home size, location, type, staffing, and Medicare quality indicators; and (4) hospital-to-nursing home communication, consistency of hospital care with health care goals, and communication quality improvement efforts. Of 647 questionnaires sent, 229 were returned (35.4%). The most frequently reported perceived barriers to communication were sudden or unplanned transfers (44.4%), transfers that occur at night or on the weekend (41.4%), and hospital providers' lack of effort (51.0%), lack of familiarity with patients (45.0%), and lack of time (43.5%). Increased hospital size, teaching hospitals, and urban nursing home location were associated with greater perceived importance of these barriers, and cross-site staff visits and hospital provision of laboratory and pharmacy services to the nursing home were associated with lower perceived importance of these barriers. Hospital and nursing home characteristics and interorganizational relationships were associated with nursing home

  4. Survival after Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Nursing Homes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pape, Marianne; Rajan, Shahzleen; Hansen, Steen Møller

    2018-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Survival among nursing home residents who suffers out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is sparsely studied. Deployment of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in nursing home facilities in Denmark is unknown. We examined 30-day survival following OHCA in nursing and private home...... residents. METHODS: This register-based, nationwide, follow-up study identified OHCA-patients ≥18 years of age with a resuscitation attempt in nursing homes and private homes using Danish Cardiac Arrest Register data from June 1, 2001 to December 31, 2014. The primary outcome measure was 30-day survival....... Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to assess factors potentially associated with survival among nursing and private home residents separately. RESULTS: Of 26,999 OCHAs, 2516 (9.3%) occurred in nursing homes, and 24,483 (90.7%) in private homes. Nursing home residents were older (median 83 (Q1...

  5. Hospital in the Home nurses' recognition and response to clinical deterioration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gray, Erika; Currey, Judy; Considine, Julie

    2018-05-01

    To obtain an understanding of how Hospital in the Home (HITH) nurses recognise and respond to clinical deterioration in patients receiving care at home or in their usual place of residence. Recognising and responding to clinical deterioration is an international safety priority and a key nursing responsibility. Despite an increase in care delivery in home environments, how HITH nurses recognise and respond to clinical deterioration is not yet fully understood. A prospective, descriptive exploratory design was used. A survey containing questions related to participant characteristics and 10 patient scenarios was used to collect data from 47 nurses employed in the HITH units of three major health services in Melbourne, Australia. The 10 scenarios reflected typical HITH patients and included medical history and clinical assessment findings (respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, conscious state and pain score). The three major findings from this study were that: (i) nurse and patient characteristics influenced HITH nurses' assessment decisions; (ii) the cues used by HITH nurses to recognise clinical deterioration varied according to the clinical context; and (iii) although HITH nurses work in an autonomous role, they engage in collaborative practice when responding to clinical deterioration. Hospital in the Home nurses play a fundamental role in patient assessment, and the context in which they recognise and respond to deterioration is markedly different to that of hospital nurses. The assessment, measurement and interpretation of clinical data are a nursing responsibility that is crucial to early recognition and response to clinical deterioration. The capacity of HITH services to care for increasing numbers of patients in their home environment, and to promptly recognise and respond to clinical deterioration should it occur, is fundamental to safety within the healthcare system. Hospital in the Home nurses are integral to a

  6. Learning to care for older patients: hospitals and nursing homes as learning environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huls, Marije; de Rooij, Sophia E; Diepstraten, Annemie; Koopmans, Raymond; Helmich, Esther

    2015-03-01

    A significant challenge facing health care is the ageing of the population, which calls for a major response in medical education. Most clinical learning takes place within hospitals, but nursing homes may also represent suitable learning environments in which students can gain competencies in geriatric medicine. This study explores what students perceive as the main learning outcomes of a geriatric medicine clerkship in a hospital or a nursing home, and explicitly addresses factors that may stimulate or hamper the learning process. This qualitative study falls within a constructivist paradigm: it draws on socio-cultural learning theory and is guided by the principles of constructivist grounded theory. There were two phases of data collection. Firstly, a maximum variation sample of 68 students completed a worksheet, giving brief written answers on questions regarding their geriatric medicine clerkships. Secondly, focus group discussions were conducted with 19 purposively sampled students. We used template analysis, iteratively cycling between data collection and analysis, using a constant comparative process. Students described a broad range of learning outcomes and formative experiences that were largely distinct from their learning in previous clerkships with regard to specific geriatric knowledge, deliberate decision making, end-of-life care, interprofessional collaboration and communication. According to students, the nursing home differed from the hospital in three aspects: interprofessional collaboration was more prominent; the lower resources available in nursing homes stimulated students to be creative, and students reported having greater autonomy in nursing homes compared with the more extensive educational guidance provided in hospitals. In both hospitals and nursing homes, students not only learn to care for older patients, but also describe various broader learning outcomes necessary to become good doctors. The results of our study, in particular the

  7. The relationship between malnutrition parameters and pressure ulcers in hospitals and nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shahin, Eman S M; Meijers, J M M; Schols, J M G A; Tannen, A; Halfens, R J G; Dassen, T

    2010-09-01

    Pressure ulcers (PU) remain a major health care problem throughout the world. Although malnutrition is considered to be one of the intrinsic risk factors for PU, more evidence is needed to identify the exact relation between PU and malnutrition. This study aims to identify whether there exists a relationship between PU and malnutrition in hospitals and nursing homes. A cross-sectional study was performed in April 2007 in hospitals and nursing homes in Germany. PU were assessed using the Braden scale. Malnutrition was assessed by low body mass index (BMI), undesired weight loss, and insufficient nutritional intake. Two thousand three hundred ninety-three patients from 29 nursing homes and 4067 patients from 22 hospitals participated in the study. PU in both hospital and nursing home patients were significantly (P malnutrition parameters like undesired weight loss, BMI < 18.5, and low nutritional intake and PU. (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. [Norovirus outbreaks in hospitals and nursing homes in Catalonia, Spain].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Godoy, Pere; Domínguez, Angela; Alvarez, Josep; Camps, Neus; Barrabeig, Irene; Bartolomé, Rosa; Sala, María Rosa; Ferre, Dolors; Pañella, Helena; Torres, Joan; Minguell, Sofía; Alsedà, Miquel; Pumares, Analía

    2009-01-01

    The low infectious dose and multiple transmission routes favour the appearance of norovirus outbreaks. The objective of this study was to compare the incidence of norovirus outbreaks in hospitals and nursing homes in Catalonia. A descriptive study of norovirus outbreaks between 15/10/2004 and 30/10/2005 was carried out. An epidemiological survey was completed for each outbreak. Norovirus in clinical samples was determined by PCR techniques. The incidence in each centre and the annual incidence of outbreaks by centre were calculated. Differences were calculated using the chi-square test and the Student's t test, taking a p value of > 0.05 as significant. Seventeen outbreaks (6 in hospitals and 11 in nursing homes) were detected. The global attack rate was 33.4% (652/1951) and was slightly higher in nursing homes (35.2%) than in hospitals (31.4%). A total of 94.1% (16/17) of outbreaks were caused by person-to-person transmission and only 5.9% (1/17) by foods. The mean number of days between the first and last case was 11.4 (SD = 6.9). The mean duration of symptoms was 2.39 days (SD=1.6), and was higher hospitals, 2.63 (SD=1.7), than in nursing homes, 1.97 (SD=1.7) (p < 0.0001). Norovirus is responsible for a large number of outbreaks due to person-to-person transmission. Control should be standardized to reduce the number and duration of outbreaks.

  9. Variations in hospitalization rates among nursing home residents: the role of discretionary hospitalizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, Mary W

    2003-08-01

    To examine variations in hospitalization rates among nursing home residents associated with discretionary hospitalization practices. Quarterly Medicaid case-mix reimbursement data from the state of Massachusetts served as the core data source for this study, which was linked with data from the Medicare Provider Analysis and Review file (MEDPAR) to specify hospitalization status, nursing facility attribute data from the state of Massachusetts to specify facility-level organizational and structural attributes, and data from the Area Resource File (ARF) to specify area market-level attributes. Data spans three years (1991-1993) to produce a longitudinal analytical file containing 72,319 person-quarter-level observations. Two-step, multivariate logistic regression models were estimated for highly discretionary hospitalizations versus those containing less discretion, and low discretionary hospitalizations versus those containing greater amounts of physician discretion. Findings indicate that facility case-mix levels and area hospital bed supply levels contribute to variations in hospitalization rates among nursing home residents. Highly discretionary hospitalizations appear to be most sensitive to patient diagnoses best described as chronic, ambulatory care sensitive conditions. Findings suggest that defining hospitalizations simply in terms of whether an event occurs versus otherwise may obscure valuable information regarding the contribution of various risk factors to highly discretionary versus low discretionary hospitalization rates.

  10. Hospitalization of nursing home residents: the effects of states' Medicaid payment and bed-hold policies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Intrator, Orna; Grabowski, David C; Zinn, Jacqueline; Schleinitz, Mark; Feng, Zhanlian; Miller, Susan; Mor, Vince

    2007-08-01

    Hospitalizations of nursing home residents are costly and expose residents to iatrogenic disease and social and psychological harm. Economic constraints imposed by payers of care, predominantly Medicaid policies, are hypothesized to impact hospitalizations. Federally mandated resident assessments were merged with Medicare claims and eligibility files to determine hospitalizations and death within 150 days of baseline assessment. Nursing home and market characteristics were obtained from the Online Survey Certification and Reporting, and the Area Resource File, respectively. States' average daily Medicaid nursing home payments and bed-hold policies were obtained independently. Prospective cohort study of 570,614 older (> or =65-year-old), non-MCO (Medicare Managed Care), long-stay (> or =90 days) residents in 8,997 urban, freestanding nursing homes assessed between April and June 2000, using multilevel models to test the impact of state policies on hospitalizations controlling for resident, nursing home, and market characteristics. Overall, 99,379 (17.4 percent) residents were hospitalized with rates varying from 8.4 percent in Utah to 24.9 percent in Louisiana. Higher Medicaid per diem was associated with lower odds of hospitalizations (5 percent lower for each $10 above average $103.5, confidence intervals [CI] 0.91-0.99). Hospitalization odds were higher by 36 percent in states with bed-hold policies (CI: 1.12-1.63). State Medicaid bed-hold policy and per-diem payment have important implications for nursing home hospitalizations, which are predominantly financed by Medicare. This study emphasizes the importance of properly aligning state Medicaid and federal Medicare policies in regards to the subsidy of acute, maintenance, and preventive care in the nursing home setting.

  11. The experiences of family members in the nursing home to hospital transfer decision

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kathleen Abrahamson

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The objective of this study was to better understand the experiences of family members in the nursing home to hospital transfer decision making process. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 family members who had recently been involved in a nursing home to hospital transfer decision. Results Family members perceived themselves to play an advocacy role in their resident’s care and interview themes clustered within three over-arching categories: Family perception of the nursing home’s capacity to provide medical care: Resident and family choices; and issues at ‘hand-off’ and the hospital. Multiple sub-themes were also identified. Conclusions Findings from this study contribute to knowledge surrounding the nursing home transfer decision by illuminating the experiences of family members in the transfer decision process.

  12. Emotional learning of undergraduate medical students in an early nursing attachment in a hospital or nursing home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helmich, Esther; Bolhuis, Sanneke; Prins, Judith; Laan, Roland; Koopmans, Raymond

    2011-01-01

    Entering medicine for the first time is highly impressive for students, but we know little about the actual emotional learning processes taking place. We aimed to get more insight into expectations, experiences and emotions of students during their first clinical experiences in a hospital compared to a nursing home. We carried out a qualitative and a quantitative survey by administering questionnaires about expectations, impressive experiences and learning activities within two cohorts of first-year medical students before and after a 4-week nursing attachment. Despite different expectations, students reported similar experiences and learning activities for the nursing home and the hospital. Most impressive events were related to patient care, being a trainee, or professional identities being challenged. Students in nursing homes most often referred to their own relationships with patients. Students expressed different emotions, and frequently experienced positive and negative emotions at the same time. Rewarding experiences (not only difficult or stressful events) do matter for medical professional development. Students need to learn how to deal with and feel strengthened by the emotions evoked during clinical experiences, which should be supported by educators. The nursing home and the hospital seem to be equally suited as learning environments.

  13. Successfully Reducing Hospitalizations of Nursing Home Residents: Results of the Missouri Quality Initiative.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rantz, Marilyn J; Popejoy, Lori; Vogelsmeier, Amy; Galambos, Colleen; Alexander, Greg; Flesner, Marcia; Crecelius, Charles; Ge, Bin; Petroski, Gregory

    2017-11-01

    The goals of the Missouri Quality Initiative (MOQI) for long-stay nursing home residents were to reduce the frequency of avoidable hospital admissions and readmissions, improve resident health outcomes, improve the process of transitioning between inpatient hospitals and nursing facilities, and reduce overall healthcare spending without restricting access to care or choice of providers. The MOQI was one of 7 program sites in the United States, with specific interventions unique to each site tested for the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) Innovations Center. A prospective, single group intervention design, the MOQI included an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) embedded full-time within each nursing home (NH) to influence resident care outcomes. Data were collected continuously for more than 3 years from an average of 1750 long-stay Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay residents living each day in 16 participating nursing homes in urban, metro, and rural communities within 80 miles of a major Midwestern city in Missouri. Performance feedback reports were provided to each facility summarizing their all-cause hospitalizations and potentially avoidable hospitalizations as well as a support team of social work, health information technology, and INTERACT/Quality Improvement Coaches. The MOQI achieved a 30% reduction in all-cause hospitalizations and statistically significant reductions in 4 single quarters of the 2.75 years of full implementation of the intervention for long-stay nursing home residents. As the population of older people explodes in upcoming decades, it is critical to find good solutions to deal with increasing costs of health care. APRNs, working with multidisciplinary support teams, are a good solution to improving care and reducing costs if all nursing home residents have access to APRNs nationwide. Copyright © 2017 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. 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.

  15. Impact of nursing home residence on hospital epidemiology of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a perspective from Asia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verrall, A; Merchant, R; Dillon, J; Ying, D; Fisher, D

    2013-03-01

    In a Singapore hospital practising meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) admission screening, the relative risk for MRSA colonization for those admitted from nursing homes was 6.89 (95% confidence interval: 5.74-8.26; 41% of 190 vs 6.0% of 14,849). However, the MRSA burden on admission attributable to nursing home residence was low (6.9%). Risk factors independently associated with MRSA colonization in patients admitted from nursing homes were previous hospital admissions, broken skin, prior use of antibiotics and Chinese ethnicity. Low rates of nursing home use means that the overall impact of nursing home residence on MRSA in our hospital is low. Copyright © 2012 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. 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...

  17. Factors contributing to fecal incontinence in older people and outcome of routine management in home, hospital and nursing home settings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Asangaedem Akpan

    2007-04-01

    Full Text Available Asangaedem Akpan1,2,3, Margot A Gosney2, James Barrett3,4, 1Directorate of Medicine and Elderly Care, Warrington Hospital, Warrington, Cheshire, UK; 2School of Food Biosciences, The University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, UK; 3Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK; 4Directorate of Elderly Medicine and Rehabilitation, Clatterbridge Hospital, Merseyside, UKObjective: Fecal loading, cognitive impairment, loose stools, functional disability, comorbidity and anorectal incontinence are recognized as factors contributing to loss of fecal continence in older adults. The objective of this project was to assess the relative distribution of these factors in a variety of settings along with the outcome of usual management. Methods: One hundred and twenty adults aged 65 years and over with fecal incontinence recruited by convenience sampling from four different settings were studied. They were either living at home or in a nursing home or receiving care on an acute or rehabilitation elderly care ward. A structured questionnaire was used to elicit which factors associated with fecal incontinence were present from subjects who had given written informed consent or for whom assent for inclusion in the study had been obtained.Results: Fecal loading (Homes 6 [20%]; Acute care wards 17 [57%]; Rehabilitation wards 19 [63%]; Nursing homes 21 [70%] and functional disability (Homes 5 [17%]; Acute care wards 25 [83%]; Rehabilitation wards 25 [83%]; Nursing homes 20 [67%] were significantly more prevalent in the hospital and nursing home settings than in those living at home (P < 0.01. Loose stools were more prevalent in the hospital setting than in the other settings (Homes 11 [37%]; Acute care wards 20 [67%]; Rehabilitation wards 17 [57%]; Nursing homes 6 [20%] (P < 0.01. Cognitive impairment was significantly more common in the nursing home than in the other settings (Nursing homes 26 [87%], Homes 5 [17%], Acute care wards 13 [43%], Rehabilitation

  18. Falls in hospital and new placement in a nursing home among older people hospitalized with acute illness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basic, David; Hartwell, Tabitha J

    2015-01-01

    To examine the association between falls in hospital and new placement in a nursing home among older people hospitalized with acute illness. This prospective cohort study of 2,945 consecutive patients discharged alive from an acute geriatric medicine service used multivariate logistic regression to model the association between one or more falls and nursing home placement (primary analysis). Secondary analyses stratified falls by injury and occurrence of multiple falls. Demographic, medical, and frailty measures were considered in adjusted models. The mean age of all patients was 82.8±7.6 years and 94% were admitted through the emergency department. During a median length of stay (LOS) of 11 days, 257 (8.7%) patients had a fall. Of these, 66 (25.7%) sustained an injury and 53 (20.6%) had two or more falls. Compared with nonfallers, fallers were more likely to be placed in a nursing home (odds ratio [OR]: 2.03, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.37-3.00), after adjustment for age, sex, frailty, and selected medical variables (including dementia and delirium). Patients without injury (OR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.17-2.85) and those with injury (OR: 2.35, 95% CI: 1.15-4.77) were also more likely to be placed. Patients who fell had a longer LOS (median 19 days vs 10 days; Pcare shows that falls in the hospital are significantly associated with new placement in a nursing home. Given the predominantly negative experiences and the financial costs associated with placement in a nursing home, fall prevention should be a high priority in older people hospitalized with acute illness.

  19. Transfer of residents to hospital prior to cardiac death: the influence of nursing home quality and ownership type.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anic, Gabriella M; Pathak, Elizabeth Barnett; Tanner, Jean Paul; Casper, Michele L; Branch, Laurence G

    2014-01-01

    We hypothesised that among nursing home decedents, nursing home for-profit status and poor quality-of-care ratings, as well as patient characteristics, would lower the likelihood of transfer to hospital prior to heart disease death. Using death certificates from a large metropolitan area (Tampa Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area) for 1998-2002, we geocoded residential street addresses of heart disease decedents to identify 2172 persons who resided in nursing homes (n=131) at the time of death. We analysed decedent place of death as an indicator of transfer prior to death. Multilevel logistic regression modelling was used for analysis. Cause of death and decedent characteristics were obtained from death certificates. Nursing home characteristics, including state inspector ratings for multiple time points, were obtained from Florida's Agency for Healthcare Administration. Nursing home for-profit status, level of nursing care and quality-of-care ratings were not associated with the likelihood of transfer to hospital prior to heart disease death. Nursing homes >5 miles from a hospital were more likely to transfer decedents, compared with facilities located close to a hospital. Significant predictors of no transfer for nursing home residents were being white, female, older, less educated and widowed/unmarried. In this study population, contrary to our hypotheses, sociodemographic characteristics of nursing home decedents were more important predictors of no transfer prior to cardiac death than quality rankings or for-profit status of nursing homes.

  20. Development and communication of written ethics policies on euthanasia in Catholic hospitals and nursing homes in Belgium (Flanders).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gastmans, Chris; Lemiengre, Joke; de Casterlé, Bernadette Dierckx

    2006-10-01

    To describe whether and how Catholic hospitals and nursing homes in Belgium (Flanders) have developed written ethics policies on euthanasia and communicated these policies to their employees, patients, and patient's relatives. A cross-sectional mail survey of general directors of Catholic hospitals and nursing homes in Belgium (Flanders). Of the 298 targeted institutions, 81% of hospitals and 62% of nursing homes returned complete questionnaires. A high percentage of Catholic hospitals (79%) and a moderate percentage of nursing homes (30%) had written ethics policies on euthanasia. Both caregivers and healthcare administrators were involved in the development and approval of these policies. Physicians and nurses were best informed about the policies. More than half of the nursing homes (57%) took the initiative to inform both residents and relatives about the policies, while only one hospital did so. The high prevalence of written ethics policies on euthanasia in Flemish Catholic hospitals may reflect the concern of healthcare administrators to maintain the quality of care for patients requesting euthanasia. However, the true contribution of these policies to quality end-of-life care and to supporting caregivers remains unknown and needs further research. Legislation and centrally developed guidelines might influence healthcare institutions to develop ethics policies.

  1. Predictors of a nursing home placement from a non-acute geriatric hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aditya, B S; Sharma, J C; Allen, S C; Vassallo, M

    2003-02-01

    Identifying patients who need Nursing Home (NH) care following a hospital admission is important. To identify the factors that predispose to an NH discharge. Prospective observational study with blinded end-point evaluation. A non-acute geriatric hospital. Two hundred consecutive elderly patients who were admitted for rehabilitation following treatment for an acute illness. Discharge to an NH or home. Thirty-five out of the 150 live discharges (23.3%) were to an NH. NH discharges had a longer length of stay (38.5 versus 19.8 days; p falls (p = 0.02) and to have sustained a fall while in hospital (p = 0.001). Multiple logistic regression identified confusion (p = 0.001), incontinence (p = 0.02), falls in hospital (p = 0.01), gait abnormalities (p factors present: 4.28% for 0-2 factors, 25.8% for 3-4 factors and 81.8% for 5-6 factors (p factors should be the target of specific rehabilitation in an attempt to reduce the risk of discharge to a nursing home and improve patient outcome.

  2. Mortality and hospitalization at the end of life in newly admitted nursing home residents with and without dementia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allers, Katharina; Hoffmann, Falk

    2018-05-02

    The proportion of deaths occurring in nursing homes is increasing and end of life hospitalizations in residents are common. This study aimed to obtain the time from nursing home admission to death and the frequency of hospitalizations prior to death among residents with and without dementia. This retrospective cohort study analyzed claims data of 127,227 nursing home residents aged 65 years and older newly admitted to a nursing home between 2010 and 2014. We analyzed hospitalizations during the last year of life and assessed mortality rates per 100 person-years. Factors potentially associated with time to death were analyzed in Cox proportional hazard models. The median time from nursing home admission to death was 777 and 635 days in residents with and without dementia, respectively. Being male, older age and a higher level of care decreased the survival time. Sex and age had a higher influence on survival time in residents with dementia, whereas level of care was found to have a higher influence in residents without dementia. Half of the residents of both groups were hospitalized during the last month and about 37% during the last week before death. Leading causes of hospitalizations were infections (with dementia: 20.6% vs. without dementia: 17.2%) and cardiovascular diseases (with dementia: 16.6% vs. without dementia: 19.0%). A high proportion of residents with and without dementia are hospitalized shortly before death. There should be an open debate about the appropriateness of hospitalizing nursing home residents especially those with dementia near death.

  3. A study of the characteristics and needs of people transferred from acute hospitals to nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lefroy, R B; Davey, M; Hyndman, J; Hobbs, M S

    1993-09-20

    To describe the categories of people being approved for admission to nursing homes; to consider whether any alternatives would have been more appropriate; and to outline the care needed for each category. Patients in acute-care facilities in metropolitan Perth for whom a request had been made for nursing home admission. Patients were interviewed (by R B L and M D) and records in the acute hospital were examined. A second interview of those patients still available was conducted after their transfer to the nursing home. Nursing care was considered necessary for 123 of the 201 people seen in the acute hospitals; domestic care in a standard hostel for 24 people; care in a special dementia unit (SDU) hostel for 26 people; and care in a psychiatric institution for 16 people. Twelve others had various specific needs. Several different categories were identified in the group needing nursing care. Applicants for nursing home admission do not form a homogeneous group; there are several categories with different needs. SDU hostels should be added to the available facilities. In addition to undertaking the assessment of nursing home applicants, personnel from geriatric services should be encouraged to become involved in their continuing care.

  4. [Regional geriatric team--a model for cooperation between nursing homes and hospitals].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sellaeg, Wenche Frogn

    2005-04-21

    Few studies describe and evaluate the use of ambulatory geriatric teams in nursing homes. This article gives an account of a model in which a multidisciplinary group from the local hospital has been visiting 17 communities in Norway twice a year for 11 years. The ambulatory geriatric team includes a geriatrician, a geriatric nurse, a physiotherapist and an occupational therapist. Their aim is to raise the quality of geriatric assessment and care and to enhance the cooperation between the hospital and the nursing homes in the communities. The team members are doing a comprehensive geriatric assessment of some of the patients; they assess cases for further referral, and examine patients with declining functioning with a view to rehabilitation. The team provides instruction in various aspects of geriatrics to community care professionals. Much time is devoted to discussions on problems raised by the staff, such as management of patients with dementia-related behavioural problems, and to provide feedback to staff-members. The team liaise between hospitals, nursing homes and community care services in the communities in order to enhance communication between the professionals involved. An evaluation of the team was done on behalf of the National Institute of Health through a postal questionnaire which was returned by 223 doctors, nurses and allied health care professionals. The results indicate that visits by the ambulatory team improve the knowledge of doctors and allied professionals about diseases in the elderly; 92% reported that they now felt they were doing a better job.

  5. Ciprofloxacin : Use and resistance in Community, Nursing Home and Hospital

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Hees, B.C.

    2011-01-01

    The aim of the studies described in this thesis was to analyze some aspects of ciprofloxacin use and clinical and (molecular) epidemiology of ciprofloxacin resistance in different settings, both within hospitals (chapter 3,4 and 6), community and nursing homes (chapter 2 and 5). With its broad

  6. Coordinated hospital-home care for kidney patients on hemodialysis from the perspective of nursing personnel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luz María Tejada-Tayabas

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To examine, from the nursing perspective, the needs and challenges of coordinated hospital-home care for renal patients on hemodialysis. METHODS: A qualitative analysis was conducted with an ethnographic approach in a hemodialysis unit in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Semistructured interviews were conducted with nine nurses, selected by purposeful sampling. Structured content analysis was used. RESULTS: Nurses recounted the needs and challenges involved in caring for renal patients. They also identified barriers that limit coordinated patient care in the hospital and the home, mainly the work overload at the hemodialysis unit and the lack of a systematic strategy for education and lifelong guidance to patients, their families and caregivers. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the importance and necessity of establishing a strategy that goes beyond conventional guidance provided to caregivers of renal patients, integrating them into the multidisciplinary group of health professionals that provide care for these patients in the hospital to establish coordinated hospital-home care that increases therapeutic adherence, treatment substitution effectiveness and patient quality of life.

  7. Cost analysis of nursing home registered nurse staffing times.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dorr, David A; Horn, Susan D; Smout, Randall J

    2005-05-01

    To examine potential cost savings from decreased adverse resident outcomes versus additional wages of nurses when nursing homes have adequate staffing. A retrospective cost study using differences in adverse outcome rates of pressure ulcers (PUs), urinary tract infections (UTIs), and hospitalizations per resident per day from low staffing and adequate staffing nursing homes. Cost savings from reductions in these events are calculated in dollars and compared with costs of increasing nurse staffing. Eighty-two nursing homes throughout the United States. One thousand three hundred seventy-six frail elderly long-term care residents at risk of PU development. Event rates are from the National Pressure Ulcer Long-Term Care Study. Hospital costs are estimated from Medicare statistics and from charges in the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. UTI costs and PU costs are from cost-identification studies. Time horizon is 1 year; perspectives are societal and institutional. Analyses showed an annual net societal benefit of 3,191 dollars per resident per year in a high-risk, long-stay nursing home unit that employs sufficient nurses to achieve 30 to 40 minutes of registered nurse direct care time per resident per day versus nursing homes that have nursing time of less than 10 minutes. Sensitivity analyses revealed a robust set of estimates, with no single or paired elements reaching the cost/benefit equality threshold. Increasing nurse staffing in nursing homes may create significant societal cost savings from reduction in adverse outcomes. Challenges in increasing nurse staffing are discussed.

  8. Associations between nursing home performance and hospital 30-day readmissions for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure and pneumonia at the healthcare community level in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pandolfi, Michelle M; Wang, Yun; Spenard, Ann; Johnson, Florence; Bonner, Alice; Ho, Shih-Yieh; Elwell, Timothy; Bakullari, Anila; Galusha, Deron; Leifheit-Limson, Erica; Lichtman, Judith H; Krumholz, Harlan M

    2017-12-01

    To evaluate community-specific nursing home performance with community-specific hospital 30-day readmissions for Medicare patients discharged with acute myocardial infarction, heart failure or pneumonia. Cross-sectional study using 2009-2012 hospital risk-standardised 30-day readmission data for Medicare fee-for-service patients hospitalised for all three conditions and nursing home performance data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Five-Star Quality Rating System. Medicare-certified nursing homes and acute care hospitals. 12,542 nursing homes and 3,039 hospitals treating 30 or more Medicare fee-for-service patients for all three conditions across 2,032 hospital service areas in the United States. Community-specific hospital 30-day risk-standardised readmission rates. Community-specific nursing home performance measures: health inspection, staffing, Registered Nurses and quality performance; and an aggregated performance score. Mixed-effects models evaluated associations between nursing home performance and hospital 30-day risk-standardised readmission rates for all three conditions. The relationship between community-specific hospital risk-standardised readmission rates and community-specific overall nursing home performance was statistically significant for all three conditions. Increasing nursing home performance by one star resulted in decreases of 0.29% point (95% CI: 0.12-0.47), 0.78% point (95% CI: 0.60-0.95) and 0.46% point (95% CI: 0.33-0.59) of risk-standardised readmission rates for AMI, HF and pneumonia, respectively. Among the specific measures, higher performance in nursing home overall staffing and Registered Nurse staffing measures was statistically significantly associated with lower hospital readmission rates for all three conditions. Notable geographic variation in the community-specific nursing home performance was observed. Community-specific nursing home performance is associated with community-specific hospital 30-day

  9. 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)

  10. Fall prevention in nursing homes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andresen, Mette; Hauge, Johnny

    2014-01-01

    that the number of hospitalization after a fall injury will become an even greater task for the Danish hospitals, The aim of the study was to show if there is a relationship between physically frail elderly nursing home resident’s subjective evaluation of fall-risk and an objective evaluation of their balance....... Further, to suggest tools for fall prevention in nursing home settings on the basis of the results of this study and the literature. A quantitative method inspired by the survey method was used to give an overview of fall patterns, subjective and objective evaluations of fallrisk. Participants were 16...... physically frail elderly nursing home residents from three different nursing homes. Measures: a small staff-questionnaire about incidences and places where the participants had falling-episodes during a 12 month period, The Falls Effi cacy Scale Swedish version (FES(S)) and Berg Balance Scale (BBS) Results...

  11. 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?

  12. Association Between Symptom Burden and Time to Hospitalization, Nursing Home Placement, and Death Among the Chronically Ill Urban Homebound.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Nancy; Ornstein, Katherine A; Reckrey, Jennifer M

    2016-07-01

    Homebound adults experience significant symptom burden. To examine demographic and clinical characteristics associated with high symptom burden in the homebound, and to examine associations between symptom burden and time to hospitalization, nursing home placement, and death. Three hundred eighteen patients newly enrolled in the Mount Sinai Visiting Doctors Program, an urban home-based primary care program, were studied. Patient sociodemographic characteristics, symptom burden (measured via the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale), and incidents of hospitalization, nursing home placement, and death were collected via medical chart review. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to analyze the effect of high symptom burden on time to first hospitalization, nursing home placement, and death. Of the study sample, 45% had severe symptom burden (i.e., Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale score >6 on at least one symptom). Patients with severe symptom burden were younger (82.0 vs. 85.5 years, P nursing home placement or death. The homebound with severe symptom burden represents a unique cohort of patients who are at increased risk of hospitalization. Tailored symptom management via home-based primary and palliative care programs may prevent unnecessary health care utilization in this population. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Administration of care to older patients in transition from hospital to home care services: home nursing leaders' experiences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dale B

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Bjørg Dale,1 Sigrun Hvalvik21Centre for Caring Research – Southern Norway, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Agder, Grimstad, 2Centre for Caring Research – Southern Norway, Faculty of Health and Social Studies, Telemark University College, Porsgrunn, NorwayBackground: Older persons in transition between hospital and home care services are in a particularly vulnerable situation and risk unfortunate consequences caused by organizational inefficiency. The purpose of the study reported here was to elucidate how home nursing leaders experience the administration of care to older people in transition from hospital to their own homes.Methods: A qualitative study design was used. Ten home nursing leaders in two municipalities in southern Norway participated in individual interviews. The interview texts were audio taped, transcribed verbatim and analyzed by use of a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach.Results: Three main themes and seven subthemes were deduced from the data. The first main theme was that the home nursing leaders felt challenged by the organization of home care services. Two subthemes were identified related to this. The first was that the leaders lacked involvement in the transitional process, and the second was that they were challenged by administration of care being decided at another level in the municipality. The second main theme found was that the leaders felt that they were acting in a shifting and unsettled context. Related to this, they had to adjust internal resources to external demands and expectations, and experienced lack of communication with significant others. The third main theme identified was that the leaders endeavored to deliver care in accordance with professional values. The two related subthemes were, first, that they provided for appropriate internal systems and routines, and, second, that they prioritized available professional competence, and made an effort to promote a professional

  14. 38 CFR 17.57 - Use of community nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... MEDICAL Use of Community Nursing Home Care Facilities § 17.57 Use of community nursing homes. (a) Nursing home care in a contract public or private nursing home facility may be authorized for the following... currently receiving VA hospital based home health services. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 1720; sec. 108, Pub. L. 99...

  15. Hospitalization Risk and Potentially Inappropriate Medications among Medicare Home Health Nursing Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lohman, Matthew C; Cotton, Brandi P; Zagaria, Alexandra B; Bao, Yuhua; Greenberg, Rebecca L; Fortuna, Karen L; Bruce, Martha L

    2017-12-01

    Hospitalizations and potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use are significant and costly issues among older home health patients, yet little is known about the prevalence of PIM use in home health or the relationship between PIM use and hospitalization risk in this population. To describe the prevalence of PIM use and association with hospitalization among Medicare home health patients. Cross-sectional analysis using data from 132 home health agencies in the US. Medicare beneficiaries starting home health nursing services between 2013 and 2014 (n = 87,780). Prevalence of individual and aggregate PIM use at start of care, measured using the 2012 Beers criteria. Relative risk (RR) of 30-day hospitalization or re-hospitalization associated with individual and aggregate PIM use, compared to no PIM use. In total, 30,168 (34.4%) patients were using at least one PIM, with 5969 (6.8%) taking at least two PIMs according to the Beers list. The most common types of PIMs were those affecting the brain or spinal cord, analgesics, and medications with anticholinergic properties. With the exception of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), PIM use across all classes was associated with elevated risk (10-33%) of hospitalization compared to non-use. Adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics, patients using at least one PIM (excluding NSAIDs) had a 13% greater risk (RR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.17) of being hospitalized than patients using no PIMs, while patients using at least two PIMs had 21% greater risk (RR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.30). Similar associations were found between PIMs and re-hospitalization risk among patients referred to home health from a hospital. Given the high prevalence of PIM use and the association between PIMs and hospitalization risk, home health episodes represent opportunities to substantially reduce PIM use among older adults and prevent adverse outcomes. Efforts to address medication use during home health episodes

  16. [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.

  17. Impact of the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act on nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laliberte, L; Mor, V; Berg, K; Intrator, O; Calore, K; Hiris, J

    1997-01-01

    The Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act (MCCA) of 1988 altered eligibility and coverage for skilled nursing facility (SNF) care and changed Medicaid eligibility rules for nursing-home residents. Detailed data on the residents of a for-profit nursing-home chain and Medicare claims for a 1 percent sample of beneficiaries were used to examine the impact of the MCCA on nursing homes. The case mix of nursing-home admissions was scrutinized, specifically for length of stay, discharge disposition, rate of hospitalization, and changes in payer source. Findings revealed that, although the proportion of Medicare-financed nursing-home care increased, as did the case-mix severity of residents during the MCCA period, there was no corollary reduction in hospital use by nursing-home residents.

  18. Evaluation of an ultraviolet room disinfection protocol to decrease nursing home microbial burden, infection and hospitalization rates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kovach, Christine R; Taneli, Yavuz; Neiman, Tammy; Dyer, Elaine M; Arzaga, Alvin Jason A; Kelber, Sheryl T

    2017-03-03

    The focus of nursing home infection control procedures has been on decreasing transmission between healthcare workers and residents. Less evidence is available regarding whether decontamination of high-touch environmental surfaces impacts infection rates or resident outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine if ultraviolet disinfection is associated with changes in: 1) microbial counts and adenosine triphosphate counts on high-touch surfaces; and 2) facility wide nursing home acquired infection rates, and infection-related hospitalization. The study was conducted in one 160-bed long-term care facility. Following discharge of each resident, their room was cleaned and then disinfected using a newly acquired ultraviolet light disinfection device. Shared living spaces received weekly ultraviolet light disinfection. Thirty-six months of pretest infection and hospitalization data were compared with 12 months of posttest data. Pre and posttest cultures were taken from high-touch surfaces, and luminometer readings of adenosine triphosphate were done. Nursing home acquired infection rates were analyzed relative to hospital acquired infection rates using analysis of variance procedures. Wilcoxon signed rank tests, The Cochran's Q, and Chi Square were also used. There were statistically significant decreases in adenosine triphosphate readings on all high-touch surfaces after cleaning and disinfection. Culture results were positive for gram-positive cocci or rods on 33% (n = 30) of the 90 surfaces swabbed at baseline. After disinfectant cleaning, 6 of 90 samples (7.1%) tested positive for a gram-positive bacilli, and after ultraviolet disinfection 4 of the 90 samples (4.4%) were positive. There were significant decreases in nursing home acquired relative to hospital-acquired infection rates for the total infections (p = .004), urinary tract infection rates (p = .014), respiratory system infection rates (p = .017) and for rates of infection of the skin

  19. The cost of pressure ulcer prevention and treatment in hospitals and nursing homes in Flanders: A cost-of-illness study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demarré, Liesbet; Verhaeghe, Sofie; Annemans, Lieven; Van Hecke, Ann; Grypdonck, Maria; Beeckman, Dimitri

    2015-07-01

    The economic impact of pressure ulcer prevention and treatment is high. The results of cost-of-illness studies can assist the planning, allocation, and priority setting of healthcare expenditures to improve the implementation of preventive measures. Data on the cost of current practice of pressure ulcer prevention or treatment in Flanders, a region of Belgium, is lacking. To examine the cost of pressure ulcer prevention and treatment in an adult population in hospitals and nursing homes from the healthcare payer perspective. A cost-of-illness study was performed using a bottom-up approach. Hospitals and nursing homes in Flanders, a region of Belgium. Data were collected in a series of prospective multicentre cross-sectional studies between 2008 and 2013. Data collection included data on risk assessment, pressure ulcer prevalence, preventive measures, unit cost of materials for prevention and treatment, nursing time measurements for activities related to pressure ulcer prevention and treatment, and nursing wages. The cost of pressure ulcer prevention and treatment in hospitals and nursing homes was calculated as annual cost for Flanders, per patient, and per patient per day. The mean (SD) cost for pressure ulcer prevention was €7.88 (8.21) per hospitalised patient at risk per day and €2.15 (3.10) per nursing home resident at risk per day. The mean (SD) cost of pressure ulcer prevention for patients and residents identified as not at risk for pressure ulcer development was €1.44 (4.26) per day in hospitals and €0.50 (1.61) per day in nursing homes. The main cost driver was the cost of labour, responsible for 79-85% of the cost of prevention. The mean (SD) cost of local treatment per patient per day varied between €2.34 (1.14) and €77.36 (35.95) in hospitals, and between €2.42 (1.15) and €16.18 (4.93) in nursing homes. Related to methodological differences between studies, the cost of pressure ulcer prevention and treatment in hospitals and nursing

  20. Factors associated with nursing home placement of all patients admitted for inpatient rehabilitation in Singapore community hospitals from 1996 to 2005: a disease stratified analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cynthia Chen

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: To (1 identify social and rehabilitation predictors of nursing home placement, (2 investigate the association between effectiveness and efficiency in rehabilitation and nursing home placement of patients admitted for inpatient rehabilitation from 1996 to 2005 by disease in Singapore. DESIGN: National data were retrospectively extracted from medical records of community hospital. DATA SOURCES: There were 12,506 first admissions for rehabilitation in four community hospitals. Of which, 8,594 (90.3% patients were discharged home and 924 (9.7% patients were discharged to a nursing home. Other discharge destinations such as sheltered home (n = 37, other community hospital (n = 31, death in community hospital (n = 12, acute hospital (n = 1,182 and discharge against doctor's advice (n = 24 were excluded. OUTCOME MEASURE: Nursing home placement. RESULTS: Those who were discharged to nursing home had 33% lower median rehabilitation effectiveness and 29% lower median rehabilitation efficiency compared to those who were discharged to nursing homes. Patients discharged to nursing homes were significantly older (mean age: 77 vs. 73 years, had lower mean Bathel Index scores (40 vs. 48, a longer median length of stay (40 vs. 33 days and a longer time to rehabilitation (19 vs. 15 days, had a higher proportion without a caregiver (28 vs. 7%, being single (21 vs. 7% and had dementia (23 vs. 10%. Patients admitted for lower limb amputation or falls had an increased odds of being discharged to a nursing home by 175% (p<0.001 and 65% (p = 0.043 respectively compared to stroke patients. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, the odds of nursing home placement was found to be increased in Chinese, males, single or widowed or separated/divorced, patients in high subsidy wards for hospital care, patients with dementia, without caregivers, lower functional scores at admission, lower rehabilitation effectiveness or efficiency at discharge and primary diagnosis groups such

  1. Do recommendations for institutional food service result in better food service? A study of compliance in Danish hospitals and nursing homes from 1995 to 2002-2003.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mikkelsen, B E; Beck, A M; Lassen, A

    2007-01-01

    Since 1995, significant efforts by authorities and researchers have been directed towards addressing the nutritional problems in Danish hospitals and nursing homes. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the increased focus on nutritional problems in patients and nursing home residents has resulted in measurable progress. A questionnaire-based study was carried out among foodservice managers in Danish hospitals (n=96) and nursing homes (n=898) in 1995 and 2002/3 (n=90) and (n=682), respectively. The study used compliance with selected issues in the official Danish recommendations for institutional food service as an indicator for progress. The issues included: using nutrient calculated recipes/menus, offering menu choice options, using feedback routines on acceptability of menus, maintaining nutritional steering committees, employing food and nutrition contact persons, employing official recommendations and offering choice between three different menu energy levels. Hospitals had a higher compliance compared to nursing homes. In 1995, this was the case for all questions asked and differences were statistically significant. Also in 2002/3, hospitals had a higher compliance, except in the case of established feedback routines. Differences were statistically significant. The results indicate that nutritional care is higher on the agenda in hospital, than in nursing homes. However, very little progress can be seen in compliance when results are analysed over the 8-year period. The only progress for nursing homes was that more homes had implemented feedback routines on acceptability of food service in 2002/3 than in 1995. The difference was statistically significant. For hospitals, however, no progress was found between 1995 and 2002/3. The attempts to improve the nutritional status of hospital patients and nursing home residents seem to have failed. Still, the initiatives taken to improve the situation seem relevant. Especially the nursing homes might

  2. Multidisciplinary nutritional support for undernutrition in nursing home and home-care

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Beck, Anne Marie; Gøgsig Christensen, Annette; Stenbæk Hansen, Birthe

    2016-01-01

    Objective To assess the effect of multidisciplinary nutritional support for undernutrition in older adults in nursing home and home-care identified with the validated Eating Validation Scheme (EVS). Methods An 11 wk cluster randomized trial with a home-care (3 clusters) or nursing home (3 clusters.......3] versus 1.3 [0.5], P = 0.021) was observed. There was a almost significant difference in mortality (2% versus 13%, P = 0.079). Conclusions Multidisciplinary nutritional support in older adults in nursing home and home-care could have a positive effect on quality of life, muscle strength, and oral care....... means of EuroQol-5D-3L), physical performance (30-seconds chair stand), nutritional status (weight and hand-grip strength), oral care, fall incidents, hospital admissions, rehabilitation stay, moving to nursing homes (participants from home-care), and mortality. Results Respectively, 55 (46 from 2 home...

  3. A Survey of Nursing Home Organizational Characteristics Associated with Potentially Avoidable Hospital Transfers and Care Quality in One Large British Columbia Health Region

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGregor, Margaret J.; Baumbusch, Jennifer; Abu-Laban, Riyad B.; McGrail, Kimberlyn M.; Andrusiek, Dug; Globerman, Judith; Berg, Shannon; Cox, Michelle B.; Salomons, Kia; Volker, Jan; Ronald, Lisa

    2011-01-01

    Hospitalization of nursing home residents can be futile as well as costly, and now evidence indicates that treating nursing home residents in place produces better outcomes for some conditions. We examined facility organizational characteristics that previous research showed are associated with potentially avoidable hospital transfers and with…

  4. Comparison of quality of sleep, depression, and life satisfaction between older adults in nursing homes and long-term care hospitals in Korea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Kon Hee; Hwang, Eun Hee

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of the present study was to identify the sleep quality, depression, and life satisfaction between nursing home and long-term care hospital residents. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire survey of 61 nursing home residents and 74 long-term care hospital residents. Descriptive statistics, t-test, χ 2 -test, anova, Pearson's correlation were used to analyze the data. The residents living in a nursing home showed higher subjective health status and sleep quality than long-term care hospital residents. Depression did not show a significant difference between them. However, there was a significant difference in depression score by subjective health status. Sleep quality and depression showed a significant negative correlation for both residents. In terms of depression and life satisfaction, nursing home residents showed a significant negative correlation, and long-term care hospital residents showed a significant positive correlation. These results show that environmental management is essential to enhance sleep quality, thus depression and subjective health status will be improved. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 142-149. © 2015 Japan Geriatrics Society.

  5. [Current status of costs and utilizations of hospital based home health nursing care in Korea].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryu, Hosihn

    2006-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to describe the current status of utilization and costs of home health nursing care by the levels of medical institutes in Korea. A secondary analysis of existing data was used from the national electronic data information(EDI) of 148 home health agencies for 6 months from May to Oct 2005 in total. The 148 agencies had multiple services in cerebral infaction, essential hypertension, sequela of cerebrovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, etc.. The highest 10 rankings of 76 categories of home health nursing services were composed of 96.4% of the total services, such as simple treatment, inflammatory treatment, urethra & bladder irrigation, inserting indwelling catheter etc., in that order. The highest 20 rankings of 226 categories of home examination services were composed of 77.0% of the total home examination services. In addition, the average cost of home health care per visit was 46,088 Won ( approximately 48 $, 1 $=960 Won). The costs ranged from 74,523 Won ( approximately 78 $, loss of chronic kidney function, N18) to 32,270 Won ( approximately 34 $, other cerebrovascular diseases, I67). Results suggest that client characteristics of hospital based HHNC are not different from community based HHNC or visiting nursing services for elderly. The national results will contribute to baseline data used to establish a policy for the home health nursing care system and education.

  6. Screening of nursing home residents for colonization with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae admitted to acute care hospitals: Incidence and risk factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cunha, Cheston B; Kassakian, Steven Z; Chan, Ryan; Tenover, Fred C; Ziakas, Panos; Chapin, Kimberle C; Mermel, Leonard A

    2016-02-01

    There are increasing reports of multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacilli in nursing homes and acute care hospitals. We performed a point prevalence survey to detect fecal carriage of gram-negative bacteria carrying carbapenem resistance genes or which were otherwise resistant to carbapenem antibiotics among 500 consecutive admissions from local nursing homes to 2 hospitals in Providence, Rhode Island. We performed a case-control study to identify risk factors associated with carriage of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). There were 404 patients with 500 hospital admissions during which they had rectal swab samples cultured. Fecal carriage of any carbapenem-resistant or carbapenemase- producing gram-negative bacteria was found in 23 (4.6%) of the 500 hospital admissions, including 7 CRE (1.4%), 2 (0.4%) of which were Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (ie, blaKPC) producing (CPE) Citrobacter freundii, 1 of which was carbapenem susceptible by standard testing methods. Use of a gastrostomy tube was associated with CRE carriage (P = .04). We demonstrated fecal carriage of carbapenem-resistant or carbapenemase-producing gram-negative bacteria in 4.6% of nursing home patients admitted to 2 acute care hospitals, but only 0.4% of such admissions were patients with fecal carriage of CPE. Use of gastrostomy tubes was associated with fecal carriage of gram-negative bacteria with detectable carbapenem resistance. CRE fecal carriage is uncommon in our hospital admissions from nursing homes. Copyright © 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Attractiveness of people-centred and integrated Dutch Home Care: A nationwide survey among nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maurits, Erica E M; de Veer, Anke J E; Groenewegen, Peter P; Francke, Anneke L

    2018-03-05

    The World Health Organization is calling for a fundamental change in healthcare services delivery, towards people-centred and integrated health services. This includes providing integrated care around people's needs that is effectively co-ordinated across providers and co-produced by professionals, the patient, the family and the community. At the same time, healthcare policies aim to scale back hospital and residential care in favour of home care. This is one reason for the home-care nursing staff shortages in Europe. Therefore, this study aimed to examine whether people-centred, integrated home care appeals to nurses with different levels of education in home care and hospitals. A questionnaire survey was held among registered nurses in Dutch home-care organisations and hospitals in 2015. The questionnaire addressed the perceived attractiveness of different aspects of people-centred, integrated home care. In total 328 nurses filled in the questionnaire (54% response rate). The findings showed that most home-care nurses (70% to 97%) and 36% to 76% of the hospital nurses regard the different aspects of people-centred, integrated home care as attractive. Specific aspects that home-care nurses find attractive are promoting the patient's self-reliance and having a network in the community. Hospital nurses are mainly attracted to health-related prevention and taking control in complex situations. No clear differences between the educational levels were found. It is concluded that most home-care nurses and a minority of hospital nurses feel attracted to people-centred, integrated home care, irrespective of their educational level. The findings are relevant to policy makers and home-care organisations who aim to expand the home-care nursing workforce. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Perspectives and expectations for telemedicine opportunities from families of nursing home residents and caregivers in nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Jun-Yih; Chen, Liang-Kung; Chang, Chia-Ching

    2009-07-01

    This study assessed current perspectives and expectations for telemedicine by nursing home caregivers and families of nursing home patients in Taipei, Taiwan. A total of 116 interviews were conducted with family members (n=37) and caregivers (n=79) using an original, four-part questionnaire devised to assess the expectations and concerns related to prospective telemedicine opportunities, including consumer attitude, knowledge of and interest in medicine, concerns and worries about telemedicine, and anticipated benefits of telemedicine. Statistical significance between the two groups was observed in sex, age, and educational level (all pexpectations concerning benefits of telemedicine. More than 60% of family members or caregivers expected improved efficiency and quality of hospital and nursing home health care, greater rapport between nursing homes and either staff or patients, reduced overall medical costs of caregiving, and reduced staff/caregiver working hours. The acceptable cost was anything up to $15.30 USD per month. Nursing home caregivers and families of nursing home patients are highly interested in telemedicine; however, they are only willing to pay a slightly higher cost of nursing care for this service. The challenge for the future in this industry is to balance peoples' demands and telemedicine's associated costs. Results of this study suggest that caregivers and families of nursing home residents favour telemedicine implementation to provide enhanced care coordination in nursing homes when economic circumstances are favourable.

  9. Variation in the place of death among nursing home residents in France.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morin, Lucas; Johnell, Kristina; Aubry, Régis

    2015-05-01

    recent studies have reported that hospitals have become a common place of death for nursing home residents. This study aimed to (i) measure variations in the proportion of in-hospital deaths across regions after adjustment for facility-level characteristics and (ii) identify environmental risk factors that might explain these variations in France. a cross-sectional retrospective survey was conducted in 2013. coordinating physicians in 3,705 nursing homes in France. a regression model was used to construct risk-adjusted rates of in-hospital deaths considering the facilities' characteristics. At the regional level, the outcome was defined as the difference between the observed rate of in-hospital deaths and the expected risk-adjusted rate. Values exceeding zero indicated rates that exceeded the national predicted rate of in-hospital deaths and thus highlighted regions in which the risk-adjusted probability for nursing home residents to die in a hospital was greater than average. among 70,119 nursing home decedents, 25.4% (n = 17,789) died in hospitals. The characteristics of the facilities had a significant influence on the proportion of in-hospital deaths among the nursing home decedents. However, after adjustment for these facility-level risk factors, the proportion of nursing homes that reported worse-than-average outcomes showed significant variation (range 26.0-79.6%). At the regional level, both the rate of acute hospital beds and the rate of general practitioners were found to be strongly correlated with the probability of reporting worse-than-average outcomes (P nursing home facilities. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  10. Infant outcomes of certified nurse midwife attended home births: United States 2000 to 2004.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malloy, M H

    2010-09-01

    Home births attended by certified nurse midwives (CNMs) make up an extremely small proportion of births in the United States (home deliveries compared with certified nurse midwife in-hospital deliveries in the United States as measured by the risk of adverse infant outcomes among women with term, singleton, vaginal deliveries. United States linked birth and infant death files for the years 2000 to 2004 were used for the analysis. Adverse neonatal outcomes including death were determined by place of birth and attendant type for in-hospital certified nurse midwife, in-hospital 'other' midwife, home certified nurse midwife, home 'other' midwife, and free-standing birth center certified nurse midwife deliveries. For the 5-year period there were 1 237 129 in-hospital certified nurse midwife attended births; 17 389 in-hospital 'other' midwife attended births; 13 529 home certified nurse midwife attended births; 42 375 home 'other' midwife attended births; and 25 319 birthing center certified nurse midwife attended births. The neonatal mortality rate per 1000 live births for each of these categories was, respectively, 0.5 (deaths=614), 0.4 (deaths=7), 1.0 (deaths=14), 1.8 (deaths=75), and 0.6 (deaths=16). The adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for neonatal mortality for home certified nurse midwife attended deliveries vs in-hospital certified nurse midwife attended deliveries was 2.02 (1.18, 3.45). Deliveries at home attended by CNMs and 'other midwives' were associated with higher risks for mortality than deliveries in-hospital by CNMs.

  11. 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...

  12. Variations over time in the effects of age and sex on hospitalization rates before and after admission to a nursing home: A German cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffmann, Falk; Allers, Katharina

    2017-08-01

    We examined hospitalization rates for nursing home residents before and after their entry to the home, stratified by sex and age. A cohort study was conducted using data from a large health insurance fund on 127,227 residents aged 65 years and over newly admitted to a nursing home between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2014. We assessed hospitalization rates and proportions being hospitalized in 6-month intervals one year before nursing home placement and up to 5 years thereafter. Multiple Poisson regression models were fitted to calculate relative risks (RR). Mean age was 84.0 years and 74.6% of the cohort were females. Hospitalization rates were 194.4 per 100 person-years (PY) in the 12 months before entry to the nursing home and 120.0 per 100 PY thereafter. Rates were highest immediately before entry in both sexes. The influence of age was most pronounced in the 12-7 months before entry (RR: 2.37 for 65-74 vs. 95+ years) and declined thereafter (1.29-1.38 up to month 24 after entry). In contrast, the influence of sex was greater after entry (RR: 1.13 for males vs. females in the 12-7 months before and 1.23-1.31 up to month 24 after entry). Hospitalization rates of nursing home residents are much higher in Germany than in other Western countries. We have provided some insight into the influence of age and sex on hospitalization rates, which varied over the period (time before and after entry to the nursing home) analyzed. We urgently recommend that future studies on the hospitalization of residents stratify their analyses by sex, age and period. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Breastfeeding status and marketing practices of baby food manufactured in nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mathur, G P; Pandey, P K; Mathur, S; Mishra, V K; Singh, K; Bhatt, O P; Loomba, R K; Luthra, C; Taneja, S; Kapoor, R

    1993-11-01

    In January 1993 in Kanpur, India, a survey of 7 private nursing homes revealed that infant formula was given to most newborns (52.4%). The most common brands included Lactogen-I, Milk Care, Raptakos, Dexolac Special Care, and Lactodex. Staff at 5 nursing homes gave prelacteal feeds (water, glucose water, and infant formula) to newborns when they were separated from their mothers. Staff at only 2 nursing homes gave the newborn to the mother immediately after delivery. The longest period between delivery and giving the newborn to the mother was 24 hours. All but one of the nursing homes did not know about the government policy and the recent bill that bars free or low-cost infant formula supplies to hospitals. The administration of the nursing homes did not inform the procurement department, in writing, of the government policy. 4 nursing homes bought low-cost supplies of infant formula from the companies. The companies sold the infant formula to the nursing homes at a price 48.3% to 86.7% lower than the market price. Medical stores inside or outside the nursing homes sold the infant formula to parents at the other 3 homes. The nursing homes used, on average, 2-50 kg/month. Nestle (Lactogen-I) and Dalmia Industries (Milk Care) had a monopoly in infant formula in 4 and 3 nursing homes, respectively. Infant formula was in stock in 5 nursing homes. None of the nursing homes gave mothers free or low-cost infant formula at discharge. Lower than market price and increased number of calls to the hospitals and physicians by company personnel were marketing techniques used by the manufacturers to maintain market share. These results show that, despite government policy and the bill, hospitals continue to use infant formula. The government should use the mass media to increase awareness about its policy on infant foods and the concept of the Baby Friendly Hospital.

  14. Transforming home health nursing with telehealth technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farrar, Francisca Cisneros

    2015-06-01

    Telehealth technology is an evidence-based delivery model tool that can be integrated into the plan of care for mental health patients. Telehealth technology empowers access to health care, can help decrease or prevent hospital readmissions, assist home health nurses provide shared decision making, and focuses on collaborative care. Telehealth and the recovery model have transformed the role of the home health nurse. Nurses need to be proactive and respond to rapidly emerging technologies that are transforming their role in home care. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Nurses take center stage in private duty home care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brackett, Nicole

    2013-06-01

    The Affordable Care Act gives America's largest group of health care providers--nurses--a unique chance to lead in improving outcomes, increasing patient satisfaction, and lowering costs. Nurses' roles continue to grow in settings from hospitals and long-term care facilities to home health and hospice agencies. Nurses are also key players in private duty home care, where they serve as care coordinators for clients. Working directly with doctors, therapists, in-home caregivers, and families, nurses are critical in delivering quality, seamless in-home care.

  16. Rurality and nursing home quality: evidence from the 2004 National Nursing Home Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Yu; Meng, Hongdao; Miller, Nancy A

    2011-12-01

    To evaluate the impact of rural geographic location on nursing home quality of care in the United States. The study used cross-sectional observational design. We obtained resident- and facility-level data from 12,507 residents in 1,174 nursing homes from the 2004 National Nursing Home Survey. We used multilevel regression models to predict risk-adjusted rates of hospitalization, influenza and pneumococcal vaccination, and moderate to severe pain while controlling for resident and facility characteristics. Adjusting for covariates, residents in rural facilities were more likely to experience hospitalization (odds ratio [OR] = 1.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.16-1.94) and moderate to severe pain (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.35-2.09). Significant facility-level predictors of higher quality included higher percentage of Medicaid beneficiaries, accreditation status, and special care programs. Medicare payment findings were mixed. Significant resident-level predictors included dementia diagnosis and being a "long-stay" resident. Rural residents were more likely to reside in facilities without accreditations or special care programs, factors that increased their odds of receiving poorer quality of care. Policy efforts to enhance Medicare payment approaches as well as increase rural facilities' accreditation status and provision of special care programs will likely reduce quality of care disparities in facilities.

  17. Factors influencing home care nurse intention to remain employed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tourangeau, Ann; Patterson, Erin; Rowe, Alissa; Saari, Margaret; Thomson, Heather; MacDonald, Geraldine; Cranley, Lisa; Squires, Mae

    2014-11-01

    To identify factors affecting Canadian home care nurse intention to remain employed (ITR). In developed nations, healthcare continues to shift into community settings. Although considerable research exists on examining nurse ITR in hospitals, similar research related to nurses employed in home care is limited. In the face of a global nursing shortage, it is important to understand the factors influencing nurse ITR across healthcare sectors. A qualitative exploratory descriptive design was used. Focus groups were conducted with home care nurses. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Six categories of influencing factors were identified by home care nurses as affecting ITR: job characteristics; work structures; relationships/communication; work environment; nurse responses to work; and employment conditions. Findings suggest the following factors influence home care nurse ITR: having autonomy; flexible scheduling; reasonable and varied workloads; supportive work relationships; and receiving adequate pay and benefits. Home care nurses did not identify job satisfaction as a single concept influencing ITR. Home care nursing management should support nurse autonomy, allow flexible scheduling, promote reasonable workloads and create opportunities for team building that strengthen supportive relationships among home care nurses and other health team members. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. Home hospitalization in the spectrum of community geriatric care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stessman, J; Hammerman-Rozenberg, R; Cohen, A

    1997-04-01

    The Home Hospitalization Programme was initiated in Jerusalem in 1991 to provide intensive medical care at home in order to prevent or shorten hospitalizations. The programme was based upon regular home visits by physicians, and nursing assessment to determine the need for regular nursing care. Primary-care physicians and nurses were renumerated by a global monthly fee, and were on 24-h call in addition to their periodic visits. Patients were recruited by senior geriatric physicians from acute hospital wards, as well as from the community, at the family doctor's request. Ancillary services available to the home hospitalization team included laboratory and electrocardiographic testing, specialty consultations, physical occupational or speech therapy, social work and home help up to 3 h daily. Monthly visits by a senior physician provided oversight and further consultation. Home hospitalization grew out of the continuing care division of the Clalit Sick Fund, a health maintenance organization providing umbrella medical insurance and ambulatory care. The programme grew synergistically with the other facilities of continuing care to encompass a network of comprehensive services to acute, subacute and chronic patients both at home and in institutional settings. In 4 years this network succeeded in establishing the focus of subacute intensive care in the community, achieving high levels of patient and family satisfaction, as well as striking economic advantages. In its first 2 years of operation home hospitalization saved S4 million due to reduced hospital utilization, and preliminary data for the subsequent 2 years indicated that this trend continued. Home hospitalization became the hub of a far-reaching system of supportive, intensive and humane care in the community.

  19. Home Health Nursing Care and Hospital Use for Medically Complex Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gay, James C; Thurm, Cary W; Hall, Matthew; Fassino, Michael J; Fowler, Lisa; Palusci, John V; Berry, Jay G

    2016-11-01

    Home health nursing care (HH) may be a valuable approach to long-term optimization of health for children, particularly those with medical complexity who are prone to frequent and lengthy hospitalizations. We sought to assess the relationship between HH services and hospital use in children. Retrospective, matched cohort study of 2783 hospitalized children receiving postdischarge HH services by BAYADA Home Health Care across 19 states and 7361 matched controls not discharged to HH services from the Children's Hospital Association Case Mix database between January 2004 and September 2012. Subsequent hospitalizations, hospital days, readmissions, and costs of hospital care were assessed over the 12-month period after the initial hospitalization. Nonparametric Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used for comparisons between HH and non-HH users. Although HH cases had a higher percentage of complex chronic conditions (68.5% vs 65.4%), technology assistance (40.5% vs 35.7%), and neurologic impairment (40.7% vs 37.3%) than matched controls (P ≤ .003 for all), 30-day readmission rates were lower in HH patients (18.3% vs 21.5%, P = .001). At 12 months after the index admission, HH patients averaged fewer admissions (0.8 vs 1.0, P < .001), fewer days in the hospital (6.4 vs 6.6, P < .001), and lower hospital costs ($22 511 vs $24 194, P < .001) compared with matched controls. Children discharged to HH care experienced less hospital use than children with similar characteristics who did not use HH care. Further investigation is needed to understand how HH care affects the health and health services of children. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  20. Nursing staff competence, work strain, stress and satisfaction in elderly care: a comparison of home-based care and nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasson, Henna; Arnetz, Judith E

    2008-02-01

    The aims of this study were to: (1) compare older people care nursing staff's perceptions of their competence, work strain and work satisfaction in nursing homes and home-based care; and (2) to examine determinants of work satisfaction in both care settings. The shift in older people care from hospitals to community-based facilities and home care has had implications for nursing practice. Lack of competence development, high levels of work strain and low levels of work satisfaction among nursing staff in both care settings have been associated with high turnover. Few studies have compared staff perceptions of their competence and work in nursing homes as opposed to home-based care. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey. Nursing staff perceptions of their competence, work strain, stress and satisfaction were measured by questionnaire in 2003 in two older people care organizations in Sweden. Comparisons of all outcome variables were made between care settings both within and between the two organizations. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine predictors of work satisfaction in home care and nursing homes respectively. In general, staff in home-based care reported significantly less sufficient knowledge compared with staff in nursing homes. However, home care staff experienced significantly less physical and emotional strain compared with staff in nursing homes. Ratings of work-related exhaustion, mental energy and overall work satisfaction did not differ significantly between care settings. In both care settings, work-related exhaustion was the strongest (inverse) predictor of work satisfaction. Future interventions should focus on counteracting work-related exhaustion and improving competence development to improve work satisfaction among older people care nursing staff in both care settings. Relevance to clinical practice. Work-related exhaustion and lack of competence development may have significant negative implications for work satisfaction among

  1. Terminal patients in Belgian nursing homes: a cost analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simoens, Steven; Kutten, Betty; Keirse, Emmanuel; Vanden Berghe, Paul; Beguin, Claire; Desmedt, Marianne; Deveugele, Myriam; Léonard, Christian; Paulus, Dominique; Menten, Johan

    2013-06-01

    Policy makers and health care payers are concerned about the costs of treating terminal patients. This study was done to measure the costs of treating terminal patients during the final month of life in a sample of Belgian nursing homes from the health care payer perspective. Also, this study compares the costs of palliative care with those of usual care. This multicenter, retrospective cohort study enrolled terminal patients from a representative sample of nursing homes. Health care costs included fixed nursing home costs, medical fees, pharmacy charges, other charges, and eventual hospitalization costs. Data sources consisted of accountancy and invoice data. The analysis calculated costs per patient during the final month of life at 2007/2008 prices. Nineteen nursing homes participated in the study, generating a total of 181 patients. Total mean nursing home costs amounted to 3,243 € per patient during the final month of life. Total mean nursing home costs per patient of 3,822 € for patients receiving usual care were higher than costs of 2,456 € for patients receiving palliative care (p = 0.068). Higher costs of usual care were driven by higher hospitalization costs (p < 0.001). This study suggests that palliative care models in nursing homes need to be supported because such care models appear to be less expensive than usual care and because such care models are likely to better reflect the needs of terminal patients.

  2. Stroke and Nursing Home care: a national survey of nursing homes.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Cowman, Seamus

    2010-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Although stroke is recognised as a major factor in admission to nursing home care, data is lacking on the extent and nature of the disabilities and dependency in nursing homes arising from stroke. A national study conducted in nursing homes can quantify the number of residents with stroke in nursing homes, their disability and levels of dependency. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey research design was used. A total of 572 public and private nursing homes were identified nationally and a stratified random selection of 60 nursing homes with 3,239 residents was made. In half of the nursing homes (n = 30) efforts were made to interview all residents with stroke Survey instruments were used to collect data from residents with stroke and nursing home managers on demography, patient disability, and treatment. RESULTS: Across all nursing homes (n = 60), 18% (n = 570) of the residents had previously had a stroke. In homes (n = 30), where interviews with residents with stroke (n = 257), only 7% (n = 18) residents were capable of answering for themselves and were interviewed. Data on the remaining 93% (n = 239) residents were provided by the nursing home manager. Nurse Managers reported that 73% of residents with stroke had a high level of dependency. One in two residents with stroke was prescribed antidepressants or sedative medication. Only 21% of stroke residents were prescribed anticoagulants, 42% antiplatelets, and 36% cholesterol lowering medications. Stroke rehabilitation guidelines were lacking and 68% reported that there was no formal review process in place. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides seminal findings on stroke and nursing home services in Ireland. We now know that one in six nursing home residents in a national survey are residents with a stroke, and have a wide range of disabilities. There is currently little or no structured care (beyond generic care) for stroke survivors who reside in nursing homes in Ireland.

  3. 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...

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. Factors associated with end-of-life by home-visit nursing-care providers in Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakanishi, Miharu; Niimura, Junko; Nishida, Atsushi

    2017-06-01

    Home-visit nursing-care services in Japan are expected to provide home hospice services for older patients with non-cancer diseases. The aim of the present study was to examine factors that contribute to the provision of end-of-life care by home-visit nursing-care providers in Japan. The present retrospective study was carried out using nationally representative cross-sectional data from the 2007, 2010, and 2013 Survey of Institutions and Establishments for Long-Term Care. A total of 138 008 randomly sampled home-visit nursing-care service users were included in this analysis. End-of-life care (study outcome) was defined as the provision of nursing-care within the last month of life. Of the 138 008 patients at home, 2280 (1.7%) received home-based nursing care within the last month of life, and end-of-life care was offered primarily to cancer patients (n = 1651; 72.4%). After accounting for patient characteristics, patients were more likely to receive end-of-life care when they used home-visit nursing-care providers that had a greater number of nursing staff or were located in a region with fewer hospital beds. Among home-visit nursing-care providers, the nursing staff ratio and the availability of hospital beds were related to the provision of end-of-life care. Home-visit nursing-care providers should establish specialist hospice care teams with enhanced staffing ratios to allow for the adequate provision of home-based end-of-life care. A community-based network between home-visit nursing-care providers and hospitals should also be established to attain an integrated end-of-life care system for elderly populations in regions with more hospital beds. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 991-998. © 2016 Japan Geriatrics Society.

  7. Development, validation and testing of a nursing home to emergency room transfer checklist.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, Hsiu-Hsin; Tsai, Yun-Fang

    2018-01-01

    To develop and test the feasibility of an instrument to support patients' nursing home to emergency room transfer. Transfers from a nursing home care facility to an acute care facility such as a hospital emergency room are common. However, the prevalence of an information gap for transferring residents' health data to acute care facility is high. An evidence-based transfer instrument, which could fill this gap, is lacking. Development of a nursing home to emergency room transfer checklist, validation of items using the Delphi method and testing the feasibility and benefits of using the nursing home to emergency room transfer checklist. Items were developed based on qualitative data from previous research. Delphi validation, retrospective chart review (baseline data) and a 6-month prospective study design were applied to test the feasibility of using the checklist. Variables for testing the feasibility of the checklist included residents' 30-day readmission rate and length of hospital stay. Development of the nursing home to emergency room transfer checklist resulted in four main parts: (i) demographic data of the nursing home resident; (ii) critical data for nursing home to emergency room transfer; (iii) contact information and (iv) critical data for emergency room to nursing home transfer. Two rounds of Delphi validation resulted in a mean score (standard deviation) ranging from 4.39 (1.13)-4.98 (.15). Time required to complete the checklist was 3-5 min. Use of the nursing home to emergency room transfer checklist resulted in a 30-day readmission rate of 13.4%, which was lower than the baseline rate of 15.9%. The nursing home to emergency room transfer checklist was developed for transferring nursing home residents to an emergency room. The instrument was found to be an effective tool for this process. Use of the nursing home to emergency room transfer checklist for nursing home transfers could fill the information gap that exists when transferring older adults

  8. Stroke and Nursing Home care: a national survey of nursing homes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    McGee Hannah

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Although stroke is recognised as a major factor in admission to nursing home care, data is lacking on the extent and nature of the disabilities and dependency in nursing homes arising from stroke. A national study conducted in nursing homes can quantify the number of residents with stroke in nursing homes, their disability and levels of dependency. Methods A cross-sectional survey research design was used. A total of 572 public and private nursing homes were identified nationally and a stratified random selection of 60 nursing homes with 3,239 residents was made. In half of the nursing homes (n = 30 efforts were made to interview all residents with stroke Survey instruments were used to collect data from residents with stroke and nursing home managers on demography, patient disability, and treatment. Results Across all nursing homes (n = 60, 18% (n = 570 of the residents had previously had a stroke. In homes (n = 30, where interviews with residents with stroke (n = 257, only 7% (n = 18 residents were capable of answering for themselves and were interviewed. Data on the remaining 93% (n = 239 residents were provided by the nursing home manager. Nurse Managers reported that 73% of residents with stroke had a high level of dependency. One in two residents with stroke was prescribed antidepressants or sedative medication. Only 21% of stroke residents were prescribed anticoagulants, 42% antiplatelets, and 36% cholesterol lowering medications. Stroke rehabilitation guidelines were lacking and 68% reported that there was no formal review process in place. Conclusions This study provides seminal findings on stroke and nursing home services in Ireland. We now know that one in six nursing home residents in a national survey are residents with a stroke, and have a wide range of disabilities. There is currently little or no structured care (beyond generic care for stroke survivors who reside in nursing homes in Ireland.

  9. The hospital anxiety and depression scale--dimensionality, reliability and construct validity among cognitively intact nursing home patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haugan, Gørill; Drageset, Jorunn

    2014-08-01

    Depression and anxiety are particularly common among individuals living in long-term care facilities. Therefore, access to a valid and reliable measure of anxiety and depression among nursing home patients is highly warranted. To investigate the dimensionality, reliability and construct validity of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS) in a cognitively intact nursing home population. Cross-sectional data were collected from two samples; 429 cognitively intact nursing home patients participated, representing 74 different Norwegian nursing homes. Confirmative factor analyses and correlations with selected constructs were used. The two-factor model provided a good fit in Sample1, revealing a poorer fit in Sample2. Good-acceptable measurement reliability was demonstrated, and construct validity was supported. Using listwise deletion the sample sizes were 227 and 187, for Sample1 and Sample2, respectively. Greater sample sizes would have strengthen the statistical power in the tests. The researchers visited the participants to help fill in the questionnaires; this might have introduced some bias into the respondents׳ reporting. The 14 HADS items were part of greater questionnaires. Thus, frail, older NH patients might have tired during the interview causing a possible bias. Low reliability for depression was disclosed, mainly resulting from three items appearing to be inappropriate indicators for depression in this population. Further research is needed exploring which items might perform as more reliably indicators for depression among nursing home patients. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Nursing Homes

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Home › Aging & Health A to Z › Nursing Homes Font size A A A Print Share Glossary Basic ... Reason For Living in A Nursing Home Some type of disability with activities of daily living (ADLs) ...

  11. Racial Differences in Hospice Use and In-Hospital Death among Medicare and Medicaid Dual-Eligible Nursing Home Residents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwak, Jung; Haley, William E.; Chiriboga, David A.

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: We investigated the role of race in predicting the likelihood of using hospice and dying in a hospital among dual-eligible (Medicare and Medicaid) nursing home residents. Design and Methods: This follow-back cohort study examined factors associated with hospice use and in-hospital death among non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White…

  12. Improving wound and pressure area care in a nursing home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sprakes, Kate; Tyrer, Julie

    Wound and pressure ulcer prevention are key quality indicators of nursing care. This article describes a collaborative project between a community skin care service and a nursing home. The aim of the project was to establish whether the implementation of a wound and pressure ulcer management competency framework within a nursing home would improve patient outcomes and reduce the severity and number of wounds and pressure ulcers. Following the project's implementation, there was a reduction in the number of wounds and pressure ulcers, hospital admissions and district nursing visits. Nursing home staff also reported an increase in their knowledge and skills.

  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. Meals in nursing homes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kofod, Jens Erik; Birkemose, A.

    2004-01-01

    Undernutrition is present among 33% of nursing home residents in Denmark. Hence, it is relevant to examine the meal situation at nursing homes to single out factors that may increase or reduce the residents' food intake. in the ongoing Danish nursing home debate it is claimed that a new type...... of nursing home improves the residents' meal situation with a positive effect on nutrition. The aim of this work is to test the general hypothesis that (i) residents appreciate the meal situation in these nursing homes and (ii) nutritional status of the residents is improved in this type of nursing home....... This study was carried out in four Danish nursing homes at various locations in Denmark. The methods used are qualitative interviews and observations at four nursing homes in combination with measurement of body mass index (BMI) at two of the four nursing homes. Undernutrition is defined as a BMI below 20...

  15. 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.

  16. Medicare home health utilization as a function of nursing home market factors.

    OpenAIRE

    Swan, J H; Benjamin, A E

    1990-01-01

    Rapid increases in the size and costs of the home health market, unknown impacts of Medicare's DRG hospital reimbursement on the posthospital market, and general lack of knowledge about factors that explain interstate variation in home health utilization all suggest the importance of developing and testing models of Medicare home health use. This article proposes and tests a model of state home health utilization as a function of the nursing home market. This model proposes that home health u...

  17. Breakdown in informational continuity of care during hospitalization of older home-living patients: A case study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rose Mari Olsen

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The successful transfer of an older patient between health care organizations requires open communication between them that details relevant and necessary information about the patient's health status and individual needs. The objective of this study was to identify and describe the process and content of the patient information exchange between nurses in home care and hospital during hospitalization of older home-living patients.Methods: A multiple case study design was used. Using observations, qualitative interviews and document reviews, the total patient information exchange during each patient's episode of hospitalization (n = 9, from day of admission to return home, was captured.Results: Information exchange mainly occurred at discharge, including a discharge note sent from hospital to home care, and telephone reports from hospital nurse to home care nurse, and meetings between hospital nurse and patient coordinator from the municipal purchaser unit. No information was provided from the home care nurses to the hospital nurses at admission. Incompleteness in the content of both written and verbal information was found. Information regarding physical care was more frequently reported than other caring dimensions. Descriptions of the patients’ subjective experiences were almost absent and occurred only in the verbal communication.Conclusions: The gap in the information flow, as well as incompleteness in the content of written and verbal information exchanged, constitutes a challenge to the continuity of care for hospitalized home-living patients. In order to ensure appropriate nursing follow-up care, we emphasize the need for nurses to improve the information flow, as well as to use a more comprehensive approach to older patients, and that this must be reflected in the verbal and written information exchange.

  18. Comparison of Long-term Care in Nursing Homes Versus Home Health: Costs and Outcomes in Alabama.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blackburn, Justin; Locher, Julie L; Kilgore, Meredith L

    2016-04-01

    To compare acute care outcomes and costs among nursing home residents with community-dwelling home health recipients. A matched retrospective cohort study of Alabamians aged more than or equal to 65 years admitted to a nursing home or home health between March 31, 2007 and December 31, 2008 (N = 1,291 pairs). Medicare claims were compared up to one year after admission into either setting. Death, emergency department and inpatient visits, inpatient length of stay, and acute care costs were compared using t tests. Medicaid long-term care costs were compared for a subset of matched beneficiaries. After one year, 77.7% of home health beneficiaries were alive compared with 76.2% of nursing home beneficiaries (p Home health beneficiaries averaged 0.2 hospital visits and 0.1 emergency department visits more than nursing home beneficiaries, differences that were statistically significant. Overall acute care costs were not statistically different; home health beneficiaries' costs averaged $31,423, nursing home beneficiaries' $32,239 (p = .5032). Among 426 dual-eligible pairs, Medicaid long-term care costs averaged $4,582 greater for nursing home residents (p nursing home or home health care. Additional research controlling for exogenous factors relating to long-term care decisions is needed. © The Author 2014. 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.

  19. HOME CARE NURSES’ ROLES IN ENHANCING QUALITY OF NURSING CARE FOR PATIENTS AT HOME: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Titan Ligita

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available 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. Methods: This study employed a phenomenological design and performed interview in the process of data collection. Data were analysed by using content analysis. Results: The main contexts of home care nurse experiences were generated. There were definition and role of home care nurses, the involvement of family members in the provision of care, the facilitating and hindering factors contributed to home care provision as well as manual on providing home care nursing. Conclusion: The implication from this study is that nursing care should be given to the patients continuously and consequently the need for family involvement is important. Additionally, in providing the home care, a proper manual is needed by home care nurses as the guidance to give best quality of care to patients.

  20. Does investor-ownership of nursing homes compromise the quality of care?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrington, Charlene; Woolhandler, Steffie; Mullan, Joseph; Carrillo, Helen; Himmelstein, David U

    2002-01-01

    Quality problems have long plagued the nursing home industry. While two-thirds of U.S. nursing homes are investor-owned, few studies have examined the impact of investor-ownership on the quality of care. The authors analyzed 1998 data from inspections of 13,693 nursing facilities representing virtually all U.S. nursing homes. They grouped deficiency citations issued by inspectors into three categories ("quality of care," "quality of life," and "other") and compared deficiency rates in investor-owned, nonprofit, and public nursing homes. A multivariate model was used to control for case mix, percentage of residents covered by Medicaid, whether the facility was hospital-based, whether it was a skilled nursing facility for Medicare only, chain ownership, and location by state. The study also assessed nurse staffing. The authors found that investor-owned nursing homes provide worse care and less nursing care than nonprofit or public homes. Investor-owned facilities averaged 5.89 deficiencies per home, 46.5 percent higher than nonprofit and 43.0 percent higher than public facilities, and also had more of each category of deficiency. In the multivariate analysis, investor-ownership predicted 0.679 additional deficiencies per home; chain-ownership predicted an additional 0.633 deficiencies per home. Nurse staffing ratios were markedly lower at investor-owned homes.

  1. A population based survey on home care nursing –experiences in the perspectives of nurses and citizens

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Moth, Grete; Andersen, Ane Birgitte Telén

    2017-01-01

    In Denmark, management of care at hospitals is characterized by efficient medical treatment and short hospital stay. This results in a heavier and more complex workload on the primary health care sector. However, very little research has so far shed light on the area of home care performed by nur...... by nurses. The aim of the study was to examine the experience of home care from a nurse as well as a citizen perspective....

  2. Nursing students' attitudes about home health nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prestia, Mindy; Murphy, Susan; Yoder, Marian

    2008-09-01

    In an effort to address the home care nursing shortage, this pilot study was designed to measure nursing students' attitudes toward home health nursing and to test the Home Health Attitude Questionnaire developed specifically for this study based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. Senior undergraduate nursing students and registered nursing to bachelor of science in nursing students completed the questionnaire.

  3. The autopsy and the elderly patient in the hospital and the nursing home: Enhancing the quality of life

    Science.gov (United States)

    Libow, Leslie S.; Neufeld, Richard R.

    2010-01-01

    The autopsy is the ultimate “peer review.” Yet the autopsy has nearly disappeared from hospitals in the United States and around the world. It is rarely performed in the nursing home or other long-term care (LTC) setting. As a result, all of society has lost much, in terms of quality of health care, the skills of physicians, and insights gained through autopsy-based research. The elderly have the lowest rate of autopsies of any age group. This is a paradox, since the greatest quality and quantity of knowledge would accrue from the often surprising findings revealed at autopsy that reflect the acknowledged ‘multiple simultaneous illnesses’ occurring in older persons. This review and analysis describe why autopsy rates have fallen in hospitals and offer rationales and solutions for reversing this trend in the nursing home and other LTC settings. PMID:19061275

  4. The effect of nurse-patient interaction on anxiety and depression in cognitively intact nursing home patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haugan, Gørill; Innstrand, Siw T; Moksnes, Unni K

    2013-08-01

    To test the effects of nurse-patient interaction on anxiety and depression among cognitively intact nursing home patients. Depression is considered the most frequent mental disorder among the older population. Specifically, the depression rate among nursing home patients is three to four times higher than among community-dwelling older people, and a large overlap of anxiety is found. Therefore, identifying nursing strategies to prevent and decrease anxiety and depression is of great importance for nursing home patients' well-being. Nurse-patient interaction is described as a fundamental resource for meaning in life, dignity and thriving among nursing home patients. The study employed a cross-sectional design. The data were collected in 2008 and 2009 in 44 different nursing homes from 250 nursing home patients who met the inclusion criteria. A sample of 202 cognitively intact nursing home patients responded to the Nurse-Patient Interaction Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. A structural equation model of the hypothesised relationships was tested by means of Lisrel 8.8 (Scientific Software International Inc., Lincolnwood, IL, USA). The SEM model tested demonstrated significant direct relationships and total effects of nurse-patient interaction on depression and a mediated influence on anxiety. Nurse-patient interaction influences depression, as well as anxiety, mediated by depression. Hence, nurse-patient interaction might be an important resource in relation to patients' mental health. Nurse-patient interaction is an essential factor of quality of care, perceived by long-term nursing home patients. Facilitating nurses' communicating and interactive skills and competence might prevent and decrease depression and anxiety among cognitively intact nursing home patients. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  5. Determinants of financial performance of home-visit nursing agencies in Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukui, Sakiko; Yoshiuchi, Kazuhiro; Fujita, Junko; Ikezaki, Sumie

    2014-01-09

    Japan has the highest aging population in the world and promotion of home health services is an urgent policy issue. As home-visit nursing plays a major role in home health services, the Japanese government began promotion of this activity in 1994. However, the scale of home-visit nursing agencies has remained small (the average numbers of nursing staff and other staff were 4.2 and 1.7, respectively, in 2011) and financial performance (profitability) is a concern in such small agencies. Additionally, the factors related to profitability in home-visit nursing agencies in Japan have not been examined multilaterally and in detail. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to examine the determinants of financial performance of home-visit nursing agencies. We performed a nationwide survey of 2,912 randomly selected home-visit nursing agencies in Japan. Multinomial logistic regression was used to clarify the determinants of profitability of the agency (profitable, stable or unprofitable) based on variables related to management of the agency (operating structure, management by a nurse manager, employment, patient utilization, quality control, regional cooperation, and financial condition). Among the selected home-visit nursing agencies, responses suitable for analysis were obtained from 1,340 (effective response rate, 46.0%). Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that both profitability and unprofitability were related to multiple variables in management of the agency when compared to agencies with stable financial performance. These variables included the number of nursing staff/rehabilitation staff/patients, being owned by a hospital, the number of cooperative hospitals, home-death rate among terminal patients, controlling staff objectives by nurse managers, and income going to compensation. The results suggest that many variables in management of a home-visit nursing agency, including the operating structure of the agency, regional cooperation, staff

  6. Nursing staff intentions towards managing deteriorating health in nursing homes: A convergent parallel mixed-methods study using the theory of planned behaviour.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Neill, Barbara J; Dwyer, Trudy; Reid-Searl, Kerry; Parkinson, Lynne

    2018-03-01

    To predict the factors that are most important in explaining nursing staff intentions towards early detection of the deteriorating health of a resident and providing subacute care in the nursing home setting. Nursing staff play a pivotal role in managing the deteriorating resident and determining whether the resident needs to be transferred to hospital or remain in the nursing home; however, there is a dearth of literature that explains the factors that influence their intentions. This information is needed to underpin hospital avoidance programs that aim to enhance nursing confidence and skills in this area. A convergent parallel mixed-methods study, using the theory of planned behaviour as a framework. Surveys and focus groups were conducted with nursing staff (n = 75) at a 94-bed nursing home at two points in time, prior to and following the implementation of a hospital avoidance program. The quantitative and qualitative data were analysed separately and merged during final analysis. Nursing staff had strong intentions, a positive attitude that became significantly more positive with the hospital avoidance program in place, and a reasonable sense of control; however, the influence of important referents was the strongest predictor of intention towards managing residents with deteriorating health. Support from a hospital avoidance program empowered staff and increased confidence to intervene. The theory of planned behaviour served as an effective framework for identifying the strong influence referents had on nursing staff intentions around managing residents with deteriorating health. Although nursing staff had a reasonable sense of control over this area of their work, they believed they benefitted from a hospital avoidance program initiated by the nursing home. Managers implementing hospital avoidance programs should consider the role of referents, appraise the known barriers and facilitators and take steps to identify those unique to their local situation

  7. Integrating Depression Care Management into Medicare Home Health Reduces Risk of 30- and 60-Day Hospitalization: The Depression Care for Patients at Home Cluster-Randomized Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruce, Martha L; Lohman, Matthew C; Greenberg, Rebecca L; Bao, Yuhua; Raue, Patrick J

    2016-11-01

    To determine whether a depression care management intervention in Medicare home health recipients decreases risk of hospitalization. Cluster-randomized trial. Nurse teams were randomized to intervention (12 teams) or enhanced usual care (EUC; 9 teams). Six home health agencies from distinct geographic regions. Home health recipients were interviewed at home and over the telephone. Individuals aged 65 and older who screened positive for depression on nurse assessments (N = 755) and a subset who consented to interviews (n = 306). The Depression CARE for PATients at Home (CAREPATH) guides nurses in managing depression during routine home visits. Clinical functions include weekly symptom assessment, medication management, care coordination, patient education, and goal setting. Researchers conducted telephone conferences with team supervisors every 2 weeks. Hospitalization while receiving home health services was assessed using data from the home health record. Hospitalization within 30 days of starting home health, regardless of how long recipients received home health services, was assessed using data from the home care record and research assessments. The relative hazard of being admitted to the hospital directly from home health was 35% lower within 30 days of starting home health care (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.65, P = .01) and 28% lower within 60 days (HR = 0.72, P = .03) for CAREPATH participants than for participants receiving EUC. In participants referred to home health directly from the hospital, the relative hazard of being rehospitalized was approximately 55% lower (HR = 0.45, P = .001) for CAREPATH participants. Integrating CAREPATH depression care management into routine nursing practice reduces hospitalization and rehospitalization risk in older adults receiving Medicare home health nursing services. © 2016, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2016, The American Geriatrics Society.

  8. 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.

  9. [Cases of MRSA in nursing homes in Oslo 2005-11].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steen, Tore Wælgaard; Jørgensen, Silje Bakken; Garder, Kirsten Marie; Kollerud, Ruby del Risco; Kvalvaag, Gunnar; Blomfeldt, Anita

    2013-09-17

    The number of infections caused by MRSA has increased substantially in Norway in the past decade. It is an objective to prevent MRSA from becoming established in nursing homes and hospitals. The purpose of the article is to describe the features of the development of MRSA cases found in nursing homes in Oslo. We carried out a retrospective study of registered cases of MRSA (both sufferers and carriers) in Oslo in 2005-11. Data were obtained from the City of Oslo municipal health services' MRSA database and from genotyping carried out at Akershus University Hospital. The annual number of cases of MRSA found in Oslo increased during the period 2005-11 from 92 in 2005 to 268 in 2011, a total of 1198 cases. Of these, 224 cases (19%) were registered in nursing homes, distributed among 22 institutions, 158 residents and 66 staff, with an average of 32 cases annually (14-58 spread). Twenty-eight of 50 nursing homes had no cases of MRSA, while 159 of the cases were related to outbreaks of MRSA. Three of 20 outbreaks affected residents only. The nursing home isolates consisted of 40 different spa types, of which 160 (71%) of the isolates were clustered in three clonal complexes. The most common spa type t304 was found in 116 (52%) of the cases. Cases of MRSA in Oslo in total increased sharply from 2005 to 2011, while the number of cases in nursing homes was stable. It is, however, uncertain whether this reflects the actual incidence.

  10. 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

  11. Effect of a home-based end-of-life nursing service on hospital use at the end of life and place of death: a study using administrative data and matched controls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chitnis, X A; Georghiou, T; Steventon, A; Bardsley, M J

    2013-12-01

    To assess the effect of routinely delivered home-based end-of-life care on hospital use at the end of life and place of death. Retrospective analysis using matched controls and administrative data. Community-based care in England. 29,538 people aged over 18 who received Marie Curie nursing support compared with 29,538 controls individually matched on variables including: age, socioeconomic deprivation, prior hospital use, number of chronic conditions and prior diagnostic history. Home-based end-of-life nursing care delivered by the Marie Curie Nursing Service (MCNS), compared with end-of-life care available to those who did not receive MCNS care. Proportion of people who died at home; numbers of emergency and elective inpatient admissions, outpatient attendances and attendances at emergency departments in the period until death; and notional costs of hospital care. Intervention patients were significantly more likely to die at home and less likely to die in hospital than matched controls (unadjusted OR 6.16, 95% CI 5.94 to 6.38, pnursing for longer. Home-based end-of-life care offers the potential to reduce demand for acute hospital care and increase the number of people able to die at home.

  12. Prescribing quality for older people in Norwegian nursing homes and home nursing services using multidose dispensed drugs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halvorsen, Kjell H; Granas, Anne Gerd; Engeland, Anders; Ruths, Sabine

    2012-09-01

    To examine and compare the quality of drug prescribing for older patients in nursing homes and home nursing services. Cross-sectional study comprising 11,254 patients aged ≥ 65 years in nursing homes (n = 2986) and home nursing services (n = 8268). Potentially inappropriate medications were identified by using the Norwegian General Practice criteria and drug-drug interactions through a Norwegian Web-based tool. The impact of care setting on exposure to selected drug groups, potentially inappropriate medications, and drug interactions was calculated, adjusting for patients' age, gender, and number of drugs used. Patients in nursing homes and home nursing services used on average 5.7 (SD = 2.6) multidose dispensed regular drugs. Twenty-six percent used at least one potentially inappropriate medication, 31% in nursing homes and 25% in home nursing services, p nursing homes (18%) and home nursing services (9%), p nursing homes, more patients in home nursing services used cardiovascular drugs and fewer patients used psychotropic drugs. Altogether, 8615 drug-drug interactions were identified in 55% of patients, 48% in nursing homes and 57% in home nursing services, p quality of drug prescribing in nursing homes compared with home nursing services. Explanations as to why these differences exist need to be further explored. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  13. PRagmatic trial Of Video Education in Nursing homes: The design and rationale for a pragmatic cluster randomized trial in the nursing home setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mor, Vincent; Volandes, Angelo E; Gutman, Roee; Gatsonis, Constantine; Mitchell, Susan L

    2017-04-01

    Background/Aims Nursing homes are complex healthcare systems serving an increasingly sick population. Nursing homes must engage patients in advance care planning, but do so inconsistently. Video decision support tools improved advance care planning in small randomized controlled trials. Pragmatic trials are increasingly employed in health services research, although not commonly in the nursing home setting to which they are well-suited. This report presents the design and rationale for a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial that evaluated the "real world" application of an Advance Care Planning Video Program in two large US nursing home healthcare systems. Methods PRagmatic trial Of Video Education in Nursing homes was conducted in 360 nursing homes (N = 119 intervention/N = 241 control) owned by two healthcare systems. Over an 18-month implementation period, intervention facilities were instructed to offer the Advance Care Planning Video Program to all patients. Control facilities employed usual advance care planning practices. Patient characteristics and outcomes were ascertained from Medicare Claims, Minimum Data Set assessments, and facility electronic medical record data. Intervention adherence was measured using a Video Status Report embedded into electronic medical record systems. The primary outcome was the number of hospitalizations/person-day alive among long-stay patients with advanced dementia or cardiopulmonary disease. The rationale for the approaches to facility randomization and recruitment, intervention implementation, population selection, data acquisition, regulatory issues, and statistical analyses are discussed. Results The large number of well-characterized candidate facilities enabled several unique design features including stratification on historical hospitalization rates, randomization prior to recruitment, and 2:1 control to intervention facilities ratio. Strong endorsement from corporate leadership made randomization

  14. Case-mix payment for nursing home care: lessons from Maryland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feder, J; Scanlon, W

    1989-01-01

    Even before Medicare adopted case-based payments for hospitals, some state Medicaid programs employed case-mix payment systems for nursing home care. Their purpose was less to promote cost containment than to improve access to nursing homes for the most costly patients. This paper evaluates one such system, adopted by the state of Maryland in 1983 as part of an overall reimbursement reform. Using data on nursing home patient characteristics, costs, and staffing, as well as interviews with officials and various providers of care, the article shows that Maryland's system was successful in shifting nursing home service away from light-care and toward heavy-care patients. Furthermore, the shift occurred without inducing readily measurable declines in quality of care and with little additional administrative cost (partly because the state built its case-mix system on preexisting patient review activities). Although states could learn from and improve upon Maryland's experience--most notably in offering incentives to improve quality of care and in targeting community care on the light-care patients that nursing homes become less willing to serve--Maryland demonstrates that case-mix payment can change nursing home behavior in desired directions without substantial negative consequences.

  15. Nursing students' perceptions of their clinical learning environment in placements outside traditional hospital settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bjørk, Ida T; Berntsen, Karin; Brynildsen, Grethe; Hestetun, Margrete

    2014-10-01

    To explore students' opinions of the learning environment during clinical placement in settings outside traditional hospital settings. Clinical placement experiences may influence positively on nursing students attitudes towards the clinical setting in question. Most studies exploring the quality of clinical placements have targeted students' experience in hospital settings. The number of studies exploring students' experiences of the learning environment in healthcare settings outside of the hospital venue does not match the growing importance of such settings in the delivery of health care, nor the growing number of nurses needed in these venues. A survey design was used. The Clinical Learning Environment Inventory was administered to two cohorts of undergraduate nursing students (n = 184) after clinical placement in mental health care, home care and nursing home care. Nursing students' overall contentment with the learning environment was quite similar across all three placement areas. Students in mental health care had significantly higher scores on the subscale individualisation, and older students had significantly higher scores on the total scale. Compared with other studies where the Clinical Learning Environment Inventory has been used, the students' total scores in this study are similar or higher than scores in studies including students from hospital settings. Results from this study negate the negative views on clinical placements outside the hospital setting, especially those related to placements in nursing homes and mental healthcare settings. Students' experience of the learning environment during placements in mental health care, home care and nursing homes indicates the relevance of clinical education in settings outside the hospital setting. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Clinical Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Questionnaire-based survey on structural quality of hospitals and nursing homes for the elderly, their staffing with infection control personal, and implementation of infection control measures in Germany.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kramer, A; Assadian, O; Helfrich, J; Krüger, C; Pfenning, I; Ryll, S; Perner, A; Loczenski, B

    2013-01-01

    From January to May 2012, 1,860 hospitals throughout Germany received a questionnaire encompassing 77 items. Additionally, 300 outpatient care services and 310 nursing homes for elderly in Berlin also received a 10-item questionnaire asking on their implemented infection control practices. All questionnaires were anonymous. A total of 229 completed questionnaires from hospitals, 14 questionnaires from outpatient care services, and 16 questionnaires from nursing homes were eligible for further analysis. The lack of Infection Control physicians was identified as the largest issue. In hospitals sized 400-999 beds a gap of 71%, and in hospitals sized ≥1,000 beds a gap of 17% was reported. Depending on the number of hospital beds, 13-29% of hospitals sized ≥100 beds reported not havening one infection control nurse. Since based on the number of beds in larger institutions or in facilities caring for high-risk patients several infection control nurses may be required, the deficiency in infection control nurses may even be higher, particularly in secondary and tertiary care facilities. Furthermore, the analysis revealed that the legal requirements for surveillance and reporting of notifiable infectious diseases have not yet been implemented in 11% of the facilities. The implementation of antibiotic strategies did show significant gaps. However, deficiencies in the implemented measures for the prevention of surgical site infections were less frequent. Yet 12% of the participants did not have a dedicated infection control concept for their surgical services. Eight percent of hospitals were not prepared for an outbreak management and 10% did not have established regulations for wearing surgical scrubs. Deficiencies in waste disposal and the control of air-conditioning systems were also noted. Based on the results of this survey, conclusions on the optimal resource allocation for further improvement of patient safety may be drawn. While all participating nursing homes had

  17. Measuring the Impact of the Home Health Nursing Shortage on Family Caregivers of Children Receiving Palliative Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weaver, Meaghann S; Wichman, Brittany; Bace, Sue; Schroeder, Denice; Vail, Catherine; Wichman, Chris; Macfadyen, Andrew

    2018-06-01

    The national nursing shortage translates into a gap in home nursing care available to children with complex, chronic medical conditions and their family caregivers receiving palliative care consultations. A total of 38 home health nursing surveys were completed by families receiving pediatric palliative care consultation services at a freestanding children's hospital in the Midwest. The gap in the average number of nursing hours allotted versus received was 40 h/wk per family, primarily during evening hours. Parents missed an average of 23 hours of employment per week to provide hands-on nursing care at home, ranking stress regarding personal employment due to nursing shortage at 6.2/10. Families invested an average of 10 h/mo searching for additional nursing coverage and often resorted to utilizing more than 6 different home nurse coverage personnel per month. Families reported multiple delays to hospital discharges (mean, 15 days per delay) due to inability to find home nursing coverage. Respiratory technology and lack of Medicaid coverage ( P home nursing access. This study examines how the pediatric home nursing shortage translates into a lived experience for families with children with complex medical conditions receiving palliative care.

  18. Can Sepsis Be Detected in the Nursing Home Prior to the Need for Hospital Transfer?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sloane, Philip D; Ward, Kimberly; Weber, David J; Kistler, Christine E; Brown, Benjamin; Davis, Katherine; Zimmerman, Sheryl

    2018-06-01

    To determine whether and to what extent simple screening tools might identify nursing home (NH) residents who are at high risk of becoming septic. Retrospective chart audit of all residents who had been hospitalized and returned to participating NHs during the study period. A total of 236 NH residents, 59 of whom returned from hospitals with a diagnosis of sepsis and 177 who had nonsepsis discharge diagnoses, from 31 community NHs that are typical of US nursing homes overall. NH documentation of vital signs, mental status change, and medical provider visits 0-12 and 13-72 hours prior to the hospitalization. The specificity and sensitivity of 5 screening tools were evaluated for their ability to detect residents with incipient sepsis during 0-12 and 13-72 hours prior to hospitalization: The Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome criteria, the quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), the 100-100-100 Early Detection Tool, and temperature thresholds of 99.0°F and 100.2°F. In addition, to validate the hospital diagnosis of sepsis, hospital discharge records in the NHs were audited to calculate SOFA scores. Documentation of 1 or more vital signs was absent in 26%-34% of cases. Among persons with complete vital sign documentation, during the 12 hours prior to hospitalization, the most sensitive screening tools were the 100-100-100 Criteria (79%) and an oral temperature >99.0°F (51%); and the most specific tools being a temperature >100.2°F (93%), the quick SOFA (88%), the Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome criteria (86%), and a temperature >99.0°F (85%). Many SOFA data points were missing from the record; in spite of this, 65% of cases met criteria for sepsis. NHs need better systems to monitor NH residents whose status is changing, and to present that information to medical providers in real time, either through rapid medical response programs or telemetry. Copyright © 2018 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published

  19. Nursing home nurses' experiences of resident transfers to the emergency department: no empathy for our work environment difficulties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, Hsiu-Hsin; Tsai, Yun-Fang; Huang, Hsiu-Li

    2016-03-01

    To explore the experiences of nursing home nurses when they transfer residents from nursing homes to the emergency department in Taiwan. The transfer of residents between nursing homes and emergency departments challenges continuity of care. Understanding nursing home nurses' experiences during these transfers may help to improve residents' continuity of care. However, few empirical data are available on these nurses' transfer experiences worldwide, and none could be found in Asian countries. Qualitative descriptive study. Data were collected from August 2012-June 2013 in audiotaped, individual, in-depth interviews with 25 nurses at five nursing homes in Taiwan. Interview transcripts were analysed by constant comparative analysis. Analysis of interview transcripts revealed that the core theme of nursing home nurses' transfer experience was discontinuity in nursing home to emergency department transitions. This core theme comprised three themes: discontinuity in family involvement, discontinuity in medical resources and expectations, and discontinuity in nurses' professional role. Nursing home nurses need a working environment that is better connected to residents' family members and more immediate and/or easier access to acute care for residents. Communication between nurses and residents' family could be improved by using text messages or social media by mobile phones, which are widely used in Taiwan and worldwide. To improve access to acute care, we suggest developing a real-time telehealth transfer system tailored to the medical culture and policies of each country. This system should facilitate communication among nursing home staff, family members and hospital staff. Our findings on nurses' experiences during transfer of nursing home residents to the emergency department can be used to design more effective transfer policies such as telemedicine systems in Taiwan and other Asian countries or in those with large populations of Chinese immigrants. © 2016 John

  20. The nursing process in crisis-oriented psychiatric home care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boomsma, J; Dingemans, C A; Dassen, T W

    1997-08-01

    Crisis-oriented psychiatric home care is a recent development in the Dutch mental health care system. Because of the difference between psychiatric care in the home and in the hospital, an action research project was initiated. This project was directed at the nursing process and the nurses' role and skills in psychiatric home care. The main goal of the project was to describe and to standardize nursing diagnoses and interventions used in crisis-oriented and long-term psychiatric home care. The development of supporting methods of assessment and intervention were also important aspects of this project. In this article a crisis-oriented psychiatric home care programme and the first developmental research activities within this programme are described. To support the nursing process, the development of a nursing record and an assessment-format, based on Gordon's Functional Health Patterns (FHP), took place. By means of content analysis of 61 nursing records, the most frequently stated nursing diagnoses, based upon the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA) taxonomy, were identified. The psychiatric diagnostic categories of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) were also collected. The most common categories found were those of mood disorders and schizophrenia or psychotic disorders. Seventy-five per cent of the nursing diagnoses showed up within four FHP: role-relationship, coping-stress tolerance, self-perception/self-concept and activity-exercise. The nursing diagnosis of 'ineffective individual coping' was stated most frequently. This is not surprising because of the similarities in the definitions of this nursing diagnosis and the concept of 'crisis' to which the psychiatric home care programme is oriented. Further research activities will be focused on standardization of nursing diagnosis and the interventions that nurses undertake in this type of care.

  1. Clients' outcomes of home health nursing in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeh, L; Wen, M J

    2001-09-01

    The home health nursing movement is expanding rapidly. Home health nursing agencies (HHNAs) are expected to demonstrate that the care provided does make a difference for the client receiving the services. The purpose of this study was to explore client outcomes from home health nursing. Outcome indicators include: Services utilized (emergency services, re-hospitalization), physiological status (catheter indwelling status, consciousness level, wound severity-number and wound stages) and functional status (reflected by Barthel Index). A prospective research design was used to collect the results. Five hospital-based HHNAs were invited to participate in this research. Clients newly admitted to HHNAs and diagnosed as non-cancer patients were recruited, and the researchers gathered outcome indicators over a six-month period. Data were analyzed using SPSS 8.0 computer software. There were 75 clients in this study. Results showed that most of the clients (64.0%) received service for more than 180 days. The client characteristics were dominated by elderly (66.6% age above 70), female (53.3%) and married (74.7%). The three leading care needs were NG tubing service (84.0%), Foley tubing service (45.3%) and wound care (38.7%). The Kruscal Wallis Test revealed that there was no difference in emergency service frequency and re-hospitalization between clients who received service for more than 180 days and those who received service for less than 180 days. The Wilcoxon Sign rank test showed that within one half-year, catheter indwelling status, functional status, and wound severity were not significantly different, with the exception only of conscious level (p = .001). The results of this study can be viewed as preliminary data to assist in shaping home health nursing services in Taiwan.

  2. 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.

  3. Improving Elderly's Dental Hygiene Through Nursing Home Staff's Dental Health Education at the Nursing Home

    OpenAIRE

    Santoso, Bedjo; Eko Ningtyas, Endah Aryati; Fatmasari, Diyah

    2017-01-01

    Stomatitis often occurs in elderly at nursing home. They need nursing home staff assistance to maintain their dental and oral health. Therefore, nursing home staff need dental health education. Lecture or discussion methods, which are more effective to improve knowledge, attitude and skill of nursing home staff was the purpose of this research. The research design was quasi-experiment research and pretest-posttest with control group. The sample was 42 nursing home staffs and 74 elderlies, div...

  4. Anticholinergic Medication Burden and 5-Year Risk of Hospitalization and Death in Nursing Home Elderly Residents With Coronary Artery Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vetrano, Davide L; La Carpia, Domenico; Grande, Giulia; Casucci, Paola; Bacelli, Tiziana; Bernabei, Roberto; Onder, Graziano

    2016-11-01

    To assess the association of the anticholinergic medication burden with hospitalization and mortality in nursing home elderly patients and to investigate the role of coronary artery disease (CAD). Longitudinal (5-year) retrospective observational study. Nursing homes in Italy. A total of 3761 nursing home older residents. A comprehensive clinical and functional assessment was carried out through the interRAI long-term care facility instrument. The anticholinergic burden was assessed through the anticholinergic cognitive burden (ACB) scale. Occurrence of hospitalization/all-cause mortality was the primary composite outcome. First hospitalization and all-cause mortality were the secondary outcomes of the study. Hazard ratios (HRs) and subdistribution HRs were obtained through Cox and competing risk (death as competing event for hospitalization) models. Within the sample (mean age 83 ± 7 years; 72% females) the incidence rate of the primary outcome was 10/100 person-year. After adjusting for potential confounders and compared with participants with an ACB of 0, those with an ACB of 1 [HR 1.46; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12-1.90] and ABC of 2+ (HR 1.41; 95% CI 1.11-1.79) presented an increased risk of developing the primary outcome. After stratification, the risk for the primary outcome increased along with the anticholinergic burden, only for participants affected by CAD (HR 1.53; 95% CI 0.94-2.50 and HR 1.71; 95% CI 1.09-2.68 for the ACB of 1 and ACB of 2+ groups). An ACB score of 2+ was marginally associated with first hospitalization, considering death as a competing risk, only for those with CAD (subdistribution HR 3.47; 95% CI 0.99-12.3). Anticholinergic medication burden is associated to hospitalization and all-cause mortality in institutionalized older adults. CAD increases such risk. The effectiveness and safety profile of complex drug regimens should be reconsidered in this population. Copyright © 2016 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long

  5. [Aromatherapy in nursing homes].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barré, Lucile

    2015-01-01

    Pierre Delaroche de Clisson hospital uses essential oils as part of its daily organisation for the treatment of pain and the development of palliative care. The setting up of this project, in nursing homes and long-term care units, is the fruit of a complex mission carried out by a multidisciplinary team, which had to take into account the risks involved and overcome a certain amount of reluctance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  6. Work-related factors influencing home care nurse intent to remain employed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tourangeau, Ann E; Patterson, Erin; Saari, Margaret; Thomson, Heather; Cranley, Lisa

    Health care is shifting out of hospitals into community settings. In Ontario, Canada, home care organizations continue to experience challenges recruiting and retaining nurses. However, factors influencing home care nurse retention that can be modified remain largely unexplored. Several groups of factors have been identified as influencing home care nurse intent to remain employed including job characteristics, work structures, relationships and communication, work environment, responses to work, and conditions of employment. The aim of this study was to test and refine a model that identifies which factors are related to home care nurse intentions to remain employed for the next 5 years with their current home care employer organization. A cross-sectional survey design was implemented to test and refine a hypothesized model of home care nurse intent to remain employed. Logistic regression was used to determine which factors influence home care nurse intent to remain employed. Home care nurse intent to remain employed for the next 5 years was associated with increasing age, higher nurse-evaluated quality of care, having greater variety of patients, experiencing greater meaningfulness of work, having greater income stability, having greater continuity of client care, experiencing more positive relationships with supervisors, experiencing higher work-life balance, and being more satisfied with salary and benefits. Home care organizations can promote home care nurse intent to remain employed by (a) ensuring nurses have adequate training and resources to provide quality client care, (b) improving employment conditions to increase income stability and satisfaction with pay and benefits, (c) ensuring manageable workloads to facilitate improved work-life balance, and (d) ensuring leaders are accessible and competent.

  7. 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

  8. Private equity ownership and nursing home financial performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pradhan, Rohit; Weech-Maldonado, Robert; Harman, Jeffrey S; Laberge, Alex; Hyer, Kathryn

    2013-01-01

    Private equity has acquired multiple large nursing home chains within the last few years; by 2009, it owned nearly 1,900 nursing homes. Private equity is said to improve the financial performance of acquired facilities. However, no study has yet examined the financial performance of private equity nursing homes, ergo this study. The primary purpose of this study is to understand the financial performance of private equity nursing homes and how it compares with other investor-owned facilities. It also seeks to understand the approach favored by private equity to improve financial performance-for instance, whether they prefer to cut costs or maximize revenues or follow a mixed approach. Secondary data from Medicare cost reports, the Online Survey, Certification and Reporting, Area Resource File, and Brown University's Long-term Care Focus data set are combined to construct a longitudinal data set for the study period 2000-2007. The final sample is 2,822 observations after eliminating all not-for-profit, independent, and hospital-based facilities. Dependent financial variables consist of operating revenues and costs, operating and total margins, payer mix (census Medicare, census Medicaid, census other), and acuity index. Independent variables primarily reflect private equity ownership. The study was analyzed using ordinary least squares, gamma distribution with log link, logit with binomial family link, and logistic regression. Private equity nursing homes have higher operating margin as well as total margin; they also report higher operating revenues and costs. No significant differences in payer mix are noted. Results suggest that private equity delivers superior financial performance compared with other investor-owned nursing homes. However, causes for concern remain particularly with the long-term financial sustainability of these facilities.

  9. 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.

  10. Evaluation of health care providers’ role transition and satisfaction in hospital-at-home for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations: a survey study

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Background Hospital-at-home is an accepted alternative for usual hospital treatment for patients with a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) exacerbation. The introduction of hospital-at-home may lead to changes in health care providers’ roles and responsibilities. To date, the impact on providers’ roles is unknown and in addition, little is known about the satisfaction and acceptance of care providers involved in hospital-at-home. Methods Objective of this survey study was to investigate the role differentiation, role transitions and satisfaction of professional care providers (i.e. pulmonologists, residents, hospital respiratory nurses, generic and specialised community nurses and general practitioners) from 3 hospitals and 2 home care organisations, involved in a community-based hospital-at-home scheme. A combined multiple-choice and open-end questionnaire was administered in study participants. Results Response rate was 10/17 in pulmonologists, 10/23 in residents, 9/12 in hospital respiratory nurses, 15/60 in generic community nurses, 6/10 in specialised community nurses and 25/47 in general practitioners. For between 66% and 100% of respondents the role in early discharge was clear and between 57% and 78% of respondents was satisfied with their role in early discharge. For nurses the role in early discharge was different compared to their role in usual care. 67% of generic community nurses felt they had sufficient knowledge and skills to monitor patients at home, compared to 100% of specialised community nurses. Specialised community nurses felt they should monitor patients. 60% of generic community nurses responded they should monitor patients at home. 78% of pulmonologists, 12% of general practitioners, 55% of hospital respiratory nurses and 48 of community nurses was satisfied with early discharge in general. For coordination of care 29% of community nurses had an unsatisfied response. For continuity of care this was 12% and 10% for hospital

  11. Nursing home-acquired pneumonia, dysphagia and associated diseases in nursing home residents: A retrospective, cross-sectional study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hollaar, V.R.Y.; Putten, G.J. van der; Maarel-Wierink, C.D. van der; Bronkhorst, E.M.; Swart, B.J.M. de; Baat, C. de; Creugers, N.H.J.

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Nursing home-acquired pneumonia (NHAP) is a common infection among nursing home residents. There is also a high prevalence of dysphagia in nursing home residents and they suffer more often from comorbidity and multimorbidity. This puts nursing home residents at higher risk of (mortality

  12. Markers of Impaired Decision Making in Nursing Home Residents: Assessment by Nursing Home Staff in a Population-Based Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fain, Kevin M; Rosenberg, Paul B; Pirard, Sandrine; Bogunovic, Olivera; Spira, Adam P

    2015-07-01

    Many nursing home residents have cognitive impairment that affects their decision making. In order to identify potential markers of impaired decision making, we investigated the association between a range of nursing home resident characteristics and impaired decision making in a population-based sample. Participants were 13,013 residents in the 2004 National Nursing Home Survey. We used logistic regression to determine the association between resident characteristics (ie, gender, age, race, mood, recent pain, falls, fractures, or hospitalizations, length of stay, number of activities of daily living (ADL) requiring help, and diagnoses of dementia, anxiety disorders, and depression) and impaired (vs independent) decision making. After controlling for depression and anxiety diagnoses, as well as gender, age, race, and recent hospitalization or pain, characteristics associated with impaired decision making included depressed, sad, or anxious mood ["mild" odds ratio (OR) = 1.39, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.23-1.58; "severe" OR = 2.69, 95% CI = 2.27-3.20); diagnosed dementia or living on a dementia hall (OR = 5.07, 95% CI = 4.52-5.67); number of ADL requiring assistance (with 5 ADL, OR = 10.69, 95% CI = 6.82-16.75); length of nursing home stay [101-365 days (OR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.36-1.89); 366 days-2 years (OR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.34-1.90); >2 years (OR = 2.25, 95% CI = 1.92-2.63)]; and history of falls or fractures in the last 6 months (OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.07-1.32)]. Residents reporting pain in the last week were less likely to have impaired decision making (OR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.52-0.66). We found several independent markers of impaired decision making in nursing home residents, including depressed, sad, or anxious mood (independent of depression or anxiety diagnosis); dementia; and greater need for ADL assistance. Some of these factors, in particular mood, are modifiable and addressing them may help improve decision making. These markers should be explored

  13. Pressure ulcer prevention in nursing homes: nurse descriptions of individual and organization level factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dellefield, Mary Ellen; Magnabosco, Jennifer L

    2014-01-01

    Sustaining pressure ulcer prevention (PUP) in nursing homes has been difficult to achieve. Implementation science researchers suggest that identification of individual staff and organizational factors influencing current practices is essential to the development of an effective and customized plan to implement practice changes in a specific setting. A mixed methods approach was used to describe nurses' perceptions of individual and organization-level factors influencing performance of PUP in two Veterans Health Administration (VHA) nursing homes prior to implementation of a national VHA initiative on Hospital Acquired Pressure Ulcers (HAPUs). Individual interviews of 16 nursing staff were conducted. Individual factors influencing practice were a personal sense of responsibility to Veterans and belief in the effectiveness and importance of preventive measures. Organizational factors were existence of cooperative practices between nursing assistants and licensed nurses in assessing risk; teamwork, communication, and a commitment to Veterans' well-being. Integration and reinforcement of such factors in the development and maintenance of customized plans of PUP initiatives is recommended. Published by Mosby, Inc.

  14. Community Nursing Home (CNH)

    Data.gov (United States)

    Department of Veterans Affairs — The Community Nursing Home (CNH) database contains a list of all Community Nursing Home facilities under local contract to Veterans Health Administration (VHA). CNH...

  15. Ensuring Quality Nursing Home Care

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... cases, you can also call the Department of Health. Nursing homes are required to post information on how you ... nursing homes in your area, go to Medicare’s Nursing Home Compare website at ... information is not intended to diagnose health problems or to take the place of medical ...

  16. Nursing Home Quality Initiative

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — This Nursing Home Quality Initiative (NHQI) website provides consumer and provider information regarding the quality of care in nursing homes. NHQI discusses quality...

  17. Achieving Improvement Through Nursing Home Quality Measurement

    OpenAIRE

    Harris, Yael; Clauser, Steven B.

    2002-01-01

    CMS has initiated the Nursing Home Quality Initiative (NHQI) to improve the quality of nursing home care. Central to the NHQI is the public reporting of nursing home quality measures that serve as the basis for the Initiative's communication and quality improvement program. This article provides an overview of the NHQI, focusing on the role of nursing home quality measures in achieving improvements in nursing home care. We also describe the evolution of quality measurement in nursing homes, a...

  18. Nurses' reflections on pain management in a nursing home setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Lauren; Fink, Regina; Pennington, Karen; Jones, Katherine

    2006-06-01

    Achieving optimal and safe pain-management practices in the nursing home setting continues to challenge administrators, nurses, physicians, and other health care providers. Several factors in nursing home settings complicate the conduct of clinical process improvement research. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of a sample of Colorado nursing home staff who participated in a study to develop and evaluate a multifaceted pain-management intervention. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 103 staff from treatment and control nursing homes, audiotaped, and content analyzed. Staff identified changes in their knowledge and attitudes about pain and their pain-assessment and management practices. Progressive solutions and suggestions for changing practice include establishing an internal pain team and incorporating nursing assistants into the care planning process. Quality improvement strategies can accommodate the special circumstances of nursing home care and build the capacity of the nursing homes to initiate and monitor their own process-improvement programs using a participatory research approach.

  19. [Assessing deinstitutionalization of the nursing home area of a large state mental hospital from the point of view of patients and staff].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kallert, T W; Stoll, A; Leisse, M; Winiecki, P

    2004-08-01

    Within the deinstitutionalization process of a large psychiatric hospital, the development of two cohorts of patients with chronic schizophrenia is compared over a two-year period: patients living in the hospital's nursing-home area (n = 50) vs. patients already released to two social therapeutic hostels (n = 51). Results of the cohort study were compared with assessments of nurses working in the nursing home (n = 55), focusing on their subjective views of the deinstitutionalization process and its impact on their working conditions. Patients are assessed through yearly home-visits in their place of residence. The instruments used measure several outcome parameters: psychopathology, social disabilities, subjective quality of life, and normative needs for care. Concurrent staff assessments were conducted using standardized survey instruments focusing on current working conditions and quality of teamwork. Nineteen nurses participated in qualitative interviews evaluating the deinstitutionalization process. For all measures, patients living in the nursing home show significantly worse outcomes. Furthermore, during the study period 34 % experienced a change in their living situation with which they were dissatisfied. Needs for care and the number of areas of "unmet" need increased significantly for this subgroup. Patients living in social therapeutic hostels demonstrate stable levels of psychopathological symptoms, social disabilities, and needs for care. Assessments indicating a deterioration in patients' subjective quality of life focus mainly on areas important for social contacts. Regarding "personal concerns" and "insecurity at work", ratings from nursing home staff were significantly worse than those of a reference group from several other health care institutions (n = 224). Staff showed a tendency to give higher ratings for their opportunities to participate in decisions, in contrast with the low ratings for chances to improve their knowledge in the workplace, a

  20. Ownership conversions and nursing home performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grabowski, David C; Stevenson, David G

    2008-08-01

    To examine the effects of ownership conversions on nursing home performance. Online Survey, Certification, and Reporting system data from 1993 to 2004, and the Minimum Data Set (MDS) facility reports from 1998 to 2004. Regression specification incorporating facility fixed effects, with terms to identify trends in the pre- and postconversion periods. The annual rate of nursing home conversions almost tripled between 1994 and 2004. Our regression results indicate converting facilities are generally different throughout the pre/postconversion years, suggesting little causal effect of ownership conversions on nursing home performance. Before and after conversion, nursing homes converting from nonprofit to for-profit status generally exhibit deterioration in their performance, while nursing homes converting from for-profit to nonprofit status generally exhibit improvement. Policy makers have expressed concern regarding the implications of ownership conversions for nursing home performance. Our results imply that regulators and policy makers should not only monitor the outcomes of nursing home conversions, but also the targets of these conversions.

  1. Integrating Depression Care Management into Medicare Home Health Reduces Risk of 30 and 60 Day Hospitalization: The Depression CAREPATH Cluster-Randomized Trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruce, Martha L.; Lohman, Matthew C.; Greenberg, Rebecca L.; Bao, Yuhua; Raue, Patrick J.

    2016-01-01

    OBJECTIVES To determine whether a depression care management intervention among Medicare home health recipients decreases risks of hospitalization. DESIGN Cluster-randomized trial. Nurse teams were randomized to Intervention (12 teams) or Enhanced Usual Care (EUC; 9 teams). SETTING Six home health agencies from distinct geographic regions. Patients were interviewed at home and by telephone. PARTICIPANTS Patients age>65 who screened positive for depression on nurse assessments (N=755), and a subset who consented to interviews (N=306). INTERVENTION The Depression CAREPATH (CARE for PATients at Home) guides nurses in managing depression during routine home visits. Clinical functions include weekly symptom assessment, medication management, care coordination, patient education, and goal setting. Researchers conducted biweekly telephone conferences with team supervisors. MEASUREMENTS The study examined acute-care hospitalization and days to hospitalization. H1 used data from the home health record to examine hospitalization over 30-day and 60-day periods while a home health patient. H2 used data from both home care record and research assessments to examine 30-day hospitalization from any setting. RESULTS The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of being admitted to hospital directly from home health within 30 days of start of home health care was 0.65 (p=.013) for CAREPATH compared to EUC patients, and 0.72 (p=.027) within 60 days. In patients referred to home health directly from hospital, the relative hazard of being rehospitalized was approximately 55% lower (HR = 0.45, p=.001) among CAREPATH patients. CONCLUSION Integrating CAREPATH depression care management into routine nursing practice reduces hospitalization and rehospitalization risk among older adults receiving Medicare home health nursing services. PMID:27739067

  2. MDS 3.0 for Nursing Homes and Swing Bed Providers

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — The MDS is a powerful tool for implementing standardized assessment and for facilitating care management in nursing homes (NHs) and non-critical access hospital...

  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. Family caregivers' experiences in nursing homes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lohne, Vibeke; Høy, Bente; Wilhelm Rehnsfeldt, Arne

    2014-01-01

    This qualitative study is focusing on dignity in nursing homes from the perspective of family caregivers. Dignity is a complex concept and central to nursing. Dignity in nursing homes is a challenge, according to research. Family caregivers are frequently involved in their family members’ daily...... experiences at the nursing home. This Scandinavian application study has a descriptive and explorative design. Twenty-nine family caregivers were included. A phenomenological-hermeneutic approach was used to understand the meaning of the narrated text. The interpretations revealed two main themes: “One should......, but still important in nursing homes. It seems therefore important to further investigate experiences of family caregivers in the context of nursing homes....

  5. Nursing Practice Environment and Registered Nurses' Job Satisfaction in Nursing Homes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, JiSun; Flynn, Linda; Aiken, Linda H.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: Recruiting and retaining registered nurses (RNs) in nursing homes is problematic, and little research is available to guide efforts to make nursing homes a more attractive practice environment for RNs. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between aspects of the nursing practice environment and job satisfaction among RNs…

  6. 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.

  7. Development and testing of a scale for assessing the quality of home nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiou, Chii-Jun; Wang, Hsiu-Hung; Chang, Hsing-Yi

    2016-03-01

    To develop a home nursing quality scale and to evaluate its psychometric properties. This was a 3-year study. In the first year, 19 focus group interviews with caregivers of people using home nursing services were carried out in northern, central and southern Taiwan. Content analysis was carried out and a pool of questionnaire items compiled. In the second year (2007), study was carried out on a stratified random sample selected from home nursing organizations covered by the national health insurance scheme in southern Taiwan. The study population was the co-resident primary caregivers of home care nursing service users. Item analysis and exploratory factor analysis were carried out on data from 365 self-administered questionnaires collected from 13 selected home care organizations. In the third year (2008), a random sample of participants was selected from 206 hospital-based home care nursing organizations throughout Taiwan, resulting in completion of 294 questionnaires from 27 organizations. Confirmatory factor analysis was then carried out on the scale, and the validity and reliability of the scale assessed. The present study developed a reliable and valid home nursing quality scale from the perspective of users of home nursing services. The scale comprised three factors: dependability, communication skills and service usefulness. This scale is of practical value for the promotion of long-term community care aging in local policies. The scale is ready to be used to assess the quality of services provided by home care nursing organizations. © 2015 Japan Geriatrics Society.

  8. [Role of Visiting Nursing Care in Japanese Home Healthcare].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Sang-Ju

    2018-02-01

    Taiwan's rapidly aging society is expected to make it a super-aged society in 2026. By 2060, people aged 65 or older will account for 40% of the population, a ratio that will approximate that in Japan. In Japan, the elderly population was 27.3% in 2016. By 2025, when the baby-boomers become 75 years old in Japan, issues of long-term care and end-of-life care will be more important and challenging. Since 1976, more Japanese have died in hospital settings than in home settings. Although the percentage of people dying at home increased slightly to 12.7% in 2016, after the recent introduction and promotion of home healthcare, Japan will face a significant challenge to deal with the healthcare 'tsunami' of high natural death rates, which is expected to impose a heavy death burdened on society by 2040, when the death rate is expected to reach 1,670,000/year. Therefore, the Japanese authorities have begun to promote the Community-based Integrated Care System, in which home healthcare and visiting nursing play crucial roles. This article summarizes the historical trend and current situation of visiting nursing in Japan. Japan uses a hybrid payment system for visiting nursing that is financially supported both through private medical insurance policies and Kaigo insurance (Japanese long-term care insurance). The total of 8613 visiting nursing stations that were active in community settings in 2016 cooperated with 14,000 support clinics for home healthcare and cared for 570,000 patients in home settings. We believe that visiting nursing will play an important role in home healthcare in Taiwan in the future.

  9. Home birth after hospital birth: women's choices and reflections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernhard, Casey; Zielinski, Ruth; Ackerson, Kelly; English, Jessica

    2014-01-01

    The number of US women choosing home birth is increasing. Little is known about women who choose home birth after having experienced hospital birth; therefore, the purpose of this research was to explore reasons why these women choose home birth and their perceptions regarding their birth experiences. Qualitative description was the research design, whereby focus groups were conducted with women who had hospital births and subsequently chose home birth. Five focus groups were conducted (N = 20), recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative content analysis was undertaken allowing themes to emerge. Five themes emerged from the women's narratives: 1) choices and empowerment: with home birth, women felt they were given real choices rather than perceived choices, giving them feelings of empowerment; 2) interventions and interruptions: women believed things were done that were not helpful to the birth process, and there were interruptions associated with their hospital births; 3) disrespect and dismissal: participants believed that during hospital birth, providers were more focused on the laboring woman's uterus, with some experiencing dismissal from their hospital provider when choosing to birth at home; 4) birth space: giving birth in their own home, surrounded by people they chose, created a peaceful and calm environment; and 5) connection: women felt connected to their providers, families, newborns, and bodies during their home birth. For most participants, dissatisfaction with hospital birth influenced their subsequent decision to choose home birth. Despite experiencing challenges associated with this decision, women expressed satisfaction with their home birth. © 2014 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  10. 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.

  11. Prescribing quality for older people in Norwegian nursing homes and home nursing services using multidose dispensed drugs

    OpenAIRE

    Halvorsen, Kjell H.; Granås, Anne Gerd; Engeland, Anders; Ruths, Sabine

    2012-01-01

    Tverrsnittstudie, undersøker og sammenligner forskrivningskvaliteten hos eldre som bor i sykehjem og hjemme. Purpose: to examine and compare the quality of drug prescribing for older patients in nursing homes and home nursing services. Methods: Cross-sectional study comprising 11 254 patients aged ≥65 years in nursing homes (n = 2986) and home nursing services (n = 8268). Potentially inappropriate medications were identified by using the Norwegian General Practice criteria and drug–drug in...

  12. Caring for patients on home enteral nutrition: Reported complications by home carers and perspectives of community nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Mei Ling; Yong, Bei Yi Paulynn; Mar, Mei Qi Maggie; Ang, Shin Yuh; Chan, Mei Mei; Lam, Madeleine; Chong, Ngian Choo Janet; Lopez, Violeta

    2018-07-01

    To explore the experiences of community nurses and home carers, in caring for patients on home enteral nutrition. The number of patients on home enteral nutrition is on the increase due to advancement in technology and shift in focus of providing care from acute to community care settings. A mixed-method approach was adopted. (i) A face-to-face survey design was used to elicit experience of carers of patients on home enteral nutrition. (ii) Focus group interviews were conducted with community nurses. Ninety-nine carers (n = 99) were recruited. Patient's mean age that they cared for was aged 77.7 years (SD = 11.2), and they had been on enteral feeding for a mean of 29 months (SD = 23.0). Most were bed-bound (90%) and required full assistance with their feeding (99%). Most were not on follow-up with dietitians (91%) and dentists (96%). The three most common reported gastrointestinal complications were constipation (31%), abdominal distension (28%) and vomiting (22%). Twenty community nurses (n = 20) were recruited for the focus group interviews. Four main themes emerged from the analysis: (i) challenge of accessing allied health services in the community; (ii) shorter length of stay in the acute care setting led to challenges in carers' learning and adaptation; (iii) transition gaps between hospital and home care services; and (iv) managing expectations of family. To facilitate a better transition of care for patients, adequate training for carers, standardising clinical practice in managing patients with home enteral nutrition and improving communication between home care services and the acute care hospitals are needed. This study highlighted the challenges faced by community home care nurses and carers. Results of this study would help to inform future policies and practice changes that would improve the quality of care received by patients on home enteral nutrition. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Nurses as 'guests'--a study of a concept in light of Jacques Derrida's philosophy of hospitality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oresland, Stina; Lutzén, Kim; Norberg, Astrid; Rasmussen, Birgit H; Määttä, Sylvia

    2013-04-01

    As revealed in previous empirical research, nurses describe their position in home-based nursing care (HBNC) as that of 'guests' in the patient's home. Such a description is problematic as 'guests' might not be considered to belong to the realm of professionalism. As Jacques Derrida's work on hospitality has received wide publicity, sparking theoretical and philosophical discussion about host and guest, the aim of this study was to explore how the concept 'guests' can be understood in the light of Derrida's philosophy of hospitality. The study revealed that (a) guest must be considered a binary concept; and (b) hospitality should be regarded as an exchange of giving and receiving between a host and a guest. The present study demonstrated that it is important to reflect on the meaning of the concepts used by nurses in HBNC. Further theoretical and empirical exploration of the concept 'hospitality' would be fruitful, i.e. what is patients' understanding of 'hospitality' and 'hostility' related to nurses' descriptions of themselves as 'guests' in the patient's home. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  14. Nursing home work practices and nursing assistants' job satisfaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bishop, Christine E; Squillace, Marie R; Meagher, Jennifer; Anderson, Wayne L; Wiener, Joshua M

    2009-10-01

    To estimate the impact of nursing home work practices, specifically compensation and working conditions, on job satisfaction of nursing assistants employed in nursing homes. Data are from the 2004 National Nursing Assistant Survey, responses by the nursing assistants' employers to the 2004 National Nursing Home Survey, and county-level data from the Area Resource File. Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate effects of compensation and working conditions on nursing assistants' overall job satisfaction, controlling for personal characteristics and local labor market characteristics. Wages, benefits, and job demands, measured by the ratio of nursing assistant hours per resident day, were associated with job satisfaction. Consistent with previous studies, job satisfaction was greater when nursing assistants felt respected and valued by their employers and had good relationships with supervisors. Nursing assistants were more satisfied when they had enough time to complete their work, when their work was challenging, when they were not subject to mandatory overtime, and where food was not delivered to residents on trays. This is the first investigation of nursing assistant job satisfaction using a nationally representative sample of nursing assistants matched to information about their employing nursing homes. The findings corroborate results of previous studies in showing that compensation and working conditions that provide respect, good relationships with supervisors, and better staffing levels are important to nursing assistant job satisfaction.

  15. 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.

  16. Nursing home quality: a comparative analysis using CMS Nursing Home Compare data to examine differences between rural and nonrural facilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lutfiyya, May Nawal; Gessert, Charles E; Lipsky, Martin S

    2013-08-01

    Advances in medicine and an aging US population suggest that there will be an increasing demand for nursing home services. Although nursing homes are highly regulated and scrutinized, their quality remains a concern and may be a greater issue to those living in rural communities. Despite this, few studies have investigated differences in the quality of nursing home care across the rural-urban continuum. The purpose of this study was to compare the quality of rural and nonrural nursing homes by using aggregated rankings on multiple quality measures calculated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and reported on their Nursing Home Compare Web site. Independent-sample t tests were performed to compare the mean ratings on the reported quality measures of rural and nonrural nursing homes. A linear mixed binary logistic regression model controlling for state was performed to determine if the covariates of ownership, number of beds, and geographic locale were associated with a higher overall quality rating. Of the 15,177 nursing homes included in the study sample, 69.2% were located in nonrural areas and 30.8% in rural areas. The t test analysis comparing the overall, health inspection, staffing, and quality measure ratings of rural and nonrural nursing homes yielded statistically significant results for 3 measures, 2 of which (overall ratings and health inspections) favored rural nursing homes. Although a higher percentage of nursing homes (44.8%-42.2%) received a 4-star or higher rating, regression analysis using an overall rating of 4 stars or higher as the dependent variable revealed that when controlling for state and adjusting for size and ownership, rural nursing homes were less likely to have a 4-star or higher rating when compared with nonrural nursing homes (OR = .901, 95% CI 0.824-0.986). Mixed model logistic regression analysis suggested that rural nursing home quality was not comparable to that of nonrural nursing homes. When controlling for

  17. An international definition for "nursing home"

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sanford, A.M.; Orrell, M.; Tolson, D.; Abbatecola, A.M.; Arai, H.; Bauer, J.M.; Cruz-Jentoft, A.J.; Dong, B.; Ga, H.; Goel, A.; Hajjar, R.; Holmerova, I.; Katz, P.R.; Koopmans, R.T.; Rolland, Y.; Visvanathan, R.; Woo, J.; Morley, J.E.; Vellas, B.

    2015-01-01

    There is much ambiguity regarding the term "nursing home" in the international literature. The definition of a nursing home and the type of assistance provided in a nursing home is quite varied by country. The International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics and AMDA foundation developed a

  18. The economics of dementia-care mapping in nursing homes: a cluster-randomised controlled trial.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Geertje van de Ven

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Dementia-care mapping (DCM is a cyclic intervention aiming at reducing neuropsychiatric symptoms in people with dementia in nursing homes. Alongside an 18-month cluster-randomized controlled trial in which we studied the effectiveness of DCM on residents and staff outcomes, we investigated differences in costs of care between DCM and usual care in nursing homes. METHODS: Dementia special care units were randomly assigned to DCM or usual care. Nurses from the intervention care homes received DCM training, a DCM organizational briefing day and conducted the 4-months DCM-intervention twice during the study. A single DCM cycle consists of observation, feedback to the staff, and action plans for the residents. We measured costs related to health care consumption, falls and psychotropic drug use at the resident level and absenteeism at the staff level. Data were extracted from resident files and the nursing home records. Prizes were determined using the Dutch manual of health care cost and the cost prices delivered by a pharmacy and a nursing home. Total costs were evaluated by means of linear mixed-effect models for longitudinal data, with the unit as a random effect to correct for dependencies within units. RESULTS: 34 units from 11 nursing homes, including 318 residents and 376 nursing staff members participated in the cost analyses. Analyses showed no difference in total costs. However certain changes within costs could be noticed. The intervention group showed lower costs associated with outpatient hospital appointments over time (p = 0.05 than the control group. In both groups, the number of falls, costs associated with the elderly-care physician and nurse practitioner increased equally during the study (p<0.02. CONCLUSIONS: DCM is a cost-neutral intervention. It effectively reduces outpatient hospital appointments compared to usual care. Other considerations than costs, such as nursing homes' preferences, may determine whether they

  19. Work-home interference among nurses: reciprocal relationships with job demands and health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Heijden, Beatrice I J M; Demerouti, Evangelia; Bakker, Arnold B

    2008-06-01

    This paper is a report of a study with three aims: (i) to investigate whether emotional, quantitative and physical demands have a causal, negative impact on nurses' health; (ii) to examine whether work-home interference can explain this effect, by playing a mediating role; and (iii) to test the so-called loss spiral hypothesis claiming that nurses' health problems lead to even higher job demands and more work-home interference over time. While many scholars have thought in terms of the stressor-->work-home interference-->strain model, the validity of a model that includes opposite pathways needs to be tested. A questionnaire was completed twice, with a 1-year time interval by 753 (63.4%) Registered Nurses working in hospitals, 183 (15.4%) working in nursing homes, and 251 (21.1%) working in home care institutions. The first measurement took place between October 2002 and June 2003. Our findings strongly support the idea of cross-lagged, reciprocal relationships between job demands and general health over time. The reciprocal model with work-home interference as an intervening variable (including reciprocal relationships between job demands, work-home interference and general health) showed a good fit to the data, and proved to be superior to both the causality and reversed causation models. The higher nurses' job demands, the higher is their level of work-home interference and the more likely is a general health deterioration over time, in turn giving rise to higher job demands and work-home interference, which may even aggravate the nurses' general health, and so on.

  20. 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.

  1. The effects of ownership and ownership change on nursing home industry costs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holmes, J S

    1996-08-01

    This study examines the effects of ownership type and ownership change on nursing home cost structures, differentiating patient care costs from plant costs. Administrative data from the Michigan Department of Social Services, Medical Services Administration (Medicaid), and the Michigan Department of Public Health are used. Cost data are based on audited cost reports for 393 nursing care facilities in Michigan in 1989. Other facility characteristics are based on data from the 1989 annual licensing and certification survey conducted by the Michigan Department of Public Health. A series of ordinary least squares regressions is estimated, in which the dependent variable is either per diem patient costs or per diem plant costs. Ownership types are defined as chain, proprietary non-chain, freestanding non-profit, government-owned, and hospital-based facilities. Pooled estimation techniques, as well as separate regressions by ownership type, are presented to test for interaction effects. Key variables include whether a facility changed ownership in the preceding five years and whether chain facilities are in-state- or out-of-state-owned, in addition to size, payer mix, and case mix. Behavioral differences among nursing home ownership types in respect to patient care costs tended to distinguish government-owned and hospital-based facilities from the freestanding homes rather than the usual distinction between for-profit and not-for-profit classes. Variables traditionally included in nursing home cost studies, such as size, occupancy, payer mix and case mix, were found to have similar effects on per diem patient care costs for freestanding non-profit homes as well as for chain proprietary facilities. With regard to the effects of ownership change on per diem plant and per diem patient costs, however, there are few differences among ownership types. Chain and non-chain for-profit facilities, non-profit homes, and hospital long-term care units that had changed ownership

  2. [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.

  3. Exploring the activity profile of health care assistants and nurses in home nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Vliegher, Kristel; Aertgeerts, Bert; Declercq, Anja; Moons, Philip

    2015-12-01

    Are home nurses (also known as community nurses) ready for their changing role in primary care? A quantitative study was performed in home nursing in Flanders, Belgium, to explore the activity profile of home nurses and health care assistants, using the 24-hour recall instrument for home nursing. Seven dates were determined, covering each day of the week and the weekend, on which data collection would take place. All the home nurses and health care assistants from the participating organisations across Flanders were invited to participate in the study. All data were measured at nominal level. A total of 2478 home nurses and 277 health care assistants registered 336 128 (47 977 patients) and 36 905 (4558 patients) activities, respectively. Home nurses and health care assistants mainly perform 'self-care facilitation' activities in combination with 'psychosocial care' activities. Health care assistants also support home nurses in the 'selfcare facilitation' of patients who do not have a specific nursing indication.

  4. Approaches to quality improvement in nursing homes: Lessons learned from the six-state pilot of CMS's Nursing Home Quality Initiative

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Palmer Laura

    2003-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In November 2002, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS launched a Nursing Home Quality Initiative that included publicly reporting a set of Quality Measures for all nursing homes in the country, and providing quality improvement assistance to nursing homes nationwide. A pilot of this initiative occurred in six states for six months prior to the launch. Methods Review and analysis of the lessons learned from the six Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs that led quality improvement efforts in nursing homes from the six pilot states. Results QIOs in the six pilot states found several key outcomes of the Nursing Home Quality Initiative that help to maximize the potential of public reporting to leverage effective improvement in nursing home quality of care. First, public reporting focuses the attention of all stakeholders in the nursing home industry on achieving good quality outcomes on a defined set of measures, and creates an incentive for partnership formation. Second, publicly reported quality measures motivate nursing home providers to improve in certain key clinical areas, and in particular to seek out new ways of changing processes of care, such as engaging physicians and the medical director more directly. Third, the lessons learned by QIOs in the pilot of this Initiative indicate that certain approaches to providing quality improvement assistance are key to guiding nursing home providers' desire and enthusiasm to improve towards a using a systematic approach to quality improvement. Conclusion The Nursing Home Quality Initiative has already demonstrated the potential of public reporting to foster collaboration and coordination among nursing home stakeholders and to heighten interest of nursing homes in quality improvement techniques. The lessons learned from this pilot project have implications for any organizations or individuals planning quality improvement projects in the nursing home setting.

  5. Use of Clinical Health Information Technology in Nursing Homes: Nursing Home Characteristics and Quality Measures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spinelli-Moraski, Carla

    2014-01-01

    This study compares quality measures among nursing homes that have adopted different levels of clinical health information technology (HIT) and examines the perceived barriers and benefits of the adoption of electronic health records as reported by Nursing Home Administrators and Directors of Nursing. A cross-sectional survey distributed online to…

  6. When Patients Customize Nursing Home Ratings, Choices And Rankings Differ From The Government's Version.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukamel, Dana B; Amin, Alpesh; Weimer, David L; Sharit, Joseph; Ladd, Heather; Sorkin, Dara H

    2016-04-01

    Report cards currently published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) offer composite (summary) quality measures based on a five-star ratings system, such as the one featured on the Nursing Home Compare website. These ratings are "one size fits all patients" measures. Nursing Home Compare Plus is an alternative that allows patients and their families to create their own composite scores based on their own preferences and medical needs. We present data from 146 patients who were discharged from the hospital to nursing homes who used Nursing Home Compare Plus. We found that the individual patient-constructed composites differed from CMS's five-star ratings composite. Patients differed from each other and from CMS in the number of performance measures they chose to include in their composite and in their weighting of each performance measure. When comparing Nursing Home Compare Plus to Medicare's five-star ratings, we found only minimal agreement on ranking of nursing homes. We conclude that patients might benefit if current report cards are modified to include an option for personalized ranking. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  7. In-reach specialist nursing teams for residential care homes: uptake of services, impact on care provision and cost-effectiveness

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nelson Sara

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A joint NHS-Local Authority initiative in England designed to provide a dedicated nursing and physiotherapy in-reach team (IRT to four residential care homes has been evaluated. The IRT supported 131 residents and maintained 15 'virtual' beds for specialist nursing in these care homes. Methods Data captured prospectively (July 2005 to June 2007 included: numbers of referrals; reason for referral; outcome (e.g. admission to IRT bed, short-term IRT support; length of stay in IRT; prevented hospital admissions; early hospital discharges; avoided nursing home transfers; and detection of unrecognised illnesses. An economic analysis was undertaken. Results 733 referrals were made during the 2 years (range 0.5 to 13.0 per resident per annum resulting in a total of 6,528 visits. Two thirds of referrals aimed at maintaining the resident's independence in the care home. According to expert panel assessment, 197 hospital admissions were averted over the period; 20 early discharges facilitated; and 28 resident transfers to a nursing home prevented. Detection of previously unrecognised illnesses accounted for a high number of visits. Investment in IRT equalled £44.38 per resident per week. Savings through reduced hospital admissions, early discharges, delayed transfers to nursing homes, and identification of previously unrecognised illnesses are conservatively estimated to produce a final reduction in care cost of £6.33 per resident per week. A sensitivity analysis indicates this figure might range from a weekly overall saving of £36.90 per resident to a 'worst case' estimate of £2.70 extra expenditure per resident per week. Evaluation early in implementation may underestimate some cost-saving activities and greater savings may emerge over a longer time period. Similarly, IRT costs may reduce over time due to the potential for refinement of team without major loss in effectiveness. Conclusion Introduction of a specialist nursing in

  8. The determinants of home and nursing home death: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costa, Vania; Earle, Craig C; Esplen, Mary Jane; Fowler, Robert; Goldman, Russell; Grossman, Daphna; Levin, Leslie; Manuel, Douglas G; Sharkey, Shirlee; Tanuseputro, Peter; You, John J

    2016-01-20

    Most Canadians die in hospital, and yet, many express a preference to die at home. Place of death is the result of the interaction among sociodemographic, illness- and healthcare-related factors. Although home death is sometimes considered a potential indicator of end-of-life/palliative care quality, some determinants of place of death are more modifiable than others. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the determinants of home and nursing home death in adult patients diagnosed with an advanced, life-limiting illness. A systematic literature search was performed for studies in English published from January 1, 2004 to September 24, 2013 that evaluated the determinants of home or nursing home death compared to hospital death in adult patients with an advanced, life-limiting condition. The adjusted odds ratios, relative risks, and 95% confidence intervals of each determinant were extracted from the studies. Meta-analyses were performed if appropriate. The quality of individual studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale and the body of evidence was assessed according to the GRADE Working Group criteria. Of the 5,900 citations identified, 26 retrospective cohort studies were eligible. The risk of bias in the studies identified was considered low. Factors associated with an increased likelihood of home versus hospital death included multidisciplinary home palliative care, preference for home death, cancer as opposed to other diagnoses, early referral to palliative care, not living alone, having a caregiver, and the caregiver's coping skills. Knowledge about the determinants of place of death can be used to inform care planning between healthcare providers, patients and family members regarding the feasibility of dying in the preferred location and may help explain the incongruence between preferred and actual place of death. Modifiable factors such as early referral to palliative care, presence of a multidisciplinary home palliative care

  9. Caregiver Activation and Home Hospice Nurse Communication in Advanced Cancer Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dingley, Catherine E; Clayton, Margaret; Lai, Djin; Doyon, Katherine; Reblin, Maija; Ellington, Lee

    Activated patients have the skills, knowledge, and confidence to manage their care, resulting in positive outcomes such as lower hospital readmission and fewer adverse consequences due to poor communication with providers. Despite extensive evidence on patient activation, little is known about activation in the home hospice setting, when family caregivers assume more responsibility in care management. We examined caregiver and nurse communication behaviors associated with caregiver activation during home hospice visits of patients with advanced cancer using a prospective observational design. We adapted Street's Activation Verbal Coding tool to caregiver communication and used qualitative thematic analysis to develop codes for nurse communications that preceded and followed each activation statement in 60 audio-recorded home hospice visits. Caregiver communication that reflected activation included demonstrating knowledge regarding the patient/care, describing care strategies, expressing opinions regarding care, requesting explanations of care, expressing concern about the patient, and redirecting the conversation toward the patient. Nurses responded by providing education, reassessing the patient/care environment, validating communications, clarifying care issues, updating/revising care, and making recommendations for future care. Nurses prompted caregiver activation through focused care-specific questions, open-ended questions/statements, and personal questions. Few studies have investigated nurse/caregiver communication in home hospice, and, to our knowledge, no other studies focused on caregiver activation. The current study provides a foundation to develop a framework of caregiver activation through enhanced communication with nurses. Activated caregivers may facilitate patient-centered care through communication with nurses in home hospice, thus resulting in enhanced outcomes for patients with advanced cancer.

  10. Registered nurse retention strategies in nursing homes: a two-factor perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunt, Selina R; Probst, Janice C; Haddock, Kathlyn S; Moran, Robert; Baker, Samuel L; Anderson, Ruth A; Corazzini, Kirsten

    2012-01-01

    As the American population ages and the proportion of individuals over the age of 65 expands, the demand for high-quality nursing home care will increase. However, nursing workforce instability threatens care quality and sustainability in this sector. Despite increasing attention to nursing home staff turnover, far less is known about registered nurse (RN) retention. In this study, the relationships between retention strategies, employee benefits, features of the practice environment, and RN retention were explored. Further, the utility of Herzberg's two-factor theory of motivation as a framework for nursing home retention studies was evaluated. This study was a secondary analysis of the nationally representative 2004 National Nursing Home Survey. The final sample of 1,174 participating nursing homes were either certified by Medicare or Medicaid or licensed by state agencies. We used a weighted multinomial logistic regression using an incremental approach to model the relationships. Although most nursing homes offered some combination of retention programs, the majority of strategies did not have a significant association with the level of RN retention reported by facilities. Director of nursing tenure and other extrinsic factors had the strongest association with RN retention in adjusted analyses. To improve RN retention, organizations may benefit greatly from stabilizing nursing home leadership, especially the director of nursing position. Second, managers of facilities with poor retention may consider adding career ladders for advancement, awarding attendance, and improving employee benefits. As a behavioral outcome of motivation and satisfaction, retention was not explained as expected using Herzberg's two-factor theory.

  11. Work stress among nursing home care attendants in Taiwan: a questionnaire survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsu, Hui-Chuan; Kung, Yuan-Wei; Huang, Hsiao-Chien; Ho, Pei-Yu; Lin, Ya-Ying; Chen, Wen-Shin

    2007-07-01

    Care attendants constitute the main workforce in nursing homes, but their heavy workload, low autonomy, and indefinite responsibility result in high levels of stress and may affect quality of care. However, few studies have focused of this problem. The aim of this study was to examine work-related stress and associated factors that affect care attendants in nursing homes and to offer suggestions for how management can alleviate these problems in care facilities. We recruited participants from nine nursing homes with 50 or more beds located in middle Taiwan; 110 care attendants completed the questionnaire. The work stress scale for the care attendants was validated and achieved good reliability (Cronbach's alpha=0.93). We also conducted exploratory factor analysis. Six factors were extracted from the work stress scale: insufficient ability, stressful reactions, heavy workload, trouble in care work, poor management, and working time problems. The explained variance achieved 64.96%. Factors related to higher work stress included working in a hospital-based nursing home, having a fixed schedule, night work, feeling burden, inconvenient facility, less enthusiasm, and self-rated higher stress. Work stress for care attendants in nursing homes is related to human resource management and quality of care. We suggest potential management strategies to alleviate work stress for these workers.

  12. The effect of self-transcendence on depression in cognitively intact nursing home patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haugan, Gørill; Innstrand, Siw Tone

    2012-01-01

    Aims. This study's aim was to test the effects of self-transcendence on depression among cognitively intact nursing home patients. Background. Depression is considered the most frequent mental disorder among the elderly population. Specifically, the depression rate among nursing home patients is three to four times higher than that among community-dwelling elderly. Therefore, finding new and alternative ways to prevent and decrease depression is of great importance for nursing home patients' well-being. Self-transcendence is related to spiritual as well as nonspiritual factors, and it is described as a correlate and resource for well-being among vulnerable populations and at the end of life. Methods. A two-factor construct of the self-transcendence scale (interpersonal and intrapersonal) and the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) was applied. A sample of 202 cognitively intact nursing home patients in central Norway was selected to respond to the questionnaires in 2008/2009. Results. A hypothesized SEM model demonstrated significant direct relationships and total effects of self-transcendence on depression. Conclusion and Implication for Practice. Facilitating patients' self-transcendence, both interpersonally and intrapersonally, might decrease depression among cognitively intact nursing home patients.

  13. More than communication skills: experiences of communication conflict in nursing home nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, Hsiu-Hsin; Tsai, Yun-Fang; Weng, Li-Chueh; Chou, Hsueh-Fen

    2013-10-01

    Communication conflicts are inevitable in nursing homes. Understanding communication conflicts experienced by practising nurses could provide insights to guide the development of sound communication education programmes. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of nurses in nursing homes of communication conflict in encounters with nursing home residents and their families in Taiwan. Data were collected from April 2010 to December 2011 through audiotaped, individual, in-depth interviews with 26 nurses at five nursing homes in Taiwan. Data were analysed according to van Manen's interpretive phenomenological method. Data analysis revealed that nurses' experiences of communication conflicts during encounters with nursing home residents and their families could be categorised under three themes: differences in perspectives of nursing home services; differences in views of nurturing health, and mediation between family members and others. The findings of this study can be considered by clinical educators and policymakers when designing communication education programmes for nurses and other clinicians. These programmes should include ways to increase nurses' independent thinking in settings in which power differences exist, as well as their cultural sensitivity as embodied in Leininger's culture care theory. These programmes should also include education in telephone communication and alternative methods of communication (e.g. videoconferencing). © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Specialist home-based nursing services for children with acute and chronic illnesses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parab, Chitra S; Cooper, Carolyn; Woolfenden, Susan; Piper, Susan M

    2013-06-15

    Specialist paediatric home-based nursing services have been proposed as a cost-effective means of reducing distress resulting from hospital admissions, while enhancing primary care and reducing length of hospital stay. This review is an update of our original review, which was published in 2006. To evaluate specialist home-based nursing services for children with acute and chronic illnesses. We searched the following databases in February 2012: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in The Cochrane Library 2012 Issue 2, Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Sociological Abstracts. We also searched ClinicalTrials.gov and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. No language restrictions were applied. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of children from birth to age 18 years with acute or chronic illnesses allocated to specialist home-based nursing services compared with conventional health care. Outcomes included utilisation of health care, physical and mental health, satisfaction, adverse health outcomes and costs. Two review authors extracted data from the studies independently and resolved any discrepancies by recourse to a third author. Meta-analysis was not appropriate because of the clinical diversity of the studies and the lack of common outcome measures. We screened 4226 titles to yield seven RCTs with a total of 840 participants. Participants, interventions and outcomes were diverse. No significant differences were reported in health outcomes; two studies reported a reduction in the hospital stay with no difference in the hospital readmission rates. Three studies reported a reduction in parental anxiety and improvement in child behaviours was reported in three studies. Overall increased parental satisfaction was reported in three studies. Also, better parental coping and family functioning was reported in one study. By contrast, one study each reported no impact on parental burden of care or on functional status of

  15. Continuing Education Preferences, Facilitators, and Barriers for Nursing Home Nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dyck, Mary J; Kim, Myoung Jin

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to determine the continuing education needs for nursing home nurses in rural central Illinois and to determine any potential facilitators or barriers to obtaining continuing education. Data were collected using the Educational Needs Assessment questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were computed to examine continuing education preferences, facilitators, and barriers among nursing home nurses. Independent samples t tests were used to compare preferences between administrative and staff nurses. The sample included 317 nurses from 34 facilities. The five top needs were related to clinical problems. Administrative nurses had greater needs for professional issues, managerial skills, and quality improvement than staff nurses. Barriers included rural settings, need for vacation time for programs, and inadequate staffing. Continuing education needs of nursing home nurses in Illinois are similar to previous studies conducted in Arizona and North Carolina. Continuing education barriers were mostly organizational, rather than personal. J Contin Nurs Educ. 2018;49(1):26-33. Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.

  16. Do patients in Dutch nursing homes have more pressure ulcers than patients in German nursing homes? A prospective multicenter cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meesterberends, Esther; Halfens, Ruud J G; Spreeuwenberg, Marieke D; Ambergen, Ton A W; Lohrmann, Christa; Neyens, Jacques C L; Schols, Jos M G A

    2013-08-01

    To investigate whether the incidence of pressure ulcers in nursing homes in the Netherlands and Germany differs and, if so, to identify resident-related risk factors, nursing-related interventions, and structural factors associated with pressure ulcer development in nursing home residents. A prospective multicenter cohort study. Ten nursing homes in the Netherlands and 11 nursing homes in Germany (around Berlin and Brandenburg). A total of 547 newly admitted nursing home residents, of which 240 were Dutch and 307 were German. Residents had an expected length of stay of 12 weeks or longer. Data were collected for each resident over a 12-week period and included resident characteristics (eg, demographics, medical history, Braden scale scores, nutritional factors), pressure ulcer prevention and treatment characteristics, staffing ratios and other structural nursing home characteristics, and outcome (pressure ulcer development during the study). Data were obtained by trained research assistants. A significantly higher pressure ulcer incidence rate was found for the Dutch nursing homes (33.3%) compared with the German nursing homes (14.3%). Six factors that explain the difference in pressure ulcer incidence rates were identified: dementia, analgesics use, the use of transfer aids, repositioning the residents, the availability of a tissue viability nurse on the ward, and regular internal quality controls in the nursing home. The pressure ulcer incidence was significantly higher in Dutch nursing homes than in German nursing homes. Factors related to residents, nursing care and structure explain this difference in incidence rates. Continuous attention to pressure ulcer care is important for all health care settings and countries, but Dutch nursing homes especially should pay more attention to repositioning residents, the necessity and correct use of transfer aids, the necessity of analgesics use, the tasks of the tissue viability nurse, and the performance of regular

  17. Private investment purchase and nursing home financial health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orfaly Cadigan, Rebecca; Stevenson, David G; Caudry, Daryl J; Grabowski, David C

    2015-02-01

    To explore the impact of nursing home acquisition by private investment firms on nursing home costs, revenue, and overall financial health. Merged data from the Medicare Cost Reports and the Online Survey, Certification, and Reporting system for the period 1998-2010. Regression specification incorporating facility and time fixed effects. We found little impact on the financial health of nursing homes following purchase by private investment companies. However, our findings did suggest that private investment firms acquired nursing home chains in good financial health, possibly to derive profit from the company's real estate holdings. Private investment acquired facilities are an important feature of today's nursing home sector. Although we did not observe a negative impact on the financial health of nursing homes, this development raises important issues about ownership oversight and transparency for the entire nursing home sector. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  18. Design of nursing homes of the future

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Joost van Hoof

    2014-01-01

    Purpose There is an increasing call in society for improvementof the well-being of nursing home residents and support of health care professionals through a wide array of architectural and technological solutions that are available in modern nursing homes. The design of nursing home facilities calls

  19. Priorities for the professional development of registered nurses in nursing homes: a Delphi study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooper, Emily; Spilsbury, Karen; McCaughan, Dorothy; Thompson, Carl; Butterworth, Tony; Hanratty, Barbara

    2017-01-08

    To establish a consensus on the care and professional development needs of registered nurses (RNs) employed by UK care homes. Two-stage, online modified Delphi study. A panel (n = 352) of individuals with experience, expertise or interest in care home nursing: (i) care home nurses and managers; (ii) community healthcare professionals (including general practitioners, geriatricians, specialist and district nurses); and (iii) nurse educators in higher education. RNs employed by nursing homes require particular skills, knowledge, competence and experience to provide high-quality care for older residents. The most important responsibilities for the nursing home nurse were: promoting dignity, personhood and wellbeing, ensuring resident safety and enhancing quality of life. Continuing professional development priorities included personal care, dementia care and managing long-term conditions. The main barrier to professional development was staff shortages. Nursing degree programmes were perceived as inadequately preparing nurses for a nursing home role. Nursing homes could improve by providing supportive learning opportunities for students and fostering challenging and rewarding careers for newly RNs. If nurses employed by nursing homes are not fit for purpose, the consequences for the wider health and social-care system are significant. Nursing homes, the NHS, educational and local authorities need to work together to provide challenging and rewarding career paths for RNs and evaluate them. Without well-trained, motivated staff, a high-quality care sector will remain merely an aspiration.

  20. Career trajectories of nurses leaving the hospital sector in Ontario, Canada (1993-2004).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alameddine, Mohamad; Baumann, Andrea; Laporte, Audrey; O'Brien-Pallas, Linda; Levinton, Carey; Onate, Kanecy; Deber, Raisa

    2009-05-01

    This paper is a report of an analysis of the career trajectories of nurses 1 year after leaving hospitals. Although hospitals are traditionally the largest employers of nurses, technological advances and budgetary constraints have resulted in many countries in relative shrinkage of the hospital sector and a shift of care (and jobs) into home/community settings. It has been often assumed that nurses displaced from hospitals will move to work in the other workplaces, especially the community sector. Employment patterns were tracked by examining a longitudinal database of all 201,463 nurses registered with the College of Nurses Ontario (Canada) between 1993 and 2004. Focusing on the employment categories Active (Working in nursing), Eligible-Seeking nursing employment or Dropout from the nursing labour market, year-to-year transition matrixes were generated by sector and sub-sector of employment, nurse type, age group and work status. For every nurse practising nursing in any non-hospital job or in the community a year after leaving hospitals, an average of 1.3 and four nurses, respectively, dropped out of Ontario's labour market. The proportion of nurses leaving hospitals transitioning to the Dropout category ranged from 63.3% (1994-95) to 38.6% (2001-02). The proportion dropping out of Ontario's market was higher for Registered Practical Nurses (compared to Registered Nurses), increased with age and decreased with degree of casualization in nurses' jobs. Downsizing hospitals without attention to the potentially negative impact on the nursing workforce can lead to retention difficulties and adversely affects the overall supply of nurses.

  1. Nursing home safety: does financial performance matter?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oetjen, Reid M; Zhao, Mei; Liu, Darren; Carretta, Henry J

    2011-01-01

    This study examines the relationship between financial performance and selected safety measures of nursing homes in the State of Florida. We used descriptive analysis on a total sample of 1,197. Safety information was from the Online Survey, Certification and Reporting (OSCAR) data of 2003 to 2005, while the financial performance measures were from the Medicare cost reports of 2002 to 2004. Finally, we examined the most frequently cited deficiencies as well as the relationship between financial performance and quality indicators. Nursing homes in the bottom quartile of financial performance perform poorly on most resident-safety measures of care; however, nursing homes in the top two financial categories also experienced a higher number of deficiencies. Nursing homes in the next to lowest quartile of financial performance category best perform on most of these safety measures. The results reinforce the need to monitor nursing home quality and resident safety in US nursing homes, especially among facilities with poor overall financial performance.

  2. Dental caries in Victorian nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, M; Hopcraft, M; Morgan, M

    2014-09-01

    The poor oral health of nursing home residents is the cause of substantial morbidity and has major implications relating to health care policy. The aim of this study was to measure dental caries experience in Australians living in nursing homes, and investigate associations with resident characteristics. Clinical dental examinations were conducted on 243 residents from 19 nursing homes in Melbourne. Resident characteristics were obtained from nursing home records and interviews with residents, family and nursing home staff. Two dental examiners assessed coronal and root dental caries using standard ICDAS-II criteria. Residents were elderly, medically compromised and functionally impaired. Most required assistance with oral hygiene and professional dental care was rarely utilized. Residents had high rates of coronal and root caries, with a mean 2.8 teeth with untreated coronal caries and 5.0 root surfaces with untreated root caries. Functional impairment and irregular professional dental care were associated with higher rates of untreated tooth decay. There were no significant associations with medical conditions or the number of medications taken. Nursing home residents have high levels of untreated coronal and root caries, particularly those with high needs due to functional impairment but poor access to professional services. © 2014 Australian Dental Association.

  3. Back disorders and lumbar load in nursing staff in geriatric care: a comparison of home-based care and nursing homes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beck Barbara-Beate

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Back pain is one of the most frequent complaints in the nursing profession. Thus, the 12-month prevalence of pain in the lumbar spine in nursing staff is as high as 76%. Only a few representative studies have assessed the prevalence rates of back pain and its risk factors among nursing staff in nursing homes in comparison to staff in home-based care facilities. The present study accordingly investigates the prevalence in the lumbar and cervical spine and determines the physical workload to lifting and caring in geriatric care. Methods 1390 health care workers in nursing homes and home care participated in this cross sectional survey. The nursing staff members were examined by occupational physicians according to the principals of the multistep diagnosis of musculoskeletal disorders. Occupational exposure to daily care activities with patient transfers was measured by a standardised questionnaire. The lumbar load was calculated with the Mainz-Dortmund dose model. Information on ergonomic conditions were recorded from the management of the nursing homes. Comparisons of all outcome variables were made between both care settings. Results Complete documentation, including the findings from the occupational physicians and the questionnaire, was available for 41%. Staff in nursing homes had more often positive orthopaedic findings than staff in home care. At the same time the values calculated for lumbar load were found to be significant higher in staff in nursing homes than in home-based care: 45% vs. 6% were above the reference value. Nursing homes were well equipped with technical lifting aids, though their provision with assistive advices is unsatisfactory. Situation in home care seems worse, especially as the staff often has to get by without assistance. Conclusions Future interventions should focus on counteracting work-related lumbar load among staff in nursing homes. Equipment and training in handling of assistive devices

  4. Private Investment Purchase and Nursing Home Financial Health

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cadigan, Rebecca Orfaly; Stevenson, David G; Caudry, Daryl J; Grabowski, David C

    2015-01-01

    Objective To explore the impact of nursing home acquisition by private investment firms on nursing home costs, revenue, and overall financial health. Data Sources Merged data from the Medicare Cost Reports and the Online Survey, Certification, and Reporting system for the period 1998–2010. Study Design Regression specification incorporating facility and time fixed effects. Principal Findings We found little impact on the financial health of nursing homes following purchase by private investment companies. However, our findings did suggest that private investment firms acquired nursing home chains in good financial health, possibly to derive profit from the company’s real estate holdings. Conclusions Private investment acquired facilities are an important feature of today’s nursing home sector. Although we did not observe a negative impact on the financial health of nursing homes, this development raises important issues about ownership oversight and transparency for the entire nursing home sector. PMID:25104476

  5. Development of the International Guidelines for Home Health Nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narayan, Mary; Farris, Cindy; Harris, Marilyn D; Hiong, Fong Yoke

    2017-10-01

    Throughout the world, healthcare is increasingly being provided in home and community-based settings. There is a growing awareness that the most effective, least costly, patient-preferred setting is patients' home. Thus, home healthcare nursing is a growing nursing specialty, requiring a unique set of nursing knowledge and skills. Unlike many other nursing specialties, home healthcare nursing has few professional organizations to develop or support its practice. This article describes how an international network of home healthcare nurses developed international guidelines for home healthcare nurses throughout the world. It outlines how the guidelines for home healthcare nursing practice were developed, how an international panel of reviewers was recruited, and the process they used for reaching a consensus. It also describes the plan for nurses to contribute to future updates to the guidelines.

  6. Leadership in Nursing Homes: Directors of Nursing Aligning Practice With Regulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siegel, Elena O; Bettega, Kristen; Bakerjian, Debra; Sikma, Suzanne

    2018-06-01

    Nursing homes use team nursing, with minimal RN presence, leaving the majority of direct care to licensed practical/vocational nurses (LPNs/LVNs) and unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP), including medication aides. The current article describes challenges faced by nursing home directors of nursing (DONs) leading and managing a team nursing approach, including consideration of scope of practice, delegation and supervision regulations, and related policy implications. A secondary data analysis was performed of qualitative data from a study to develop and test DON guidelines for delegation in nursing home practice. A convenience sample (N = 29) of current or previous DONs and other nursing home leaders with knowledge and expertise in the DON role participated in in-depth, guided interviews. The findings highlight a core concern to nursing licensure policy and regulation: knowledge and practice gaps related to scope of practice and delegation and supervision among DONs, RNs, and LPNs/LVNs, as well as administrators, and the role of nursing leaders in supporting appropriate delegation practices. The findings offer directions for research and practice in addressing challenges in aligning team nursing practices with regulatory standards as well as the related gaps in knowledge among DONs, administrators, and nursing staff. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 44(6), 10-14.]. Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.

  7. Interprofessional collaboration in nursing homes (interprof): a grounded theory study of general practitioner experiences and strategies to perform nursing home visits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fleischmann, Nina; Tetzlaff, Britta; Werle, Jochen; Geister, Christina; Scherer, Martin; Weyerer, Siegfried; Hummers-Pradier, Eva; Mueller, Christiane A

    2016-08-30

    Interprofessionalism, considered as collaboration between medical professionals, has gained prominence over recent decades and evidence for its impact has grown. The steadily increasing number of residents in nursing homes will challenge medical care and the interaction across professions, especially nurses and general practitioners (GPs). The nursing home visit, a key element of medical care, has been underrepresented in research. This study explores GP perspectives on interprofessional collaboration with a focus on their visits to nursing homes in order to understand their experiences and expectations. This research represents an aspect of the interprof study, which explores medical care needs as well as the perceived collaboration and communication by nursing home residents, their families, GPs and nurses. This paper focusses on GPs' views, investigating in particular their visits to nursing homes in order to understand their experiences. Open guideline-interviews covering interprofessional collaboration and the visit process were conducted with 30 GPs in three study centers and analyzed with grounded theory methodology. GPs were recruited via postal request and existing networks of the research partners. Four different types of nursing home visits were found: visits on demand, periodical visits, nursing home rounds and ad-hoc-decision based visits. We identified the core category "productive performance" of home visits in nursing homes which stands for the balance of GPs´ individual efforts and rewards. GPs used different strategies to perform a productive home visit: preparing strategies, on-site strategies and investing strategies. We compiled a theory of GPs home visits in nursing homes in Germany. The findings will be useful for research, and scientific and management purposes to generate a deeper understanding of GP perspectives and thereby improve interprofessional collaboration to ensure a high quality of care.

  8. Home health care nurses' perceptions of empowerment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williamson, Kathleen M

    2007-01-01

    This exploratory study involved the triangulation of qualitative (interview and observation) and quantitative methods (Psychological Empowerment Instrument). This study examined the individual home care nurses' perception of empowerment and how it influences decisions in the home clinical setting. Fifteen nurses were self-selected to participate. All completed an interview, and were observed and given Likert Instrument to complete. A framework analysis was performed to identify mutually exclusive and exhaustive emergent themes and patterns within the data. Home care nurses described that enpowerment is in the interaction between nurse and patient, and nurse and health care provider. Empowered is defined as being independent, confident, trusting, and comfortable with providing quality care. Home health care nurses believe that having the ability to practice collaboratively and build professional relationships was essential. Nurses in this study perceived empowerment as having meaning, choice, and competence in their job.

  9. The outcomes of patients newly admitted to nursing homes after hip fracture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiel, D P; Eichorn, A; Intrator, O; Silliman, R A; Mor, V

    1994-08-01

    The outcomes of elderly, hospitalized patients discharged to nursing homes after hip fracture were examined. For 2624 hip fracture patients admitted to any of 43 proprietary nursing homes between 1984 and 1988, admission assessments were examined in relation to 1-month outcomes. Mean patient age was 82 +/- 7 y; 85% of the sample were female. Within 1 month after discharge, 24% had returned home, 12% had been rehospitalized, 3% had died, and 61% remained in the nursing home. Characteristics significantly associated with morality included disorientation, functional dependency, neurologic diagnoses, and use of cardiac medications, antidepressants, or narcotics. Rehospitalization was significantly associated with age, gender, living with someone, being ambulatory, and functional dependency. Returning home was associated with younger age, living with someone, being ambulatory, and having no disorientation, functional dependency, or psychiatric or neurologic diagnoses, nor any pressure sores. Better-functioning persons and those with social support returned home; physically and cognitively impaired persons and those taking narcotics, cardiac medications, or antidepressants were likely to die; and younger men, those with social support, those with functional dependency, and those who were free of disorientation were more likely to be rehospitalized.

  10. Essential elements of the nursing practice environment in nursing homes: Psychometric evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Brouwer, Brigitte Johanna Maria; Kaljouw, Marian J; Schoonhoven, Lisette; van Achterberg, Theo

    2017-06-01

    To develop and psychometrically test the Essentials of Magnetism II in nursing homes. Increasing numbers and complex needs of older people in nursing homes strain the nursing workforce. Fewer adequately trained staff and increased care complexity raise concerns about declining quality. Nurses' practice environment has been reported to affect quality of care and productivity. The Essentials of Magnetism II © measures processes and relationships of practice environments that contribute to productivity and quality of care and can therefore be useful in identifying processes requiring change to pursue excellent practice environments. However, this instrument was not explicitly evaluated for its use in nursing home settings so far. In a preparatory phase, a cross-sectional survey study focused on face validity of the essentials of magnetism in nursing homes. A second cross-sectional survey design was then used to further test the instrument's validity and reliability. Psychometric testing included evaluation of content and construct validity, and reliability. Nurses (N = 456) working at 44 units of three nursing homes were included. Respondent acceptance, relevance and clarity were adequate. Five of the eight subscales and 54 of the 58 items did meet preset psychometric criteria. All essentials of magnetism are considered relevant for nursing homes. The subscales Adequacy of Staffing, Clinically Competent Peers, Patient Centered Culture, Autonomy and Nurse Manager Support can be used in nursing homes without problems. The other subscales cannot be directly applied to this setting. The valid subscales of the Essentials of Magnetism II instrument can be used to design excellent nursing practice environments that support nurses' delivery of care. Before using the entire instrument, however, the other subscales have to be improved. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Cost-effectiveness implications based on a comparison of nursing home and home health case mix.

    OpenAIRE

    Kramer, A M; Shaughnessy, P W; Pettigrew, M L

    1985-01-01

    Case-mix differences between 653 home health care patients and 650 nursing home patients, and between 455 Medicare home health patients and 447 Medicare nursing home patients were assessed using random samples selected from 20 home health agencies and 46 nursing homes in 12 states in 1982 and 1983. Home health patients were younger, had shorter lengths of stay, and were less functionally disabled than nursing home patients. Traditional long-term care problems requiring personal care were more...

  12. Racial and ethnic disparities in the healing of pressure ulcers present at nursing home admission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bliss, Donna Z; Gurvich, Olga; Savik, Kay; Eberly, Lynn E; Harms, Susan; Mueller, Christine; Garrard, Judith; Cunanan, Kristen; Wiltzen, Kjerstie

    2017-09-01

    Pressure ulcers increase the risk of costly hospitalization and mortality of nursing home residents, so timely healing is important. Disparities in healthcare have been identified in the nursing home population but little is known about disparities in the healing of pressure ulcers. To assess racial and ethnic disparities in the healing of pressure ulcers present at nursing home admission. Multi-levels predictors, at the individual resident, nursing home, and community/Census tract level, were examined in three large data sets. Minimum Data Set records of older individuals admitted to one of 439 nursing homes of a national, for-profit chain over three years with a stages 2-4 pressure ulcer (n=10,861) were searched to the 90-day assessment for the first record showing pressure ulcer healing. Predictors of pressure ulcer healing were analyzed for White admissions first using logistic regression. The Peters-Belson method was used to assess racial or ethnic disparities among minority group admissions. A significantly smaller proportion of Black nursing home admissions had their pressure ulcer heal than expected had they been part of the White group. There were no disparities in pressure ulcer healing disadvantaging other minority groups. Significant predictors of a nonhealing of pressure ulcer were greater deficits in activities of daily living and pressure ulcer severity. Reducing disparities in pressure ulcer healing is needed for Blacks admitted to nursing homes. Knowledge of disparities in pressure ulcer healing can direct interventions aiming to achieve equity in healthcare for a growing number of minority nursing home admissions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Eldercare at Home: Choosing a Nursing Home

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... required, these services can be provided by a separate home health agency as directed by a doctor or ... complaints made by or on behalf of nursing home residents and work to resolve the problems. If they are unable ...

  14. Effect of prospective reimbursement on nursing home costs.

    OpenAIRE

    Coburn, A F; Fortinsky, R; McGuire, C; McDonald, T P

    1993-01-01

    OBJECTIVE. This study evaluates the effect of Maine's Medicaid nursing home prospective payment system on nursing home costs and access to care for public patients. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING. The implementation of a facility-specific prospective payment system for nursing homes provided the opportunity for longitudinal study of the effect of that system. Data sources included audited Medicaid nursing home cost reports, quality-of-care data from state facility survey and licensure files, and ...

  15. Improving palliative care through teamwork (IMPACTT) in nursing homes: Study design and baseline findings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Temkin-Greener, Helena; Ladwig, Susan; Ye, Zhiqiu; Norton, Sally A; Mukamel, Dana B

    2017-05-01

    The 2014 Institute of Medicine report recommended that healthcare providers caring for individuals with advanced illness have basic palliative care competencies in communication, inter-professional collaboration, and symptom management. Nursing homes, where one in three American decedents live and die, have fallen short of these competency goals. We implemented an intervention study to examine the efficacy of nursing home-based integrated palliative care teams in improving the quality of care processes and outcomes for residents at the end of life. This paper describes the design, rationale, and challenges of a two-arm randomized controlled trial of nursing home-based palliative care teams in 31 facilities. The impact of the intervention on residents' outcomes is measured with four risk-adjusted quality indicators: place of death (nursing home or hospital), number of hospitalizations, and self-reported pain and depression in the last 90-days of life. The effect of the intervention is also evaluated with regard to staff satisfaction and impact on care processes (e.g. palliative care competency, communication, coordination). Both secondary (e.g. the Minimum Data Set) and primary (e.g. staff surveys) data are employed to examine the effect of the intervention. Several challenges in conducting a complex, nursing home-based intervention have been identified. While sustainability of the intervention without research funding is not clear, we surmise that without changes to the payment model that put palliative care services in this care setting on par with the more "skilled" care, it will not be reasonable to expect any widespread efforts to implement facility-based palliative care services. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. 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.

  17. Legionella contamination in hot water systems of hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, factories and spas in Tuscany-Italy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonella Lo Nostro

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available

    Abstract Following the report of many cases of Legionnaires’ disease associated with accommodation facilities such as hotels, spas, workplaces, hospitals and nursing homes, we verified if Legionella pneumophila and Legionella spp. were present in some of those structures in Tuscany, in order to estimate the species and serogroups in circulation. Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 (30.9% was the most frequently isolated species along with serogroups 3 (16.1% and 6 (13.3%; these three serogroups are identified, in literature, as those most responsible for Legionnaires’ disease (LD. Studying all analyzed structures, we found some parts of the water system where Legionella concentration was higher than 103CFU/L, indicated, in Italy, as the maximum admitted concentration value above which a decontamination treatment is necessary when one or more cases of healthcare-acquired Legionnaires’ disease are observed. Moreover disinfection is recommended in any case when counts exceed 104CFU/L.
    Consequently, in order to prevent cases of Legionnaires’ disease, a continuous surveillance of the water
    systems of all accommodation facilities is necessary, with particular attention to hospitals and nursing
    homes where immunocompromised patients lodge, so as to promptly estimate the presence of the pathogen and consequently plan the most suitable intervention activities. We concluded that, in any structure, a continuous surveillance and disinfecting treatment of water systems is necessary. Moreover, after any disinfection treatment the temperature of the hot water flowing in the system must be necessarily maintained near 51°C in order to minimize the probability of recontamination from Legionella and limit the
    risk of LD in consumers.

  18. Malpractice paid losses and financial performance of nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Mei; Haley, D Rob; Oetjen, Reid M; Carretta, Henry J

    2011-01-01

    Florida's nursing home industry has experienced significant financial pressure over the past decade. One of the primary reasons is the dramatic increase in litigation activity for nursing home providers claiming negligent care and abuse. Although anecdotal reports indicate a higher cost because of malpractice in nursing facilities, few studies have examined the extent of malpractice paid losses and their effect on the financial performance of nursing homes. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of malpractice paid losses on the financial performance of nursing homes. Medicare Cost Report data and Online Survey, Certification, and Reporting data for Florida skilled nursing facilities over the 6-year period from 2001 to 2006 were used to calculate the malpractice paid losses and the financial performance indicators as well as the nursing home organizational and market factors. Descriptive analysis and multivariate regression analysis were used to examine the effect of paid loss on financial performance. The paid loss for malpractice claims was strongly associated with financial performance. Nursing facilities with malpractice paid losses had consistently lower total margins over the study period. The threat of nursing home litigation may create an incentive for nursing homes to improve quality of care; however, large paid claims can also force nursing homes into a financial situation where the organization no longer has the resources to improve quality. Nursing home managers must assess their malpractice litigation risk and identify tactics to mitigate these risks to better provide a safe and secure environment for the older persons. In addition, this research offers support for local, state, and federal policymakers to revisit the issue of malpractice litigation and the nursing home industry through its insight on the relationship of nursing home margins and litigation.

  19. Animal-Assisted Interventions in Dutch Nursing Homes: A Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schuurmans, Lonneke; Enders-Slegers, Marie-Jose; Verheggen, Theo; Schols, Jos

    2016-07-01

    Animal-assisted interventions (AAI) have become more and more popular in nursing homes in the past decade. Various initiatives for using animals in nursing homes have been developed over the years (eg, animal visiting programs, residential companion animals, petting zoos) and, on the whole, the number of nursing homes that refuse animals on their premises has declined. In this survey, we aimed to determine how many Dutch nursing homes offer AAIs, what type of interventions are used, and with what aim. We also focus on the use of underlying health, hygiene, and (animal) safety protocols. Using an online Dutch nursing home database, we invited all listed (457) nursing home organizations in the Netherlands (encompassing a total of 804 nursing home locations) to participate in our digital survey, powered by SurveyMonkey. The survey consisted of a total of 45 questions, divided into general questions about the use of animals in interventions; the targeted client population(s); and specific questions about goals, guidelines, and protocols. The results were analyzed with SPSS Statistics. In the end, 244 surveys, representing 165 organizations, were returned: 125 nursing homes used AAI in one way or another, 40 did not. Nursing homes that did not offer AAI cited allergy and hygiene concerns as the most important reasons. Most nursing homes offering AAI used visiting animals, mostly dogs (108) or rabbits (76). A smaller number of nursing homes had resident animals, either living on the ward or in a meadow outside. Almost all programs involved animal-assisted activities with a recreational purpose; none of the participating nursing homes provided animal assisted therapy with therapeutic goals. Psychogeriatric patients were most frequently invited to participate. A total of 88 nursing homes used alternatives when animals were not an option or not available. The most popular alternative was the use of stuffed animals (83) followed by FurReal Friends robotic toys (14). The

  20. Introduction of assistive devices: home nurses' practices and beliefs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roelands, Marc; Van Oost, Paulette; Depoorter, Anne Marie; Buysse, Ann; Stevens, Veerle

    2006-04-01

    This paper reports a study describing home nurses' intention and current practices regarding introducing assistive devices, and investigating whether their practice is related to social cognitive factors (attitudes, subjective norms and self-efficacy). Home nurses not only care for patients in particular medical domains, but also educate and guide them towards more independence. Patients with age-related disabilities in mobility and self-care might benefit from the use of assistive devices. A home nurse might be the first and only person to discuss the disability and use of an assistive device. Therefore, home nurses' beliefs about the introduction of assistive devices could affect their daily practices. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenience sample of 64 home nurses chosen from a random sample of home nursing departments. The home nurses completed a self-administered questionnaire. The Theory of Planned Behaviour framework was used to develop the social cognitive measures regarding each of the six steps distinguished in the introduction of assistive devices. Home nurses had positive attitudes and high levels of intention, subjective norm and self-efficacy towards most steps of the decision process to introduce assistive devices. In a multiple linear regression analysis, attitude and self-efficacy predicted intention to introduce assistive devices to older clients with disabilities. Intention was correlated to home nurses' current practices. The findings suggest that conditions are present to involve home nurses more explicitly in the introduction of assistive devices to their patients. Social cognitive factors should be taken into account when developing interventions that aim to support home nurses to do this.

  1. "I'm not sure I'm a nurse": A hermeneutic phenomenological study of nursing home nurses' work identity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Juliana; Cook, Glenda; Duschinsky, Robbie

    2018-03-01

    To explore nursing home nurses' experiences and views of work identity. Nursing home nurses are in a unique position as they work at the interface of health and social care. Little is known about nursing home nurses' perceptions and experiences of working within this context. Evidence suggests that using the concept of work identity can support understanding of how workers make sense of their work. Hermeneutic phenomenological study. The study was carried out in seven nursing homes in North East England. Findings are based upon literary analysis of multiple episodic interviews with 13 nursing home nurses. Participants' responses suggested that nursing "residents" is different to nursing "patients," and nursing home nurses are required to modify their care activities to account for these differences. Participants also proposed that they are isolated and excluded from the rest of the healthcare workforce group. These issues led participants to feel uncertain about work identity. Many participants attempted to strengthen their work identity by aligning their role with what they perceived the "nurse identity" to be. Nurses' work activities and professional group identity influence their work identity. When work activities and professional group identity do not align with role expectations, as can be the case for nursing home nurses, work identity may be compromised. These nurses may attempt to change work practices to strengthen their work identity. Health- and social care providers need to account for work identity factors in the organisation of care, and planning and implementation of integrated health- and social care initiatives. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. Subsyndromal delirium compared with delirium, dementia, and subjects without delirium or dementia in elderly general hospital admissions and nursing home residents

    OpenAIRE

    Sepulveda, Esteban; Leonard, Maeve; Franco, Jose G.; Adamis, Dimitrios; McCarthy, Geraldine; Dunne, Colum; Trzepacz, Paula T.; Gaviria, Ana M.; de Pablo, Joan; Vilella, Elisabet; Meagher, David J.

    2016-01-01

    Introduction Subsyndromal delirium (SSD) complicates diagnosis of delirium and dementia, although there is little research comparing their symptom profiles. Methods Cross-sectional study of 400 elderly patients' admission to a general hospital or nursing home diagnosed with delirium, SSD, dementia, or no-delirium/no-dementia (NDND). Symptom profiles were assessed using the Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98 (DRS-R98). Results Twenty percent patients had delirium, 19.3% had SSD, 29.8% had dement...

  3. Green House Adoption and Nursing Home Quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afendulis, Christopher C; Caudry, Daryl J; O'Malley, A James; Kemper, Peter; Grabowski, David C

    2016-02-01

    To evaluate the impact of the Green House (GH) model on nursing home resident-level quality of care measures. Resident-level minimum data set (MDS) assessments merged with Medicare inpatient claims for the period 2005 through 2010. Using a difference-in-differences framework, we compared changes in care quality and outcomes in 15 nursing homes that adopted the GH model relative to changes over the same time period in 223 matched nursing homes that had not adopted the GH model. For individuals residing in GH homes, adoption of the model lowered readmissions and several MDS measures of poor quality, including bedfast residents, catheter use, and pressure ulcers, but these results were not present across the entire GH organization, suggesting possible offsetting effects for residents of non-GH "legacy" units within the GH organization. GH adoption led to improvement in rehospitalizations and certain nursing home quality measures for individuals residing in a GH home. The absence of evidence of a decline in other clinical quality measures in GH nursing homes should reassure anyone concerned that GH might have sacrificed clinical quality for improved quality of life. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  4. [Planned home births assisted by nurse midwives: maternal and neonatal transfers].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koettker, Joyce Green; Brüggemann, Odaléa Maria; Dufloth, Rozany Mucha

    2013-02-01

    The objective of this explorative and descriptive study was to describe the rates and reasons for intrapartum transfers from home to hospital among women assisted by nurse midwives, and the outcomes of those deliveries. The sample consisted of eleven women giving birth and their newborns, from January 2005 to December 2009. Data was collected from the maternal and neonatal records and was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The transfer rate was 11%, most of the women were nulliparous (63.6%), and all of them were transferred during the first stage of labor. The most common reasons for transfer were arrested cervical dilation, arrested progress of the fetal head and cephalopelvic disproportion. Apgar scores were >7 for 81.8% of the newborns; and there were no admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit. The results show that planned home births assisted by nurse midwives following a clinical protocol, had good outcomes even when a transfer to the hospital was needed.

  5. Moving to and dying in a nursing home depends not only on health - an analysis of socio-demographic determinants of place of death in Switzerland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hedinger, Damian; Braun, Julia; Zellweger, Ueli; Kaplan, Vladimir; Bopp, Matthias

    2014-01-01

    In developed countries generally about 7 out of 10 deaths occur in institutions such as acute care hospitals or nursing homes. However, less is known about the influence of non-medical determinants of place of death. This study examines the influence of socio-demographic and regional factors on place of death in Switzerland. We linked individual data from hospitals and nursing homes with census and mortality records of the Swiss general population. We differentiated between those who died in a hospital after a length of stay ≤2 days or ≥3 days, those who died in nursing homes, and those who died at home. In gender-specific multinomial logistic regression models we analysed N = 85,129 individuals, born before 1942 (i.e., ≥65 years old) and deceased in 2007 or 2008. Almost 70% of all men and 80% of all women died in a hospital or nursing home. Regional density of nursing home beds, being single, divorced or widowed, or living in a single-person household were predictive of death in an institution, especially among women. Conversely, homeownership, high educational level and having children were associated with dying at home. Place of death substantially depends on socio-demographic determinants such as household characteristics and living conditions as well as on regional factors. Individuals with a lower socio-economic position, living alone or having no children are more prone to die in a nursing home. Health policy should empower these vulnerable groups to choose their place of death in accordance to needs and wishes.

  6. Patient safety culture in Norwegian nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bondevik, Gunnar Tschudi; Hofoss, Dag; Husebø, Bettina Sandgathe; Deilkås, Ellen Catharina Tveter

    2017-06-20

    Patient safety culture concerns leader and staff interaction, attitudes, routines, awareness and practices that impinge on the risk of patient-adverse events. Due to their complex multiple diseases, nursing home patients are at particularly high risk of adverse events. Studies have found an association between patient safety culture and the risk of adverse events. This study aimed to investigate safety attitudes among healthcare providers in Norwegian nursing homes, using the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire - Ambulatory Version (SAQ-AV). We studied whether variations in safety attitudes were related to professional background, age, work experience and mother tongue. In February 2016, 463 healthcare providers working in five nursing homes in Tønsberg, Norway, were invited to answer the SAQ-AV, translated and adapted to the Norwegian nursing home setting. Previous validation of the Norwegian SAQ-AV for nursing homes identified five patient safety factors: teamwork climate, safety climate, job satisfaction, working conditions and stress recognition. SPSS v.22 was used for statistical analysis, which included estimations of mean values, standard deviations and multiple linear regressions. P-values safety factors teamwork climate, safety climate, job satisfaction and working conditions. Not being a Norwegian native speaker was associated with a significantly higher mean score for job satisfaction and a significantly lower mean score for stress recognition. Neither professional background nor work experience were significantly associated with mean scores for any patient safety factor. Patient safety factor scores in nursing homes were poorer than previously found in Norwegian general practices, but similar to findings in out-of-hours primary care clinics. Patient safety culture assessment may help nursing home leaders to initiate targeted quality improvement interventions. Further research should investigate associations between patient safety culture and the occurrence

  7. Identification of the need for home visiting nurse: development of a new assessment tool

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Atsuko Taguchi

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To develop a Home Visiting Nursing Service Need Assessment Form (HVNS-NAF to standardize the decision about the need for home visiting nursing service. Methods: The sample consisted of older adults who had received coordinated services by care managers. We defined the need for home visiting nursing service by elderly individuals as the decision of the need by a care manager so that the elderly can continue to live independently. Explanatory variables included demographic factors, medical procedure, severity of illness, and caregiver variables. Multiple logistic regression was carried out after univariate analyses to decide the variables to include and the weight of each variable in the HVNS-NAF. We then calculated the sensitivity and specificity of each cut-off value, and defined the score with the highest sensitivityand specificity as the cut-off value. Results: Nineteen items were included in the final HVNS-NAF. When the cut-off value was 2 points, the sensitivity was 77.0%, specificity 68.5%, and positive predictive value 56.8%. Conclusions: HVNS-NAF is the first validated standard based on characteristics of elderly clients who required home visiting nursing service. Using the HVNS-NAF may result in reducing the unmet need for home visiting nursing service and preventing hospitalization.

  8. [Texture modified diet; digestibility, nutritional value, and contributions to menu of hospitals and nursing homes].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Irles Rocamora, Jose Antonio; García-Luna, Pedro Pablo

    2014-01-21

    Texture modified diet is a significant loss of the organoleptic qualities of the feed, so often associated with suboptimal intake and can increase the risk of malnutrition in people with chewing or swallowing difficulties. It is known that these diets based on traditional ground, have varying nutritional adequacy. The emergence of numerous commercial products lyophilized or ready to eat, with a wide variety of nutritional value, according to the range and recipe is concerned, represent an important step in the normalization of nutritional value and food security in people with dysphagia. This review discussed the possible advantages or disadvantages compared to traditional ground, and the possibilities of inclusion in the menu of hospitals and nursing homes. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

  9. Intergrated dental care in nursing homes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gerritsen, P.F.M.

    2015-01-01

    The thesis deals with integrated dental care in nursing homes. First, the dental treatment needs were ascertained of 432 residents in three Dutch nursing homes that offer integrated dental care. Dentist researchers intra-orally examined the residents and found that 72% required dental treatment.

  10. Inter-rater reliability of nursing home quality indicators in the U.S

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roy Jason

    2003-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In the US, Quality Indicators (QI's profiling and comparing the performance of hospitals, health plans, nursing homes and physicians are routinely published for consumer review. We report the results of the largest study of inter-rater reliability done on nursing home assessments which generate the data used to derive publicly reported nursing home quality indicators. Methods We sampled nursing homes in 6 states, selecting up to 30 residents per facility who were observed and assessed by research nurses on 100 clinical assessment elements contained in the Minimum Data Set (MDS and compared these with the most recent assessment in the record done by facility nurses. Kappa statistics were generated for all data items and derived for 22 QI's over the entire sample and for each facility. Finally, facilities with many QI's with poor Kappa levels were compared to those with many QI's with excellent Kappa levels on selected characteristics. Results A total of 462 facilities in 6 states were approached and 219 agreed to participate, yielding a response rate of 47.4%. A total of 5758 residents were included in the inter-rater reliability analyses, around 27.5 per facility. Patients resembled the traditional nursing home resident, only 43.9% were continent of urine and only 25.2% were rated as likely to be discharged within the next 30 days. Results of resident level comparative analyses reveal high inter-rater reliability levels (most items >.75. Using the research nurses as the "gold standard", we compared composite quality indicators based on their ratings with those based on facility nurses. All but two QI's have adequate Kappa levels and 4 QI's have average Kappa values in excess of .80. We found that 16% of participating facilities performed poorly (Kappa .75 on 12 or more QI's. No facility characteristics were related to reliability of the data on which Qis are based. Conclusion While a few QI's being used for public reporting

  11. [Hospital emergencies arising from nursing homes in a region: evolution, characteristics and appropriateness].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez-Pérez, Inma; Comes Garcia, Nuri; Romero Piniella, Lola; Prats Martos, Gemma; Arnau Bataller, Gemma; Coderch, Jordi

    Hospital emergencies (HE) arising from nursing homes (NH) are on the rise. We analyse the evolution, characteristics and appropriateness of HE of NH residents in a region, as well as resulting hospital admissions. Retrospective descriptive study between 2010 and 2013 of institutionalised residents of 11 NH located in Baix Empordà (704 beds) and Palamós Hospital. Gender, age, morbidity and relative weight according to clinical risk groups (CRG), NH, length of stay, diagnosis of the emergency, appropriateness of HE according to Bermejo's criteria and the HE appropriateness protocol (HEAP), and appropriateness of hospitalisations according to the Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (AEP). Sample to evaluate appropriateness: 159 HE and 91 hospitalisations. frequency, mean, standard deviation, percentiles, Fisher's exact test and ANOVA, with a confidence interval of 95% and using IBM SPSS Statistics 23. 1,474 people were enrolled, of which 73% were women. Group ≥85 years increased to 60.3% and the mean weight of morbidity was 3.2 to 4.0 (p <0.001). 1,805 HE were generated. The annual rate per 1,000 stays arising from NH increased from 1.64 to 2.05, of which 90.6% were appropriate according to Bermejo's criteria and 93.7% according to the HEAP. Of these, 502 involved hospitalisation. The annual rate per 10 emergencies fell from 2.96 to 2.64 and 98.9% were appropriate according to the AEP. Hospital emergencies and hospitalisations of NH residents are increasing and are appropriate. Increasing age and disease burden could explain this phenomenon. NH and hospitals should react appropriately, considering the specific needs of this population sector. Copyright © 2017 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  12. Depression in nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snowdon, John

    2010-11-01

    Although studies have shown the prevalence of depression in nursing homes to be high, under-recognition of depression in these facilities is widespread. Use of screening tests to enhance detection of depressive symptoms has been recommended. This paper aims to provoke discussion about optimal management of depression in nursing homes. The utility of the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) is considered. CSDD data relating to residents assessed in 2008-2009 were collected from three Sydney nursing homes. CSDD scores were available from 162 residents, though raters stated they were unable to score participants on at least one item in 47 cases. Scores of 13 or more were recorded for 23% of residents in these facilities, but in most of these cases little was documented in case files to show that the results had been discussed by staff, or that they led to interventions, or that follow-up testing was arranged. Results of CSDD testing should prompt care staff (including doctors) to consider causation of depression in cases where residents are identified as possibly depressed. In particular, there needs to be discussion of how to help residents to cope with disability, losses, and feelings of powerlessness. Research is needed, examining factors that might predict response to antidepressants, and what else helps. Accreditation of nursing homes could be made to depend partly on evidence that staff regularly search for, and (if found) ensure appropriate responses to, depression.

  13. The uniqueness of elderly care: registered nurses' experience as preceptors during clinical practice in nursing homes and home-based care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlson, Elisabeth; Bengtsson, Mariette

    2014-04-01

    The expected shortage of registered nurses with an advanced degree as specialists in geriatric care or gerontology is imminent. Previous studies report that clinical practice where student nurses are supervised by registered nurses has a direct impact on how students perceive nursing as a profession and future career choice. Considering the anticipated need for well-educated and specialised nurses it is therefore, relevant as well as necessary to describe clinical learning with a focus on preceptorship in geriatric nursing care. This paper is a report of a study describing registered nurses' experience of precepting undergraduate student nurses during clinical practice in nursing homes and home-based care. A qualitative design, based on seven focus group interviews, was employed with 30 registered nurses with preceptor experience from nursing homes and home-based care for the elderly. Our findings present three precepting strategies that are unique to elderly care: preparing students for end of life care, facilitating a respectful approach to the older person and promoting creativity and independent work. The findings are discussed using a socio-cultural perspective and illustrate how communities of elderly practice can be valuable learning environments. © 2013.

  14. FastStats: Nursing Home Care

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Submit What's this? Submit Button NCHS Home Nursing Home Care Recommend on Facebook Tweet Share Compartir Data are ... Person’s Health Related Links Adult Day Services Centers Home Health Care Hospice Care National Study of Long-Term Care ...

  15. Essential elements of the nursing practice environment in nursing homes: Psychometric evaluation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brouwer, B.J.M. de; Kaljouw, M.J.; Schoonhoven, L.; Achterberg, T. van

    2017-01-01

    AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To develop and psychometrically test the Essentials of Magnetism II in nursing homes. BACKGROUND: Increasing numbers and complex needs of older people in nursing homes strain the nursing workforce. Fewer adequately trained staff and increased care complexity raise concerns about

  16. The impact of multiple care giving roles on fatigue, stress, and work performance among hospital staff nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scott, Linda D; Hwang, Wei-Ting; Rogers, Ann E

    2006-02-01

    This study describes fatigue and stress among a random sample of full-time hospital staff nurses (n=393) who provide care for aging family members, compares the results to nurses with and without children younger than 18 years living at home, examines differences in sleep duration, and explores the effects on work performance by care giving status during a 4-week period. Little attention has been given to the effects of care giver well-being when individuals assume dual roles as family and professional care givers. Hospital staff nurses recorded daily information concerning their work hours, errors, sleep/wake patterns, perceptions of fatigue, alertness, and stress and periods of drowsiness and sleep episodes while on duty for 28 days. Fatigue and stress levels were significantly higher among nurses caring for both children and elders. However, nurses providing elder care at home were more fatigued, sleep-deprived, and likely to make errors at work. These findings underscore the importance of restorative sleep interventions and fatigue countermeasures for hospital staff nurses involved in dual care giving roles. Limiting overtime and applying circadian principles to hospital scheduling processes would ensure a more alert workforce, minimize health risks for nurses, and maximize the safety of those in their care.

  17. Ripple Effects of PPS on Nursing Homes: Swimming or Drowning in the Funding Stream?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swan, James H.; And Others

    1990-01-01

    Of 189 nursing homes, 83 percent reported that Medicare's hospital Prospective Payment System (PPS) affected patient needs, 53 percent said it affected patients and services provided, and 25 percent said it affected referrals to hospitals. PPS effects depended on facility factors of size, Medicare certification, tax status, and on local market…

  18. Comparing Public Quality Ratings for Accredited and Nonaccredited Nursing Homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Scott C; Morton, David J; Braun, Barbara I; Longo, Beth Ann; Baker, David W

    2017-01-01

    Compare quality ratings of accredited and nonaccredited nursing homes using the publicly available Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Nursing Home Compare data set. This cross-sectional study compared the performance of 711 Joint Commission-accredited (TJC-accredited) nursing homes (81 of which also had Post-Acute Care Certification) to 14,926 non-Joint Commission-accredited (non-TJC-accredited) facilities using the Nursing Home Compare data set (as downloaded on April 2015). Measures included the overall Five-Star Quality Rating and its 4 components (health inspection, quality measures, staffing, and RN staffing), the 18 Nursing Home Compare quality measures (5 short-stay measures, 13 long-stay measures), as well as inspection deficiencies, fines, and payment denials. t tests were used to assess differences in rates for TJC-accredited nursing homes versus non-TJC-accredited nursing homes for quality measures, ratings, and fine amounts. Analysis of variance models were used to determine differences in rates using Joint Commission accreditation status, nursing home size based on number of beds, and ownership type. An additional model with an interaction term using Joint Commission accreditation status and Joint Commission Post-Acute Care Certification status was used to determine differences in rates for Post-Acute Care Certified nursing homes. Binary variables (eg, deficiency type, fines, and payment denials) were evaluated using a logistic regression model with the same covariates. After controlling for the influences of facility size and ownership type, TJC-accredited nursing homes had significantly higher star ratings than non-TJC-accredited nursing homes on each of the star rating component subscales (P homes with Post-Acute Care Certification performed statistically better on the overall star rating, as well as 3 of the 4 subscales (P homes had statistically fewer deficiencies than non-TJC-accredited nursing homes (P payment denials (P homes

  19. 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

  20. Washington State Nursing Home Administrator Model Curriculum. Final Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cowan, Florence Kelly

    The course outlines presented in this final report comprise a proposed Fort Steilacoom Community College curriculum to be used as a statewide model two-year associate degree curriculum for nursing home administrators. The eight courses described are introduction to nursing, home administration, financial management of nursing homes, nursing home…

  1. Rules of performance in the nursing home: A grounded theory of nurse-CNA communication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madden, Connie; Clayton, Margaret; Canary, Heather E; Towsley, Gail; Cloyes, Kristin; Lund, Dale

    This study offers an initial theoretical understanding of nurse-CNA communication processes from the perspectives of nurses and CNAs who are providing direct care to residents in nursing homes. A grounded theory approach provided an understanding of nurse-CNA communication process within the complexities of the nursing home setting. Four themes (maintaining information flow, following procedure, fostering collegiality, and showing respect) describe the "rules of performance" that intertwine in nuanced relationships to guide nurse-CNA communication processes. Understanding how these rules of performance guide nurse-CNA communication processes, and how they are positively and negatively influenced, suggests that nurse-CNA communication during direct care of nursing home residents could be improved through policy and education that is specifically designed to be relevant and applicable to direct care providers in the nursing home environment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Is higher nursing home quality more costly?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giorgio, L Di; Filippini, M; Masiero, G

    2016-11-01

    Widespread issues regarding quality in nursing homes call for an improved understanding of the relationship with costs. This relationship may differ in European countries, where care is mainly delivered by nonprofit providers. In accordance with the economic theory of production, we estimate a total cost function for nursing home services using data from 45 nursing homes in Switzerland between 2006 and 2010. Quality is measured by means of clinical indicators regarding process and outcome derived from the minimum data set. We consider both composite and single quality indicators. Contrary to most previous studies, we use panel data and control for omitted variables bias. This allows us to capture features specific to nursing homes that may explain differences in structural quality or cost levels. Additional analysis is provided to address simultaneity bias using an instrumental variable approach. We find evidence that poor levels of quality regarding outcome, as measured by the prevalence of severe pain and weight loss, lead to higher costs. This may have important implications for the design of payment schemes for nursing homes.

  3. Effect of prospective reimbursement on nursing home costs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coburn, A F; Fortinsky, R; McGuire, C; McDonald, T P

    1993-04-01

    This study evaluates the effect of Maine's Medicaid nursing home prospective payment system on nursing home costs and access to care for public patients. The implementation of a facility-specific prospective payment system for nursing homes provided the opportunity for longitudinal study of the effect of that system. Data sources included audited Medicaid nursing home cost reports, quality-of-care data from state facility survey and licensure files, and facility case-mix information from random, stratified samples of homes and residents. Data were obtained for six years (1979-1985) covering the three-year period before and after implementation of the prospective payment system. This study used a pre-post, longitudinal analytical design in which interrupted, time-series regression models were estimated to test the effects of prospective payment and other factors, e.g., facility characteristics, nursing home market factors, facility case mix, and quality of care, on nursing home costs. Prospective payment contributed to an estimated $3.03 decrease in total variable costs in the third year from what would have been expected under the previous retrospective cost-based payment system. Responsiveness to payment system efficiency incentives declined over the study period, however, indicating a growing problem in achieving further cost reductions. Some evidence suggested that cost reductions might have reduced access for public patients. Study findings are consistent with the results of other studies that have demonstrated the effectiveness of prospective payment systems in restraining nursing home costs. Potential policy trade-offs among cost containment, access, and quality assurance deserve further consideration, particularly by researchers and policymakers designing the new generation of case mix-based and other nursing home payment systems.

  4. Moving to and dying in a nursing home depends not only on health - an analysis of socio-demographic determinants of place of death in Switzerland.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Damian Hedinger

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: In developed countries generally about 7 out of 10 deaths occur in institutions such as acute care hospitals or nursing homes. However, less is known about the influence of non-medical determinants of place of death. This study examines the influence of socio-demographic and regional factors on place of death in Switzerland. DATA AND METHODS: We linked individual data from hospitals and nursing homes with census and mortality records of the Swiss general population. We differentiated between those who died in a hospital after a length of stay ≤2 days or ≥3 days, those who died in nursing homes, and those who died at home. In gender-specific multinomial logistic regression models we analysed N = 85,129 individuals, born before 1942 (i.e., ≥65 years old and deceased in 2007 or 2008. RESULTS: Almost 70% of all men and 80% of all women died in a hospital or nursing home. Regional density of nursing home beds, being single, divorced or widowed, or living in a single-person household were predictive of death in an institution, especially among women. Conversely, homeownership, high educational level and having children were associated with dying at home. CONCLUSION: Place of death substantially depends on socio-demographic determinants such as household characteristics and living conditions as well as on regional factors. Individuals with a lower socio-economic position, living alone or having no children are more prone to die in a nursing home. Health policy should empower these vulnerable groups to choose their place of death in accordance to needs and wishes.

  5. Competence for older people nursing in care and nursing homes: An integrative review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiljunen, Outi; Välimäki, Tarja; Kankkunen, Päivi; Partanen, Pirjo

    2017-09-01

    People living in care and nursing homes are vulnerable individuals with complex needs; therefore, a wide array of nursing competence is needed to ensure their well-being. When developing the quality of care in these units, it is essential to know what type of competence is required for older people nursing. The aim of this integrative review was to identify the competence needed for older people nursing in licensed practical nurses' and registered nurses' work in care and nursing homes. Integrative literature review. We performed an integrative review using Whittemore and Knafl's method. The CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, SocINDEX and Scopus databases were searched for studies published from 2006 to April 2016. We assessed the quality of the studies using Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools and analysed the data by applying qualitative content analysis. Ten articles were included in the review. Most of the studies focused on registered nurses' work. We identified five competence areas that are needed for older people nursing in registered nurses' work in care and nursing homes: attitudinal and ethical, interactional, evidence-based care, pedagogical, and leadership and development competence. Empirical evidence of competence requirements related to licensed practical nurses' work in these facilities was scarce. The competence required for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses should be clearly identified to support competence management in the care and nursing home context. Well-educated nursing staff are needed in care and nursing homes to provide high-quality care because comprehensive and advanced nurse competence is required to meet the needs of older people. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. Evaluation of potentially inappropriate medications among older residents of Malaysian nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Li Li; Tangiisuran, Balamurugan; Shafie, Asrul Akmal; Hassali, Mohamed Azmi Ahmad

    2012-08-01

    There is an increasing evidence of medicines related issues such as inappropriate prescribing among older people. Inappropriate prescribing is an important risk factor for adverse drug reactions and hospitalizations in the older people. To assess and characterize the prevalence of Potentially Inappropriate Medications (PIMs) in nursing home care in Malaysia as defined by Screening Tool of Older Peoples Prescriptions (STOPP) and Beers criteria. Four Nursing Homes situated in Penang, Malaysia. A multicenter and cross-sectional study was conducted over 2 months period at four large non-governmental organizations nursing homes in Penang, Malaysia. The study population included older residents (≥65 years old) taking at least one medication. Residents who had been diagnosed with dementia or taking anti dementia drugs, delirium, too frail or refused to give consent were excluded. Demographic, clinical data and concurrent medications were collected through direct interview and also by reviewing medical records. STOPP and Beers criteria were applied in the medical review to screen for PIMs. Potentially Inappropriate Medication using STOPP and Beers criteria. Two hundred eleven residents were included in the study with the median age of 77 (inter quartile range (IQR) 72-82) years. Median number of prescription medicines was 4 (IQR 1-14). STOPP identified less residents (50 residents, 23.7 %) being prescribed on PIMs compared with Beers criteria (69 residents, 32.7 %) (p older residents living in the nursing homes and are associated with number of medications and longer nursing home stay. Further research is warranted to study the impact of PIMs towards health related outcomes in these elderly.

  7. Registered nurses' perceptions of their professional work in nursing homes and home-based care: a focus group study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlson, Elisabeth; Rämgård, Margareta; Bolmsjö, Ingrid; Bengtsson, Mariette

    2014-05-01

    In Sweden, as well as in most industrialised countries, an increasing older population is expected to create a growing demand for health care staff. Previous studies have pointed to lack of proficient medical and nursing staff specialised in geriatric care, which poses serious threats to the care of a vulnerable population. At the same time, there are studies describing elderly care as a low-status career choice, attracting neither nurses nor student nurses. Judging from previous research it was deemed important to explore how nurses in elderly care perceive their work, thus possibly provide vital knowledge that can guide nurse educators and unit managers as a means to promote a career in elderly care. The aim of the present study was to illuminate how nurses, working in nursing homes and home-based care, perceived their professional work. This was a qualitative study using focus groups. 30 registered nurses in seven focus groups were interviewed. The participants worked in nursing homes and home-based care for the elderly in rural areas and in a larger city in southern Sweden. The interviews were analysed in line with the tradition of naturalistic inquiry. Our findings illustrate how nurses working in elderly care perceived their professional work as holistic and respectful nursing. Three categories of professional work emerged during analysis: (1) establishing long-term relationships, (2) nursing beyond technical skills, and (3) balancing independence and a sense of loneliness. The findings are important as they represent positive alternatives to the somewhat prevailing view on elderly care as depressing and undemanding. Nurse educators might use the key aspects as good examples, thus influencing student nurses' attitudes towards elderly care in a positive way. Elderly care agencies might find them helpful when recruiting and retaining nurses to a much needed area. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. 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

  9. Implementation of Electronic Health Records in US Nursing Homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bjarnadottir, Ragnhildur I; Herzig, Carolyn T A; Travers, Jasmine L; Castle, Nicholas G; Stone, Patricia W

    2017-08-01

    While electronic health records have emerged as promising tools to help improve quality of care, nursing homes have lagged behind in implementation. This study assessed electronic health records implementation, associated facility characteristics, and potential impact on quality indicators in nursing homes. Using national Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and survey data for nursing homes, a cross-sectional analysis was conducted to identify variations between nursing homes that had and had not implemented electronic health records. A difference-in-differences analysis was used to estimate the longitudinal effect of electronic health records on commonly used quality indicators. Data from 927 nursing homes were examined, 49.1% of which had implemented electronic health records. Nursing homes with electronic health records were more likely to be nonprofit/government owned (P = .04) and had a lower percentage of Medicaid residents (P = .02) and higher certified nursing assistant and registered nurse staffing levels (P = .002 and .02, respectively). Difference-in-differences analysis showed greater quality improvements after implementation for five long-stay and two short-stay quality measures (P = .001 and .01, respectively) compared with those who did not implement electronic health records. Implementation rates in nursing homes are low compared with other settings, and better-resourced facilities are more likely to have implemented electronic health records. Consistent with other settings, electronic health records implementation improves quality in nursing homes, but further research is needed to better understand the mechanism for improvement and how it can best be supported.

  10. Influence of Nurse Aide Absenteeism on Nursing Home Quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castle, Nicholas G; Ferguson-Rome, Jamie C

    2015-08-01

    In this analysis, the association of nurse aide absenteeism with quality is examined. Absenteeism is the failure of nurse aides to report for work when they are scheduled to work. Data used in this investigation came from survey responses from 3,941 nursing homes; Nursing Home Compare; the Online System for Survey, Certification and Administrative Reporting data; and the Area Resource File. Staffing characteristics, quality indicators, facility, and market information from these data sources were all measured in 2008. The specific quality indicators examined are physical restraint use, catheter use, pain management, and pressure sores using negative binomial regression. An average rate of 9.2% for nurse aide absenteeism was reported in the prior week. We find that high levels of absenteeism are associated with poor performance on all four quality indicators examined. The investigation presented, to our knowledge, is one of the first examining the implications of absenteeism in nursing homes. Absenteeism can be a costly staffing issue, one of the potential costs identified in this analysis is an impact on quality of care. © The Author 2014. 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.

  11. Nursing home residents' views on dying and death: nursing home employee's perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dwyer, Lise-Lotte; Hansebo, Görel; Andershed, Birgitta; Ternestedt, Britt-Marie

    2011-12-01

    To reveal nursing home employees' views on dying and death among older people they cared for. Palliative care stakeholders recently included more groups in their definition of palliative care; older people constitute one such group. Consequently, palliative care systems, which will serve a large, aging cohort, will require new skills. The first stage in skills acquisition is to gather current views on dying and death. Qualitative descriptive study that uses focus group discussions for data collection; 20 employees in 4 Swedish nursing homes participated. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The following categories were conceptualised: alleviating suffering and pain; finding meaning in everyday life; revealing thoughts and attitudes about death; taking care of the dead person's body; and coping with the gap between personal ideals and reality. A deeper understanding of the palliative care philosophy is needed to further develop and tailor care for the dying persons in nursing homes. To get public support for palliative care, the silence surrounding dying and death must be broken. Employees must receive education to prepare for all aspects of their work, and management must account for employees' situation when planning the care. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  12. Organization and financing of home nursing in the European Union.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kerkstra, A.; Hutten, J.B.F.

    1996-01-01

    The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the organization and financing of home nursing in the 15 member states in the European Union. Home nursing was defined as the nursing care provided at the patients' home by professional home nursing organizations. Data were gathered by means of

  13. [Cleaning and disinfection in nursing homes. Data on quality of structure, process and outcome in nursing homes in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 2011].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heudorf, U; Gasteyer, S; Samoiski, Y; Voigt, K

    2012-08-01

    Due to the Infectious Disease Prevention Act, public health services in Germany are obliged to check the infection prevention in hospitals and other medical facilities as well as in nursing homes. In Frankfurt/Main, Germany, standardized control visits have been performed for many years. In 2011 focus was laid on cleaning and disinfection of surfaces. All 41 nursing homes were checked according to a standardized checklist covering quality of structure (i.e. staffing, hygiene concept), quality of process (observation of the cleaning processes in the homes) and quality of output, which was monitored by checking the cleaning of fluorescent marks which had been applied some days before and should have been removed via cleaning in the following days before the final check. In more than two thirds of the homes, cleaning personnel were salaried, in one third external personnel were hired. Of the homes 85% provided service clothing and all of them offered protective clothing. All homes had established hygiene and cleaning concepts, however, in 15% of the homes concepts for the handling of Norovirus and in 30% concepts for the handling of Clostridium difficile were missing. Regarding process quality only half of the processes observed, i.e. cleaning of hand contact surfaces, such as handrails, washing areas and bins, were correct. Only 44% of the cleaning controls were correct with enormous differences between the homes (0-100%). The correlation between quality of process and quality of output was significant. There was good quality of structure in the homes but regarding quality of process and outcome there was great need for improvement. This was especially due to faults in communication and coordination between cleaning personnel and nursing personnel. Quality outcome was neither associated with the number of the places for residents nor with staffing. Thus, not only quality of structure but also quality of process and outcome should be checked by the public health

  14. The Judaic-Christian origin of nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandeis, Gary H; Oates, Daniel J

    2007-06-01

    Many nursing homes today have a religious heritage. While governmental regulations control how much of the care is delivered, the foundations and goals of many homes predate governmental rules and payment policies. This paper explores the basis of Jewish and Christian thought in providing groundwork for religiously based nursing homes. Although the underlying principles are similar, differences in approach and execution for the formation of these homes exist.

  15. Some Aspects of Burnout in Nursing Homes

    OpenAIRE

    Leskovic Ljiljana; Vukovič Goran; Leskovar Robert; Goriup Jana

    2016-01-01

    Nursing personnel in nursing homes for elderly citizens are exposed to a number of factors that contribute to possible burnout syndrome. For this reason, the set objective of the research was to measure the degree of burnout, check the correlation between the burnout syndrome and satisfaction at work, and psychosomatic symptoms, as well as to figure out the main characteristics of burnout syndrome among the nursing personnel in nursing homes for the elderly in Slovenia.

  16. Swedish district nurses' attitudes to implement information and communication technology in home nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nilsson, Carina; Skär, Lisa; Söderberg, Siv

    2008-01-01

    The use of information and communication technology has increased in the society, and can be useful in nursing care. The aim of this study was to describe district nurses' attitudes regarding the implementation of information and communication technology in home nursing. The first and third authors performed five focus group discussions with 19 district nurses' from five primary healthcare centres in northern Sweden. During the focus group discussions, the following topics were discussed: the current and future use of information and communication technology in home nursing; expectations, advantages, disadvantages and hindrances in the use of information and communication technology in home nursing; and the use of information and communication technology from an ethical perspective. The transcribed focus group discussions were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results showed that district nurses' attitudes were positive regarding the use of information and communication technology in their work. They also asked for possibilities to influence the design and its introduction. However, the use of information and communication technology in home nursing can be described as a complement to communication that could not replace human physical encounters. Improvements and risks, as well as the importance of physical presence in home nursing were considered vital. The results revealed that the use of information and communication technology requires changes in the district nurses' work situation.

  17. Telemonitoring and home hospitalization in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: study TELEPOC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mirón Rubio, Manuel; Ceballos Fernández, Rocío; Parras Pastor, Inmaculada; Palomo Iloro, Amaya; Fernández Félix, Borja Manuel; Medina Miralles, Jenifer; Zamudio López, Esther; González Pastor, Javier; Amador Lorente, Caridad; Mena Hortelano, Nazaret; Domínguez Sánchez, Alejandro; Alonso-Viteri, Soledad

    2018-04-01

    Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major consumer of healthcare resources, with most costs related to disease exacerbations. Telemonitoring of patients with COPD may help to reduce the number of exacerbations and/or the related costs. On the other hand, home hospitalization is a cost-saving alternative to inpatient hospitalization associated with increased comfort for patients. The results are reported regarding using telemonitoring and home hospitalization for the management of patients with COPD. Twenty-eight patients monitored their health parameters at home for six months. A nurse remotely revised the collected parameters and followed the patients as programmed. A home care unit was dispatched to the patients' home if an alarm signal was detected. The outcomes were compared to historical data from the same patients. The number of COPD exacerbations during the study period did not reduce but the number of hospital admissions decreased by 60% and the number of emergency room visits by 38%. On average, costs related to utilization of healthcare resources were reduced by €1,860.80 per patient per year. Telemonitoring of patients with COPD combined with home hospitalization may allow for a reduction in healthcare costs, although its usefulness in preventing exacerbations is still unclear.

  18. Physical restraint use among nursing home residents: A comparison of two data collection methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Voyer Philippe

    2004-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In view of the issues surrounding physical restraint use, it is important to have a method of measurement as valid and reliable as possible. We determined the sensitivity and specificity of physical restraint use a reported by nursing staff and b reviewed from medical and nursing records in nursing home settings, by comparing these methods with direct observation. Methods We sampled eight care units in skilled nursing homes, seven care units in nursing homes and one long-term care unit in a hospital, from eight facilities which included 28 nurses and 377 residents. Physical restraint use was assessed the day following three periods of direct observation by two different means: interview with one or several members of the regular nursing staff, and review of medical and nursing records. Sensitivity and specificity values were calculated according to 2-by-2 contingency tables. Differences between the methods were assessed using the phi coefficient. Other information collected included: demographic characteristics, disruptive behaviors, body alignment problems, cognitive and functional skills. Results Compared to direct observation (gold standard, reported restraint use by nursing staff yielded a sensitivity of 87.4% at a specificity of 93.7% (phi = 0.84. When data was reviewed from subjects' medical and nursing records, sensitivity was reduced to 74.8%, and specificity to 86.3% (phi = 0.54. Justifications for restraint use including risk for falls, agitation, body alignment problems and aggressiveness were associated with the use of physical restraints. Conclusions The interview of nursing staff and the review of medical and nursing records are both valid and reliable techniques for measuring physical restraint use among nursing home residents. Higher sensitivity and specificity values were achieved when nursing staff was interviewed as compared to reviewing medical records. This study suggests that the interview of nursing

  19. Euthanasia and assisted suicide in Dutch hospitals: the role of nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Bruchem-van de Scheur, G G; van der Arend, Arie J G; Huijer Abu-Saad, Huda; van Wijmen, Frans C B; Spreeuwenberg, Cor; Ter Meulen, Ruud H J

    2008-06-01

    To report a study on the role of nurses in euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in hospitals, conducted as part of a wider study on the role of nurses in medical end-of-life decisions. Issues concerning legislation and regulation with respect to the role of nurses in euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide gave the Dutch Minister for Health reason to commission a study on the role of nurses in medical end-of-life decisions in hospitals, homecare and nursing homes. A questionnaire was sent in 2003 to 692 nurses employed in 73 hospital locations. The response suitable for analysis was from 532 (76.9%) nurses. Data were quantitatively analysed using spss version 11.5 for Windows. In almost half of the cases (45.1%), the nurse was the first with whom patients discussed their request for euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide. Consultations between physicians and nurses quite often took place (78.8%). In several cases (15.4%), nurses themselves administered the euthanatics with or without a physician. It is not self-evident that hospitals have guidelines concerning euthanasia/physician-assisted suicide. In the decision-making process, the consultation between the physician and the nurse needs improvement. In administering the euthanatics, physicians should take responsibility and should not leave these actions to nurses. Guidelines may play an important role to improve the collaboration between physicians and nurses and to prevent procedural, ethical and legal misunderstandings. Nurses in clinical practice are often closely involved in the last stage of a person's life. Consequently, they are often confronted with caring for patients requesting euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide. The results provide relevant information and may help nurses in defining their role in euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, especially in case these practices should become legalised.

  20. Experiences of technology integration in home care nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, K A; Valdez, R S; Casper, G R; Kossman, S P; Carayon, P; Or, C K L; Burke, L J; Brennan, P F

    2008-11-06

    The infusion of health care technologies into the home leads to substantial changes in the nature of work for home care nurses and their patients. Nurses and nursing practice must change to capitalize on these innovations. As part of a randomized field experiment evaluating web-based support for home care of patients with chronic heart disease, we engaged nine nurses in a dialogue about their experience integrating this modification of care delivery into their practice. They shared their perceptions of the work they needed to do and their perceptions and expectations for patients and themselves in using technologies to promote and manage self-care. We document three overarching themes that identify preexisting factors that influenced integration or represent the consequences of technology integration into home care: doing tasks differently, making accommodations in the home for devices and computers, and being mindful of existing expectations and skills of both nurses and patients.

  1. Variation in psychotropic drug use in nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castle, N G

    1998-01-01

    Numerous studies of health service use reveal considerable variation in the degree of services provided. In this article the variation in psychotropic drug use in nursing homes is examined. First, a descriptive analysis of nursing homes with and without high levels of psychotropic drug use is provided. Second, an analysis of the determinants of high levels of psychotropic drug use in nursing homes is provided. Factors such as ownership, staffing levels, having special care units, case-mix intensity, competitiveness of the nursing home market, and the state Medicaid reimbursement rate structure are examined. The results of these analyses are discussed in terms of their policy issues.

  2. Approaches to quality improvement in nursing homes: Lessons learned from the six-state pilot of CMS's Nursing Home Quality Initiative

    OpenAIRE

    Kissam, Stephanie; Gifford, David; Parks, Peggy; Patry, Gail; Palmer, Laura; Wilkes, Linda; Fitzgerald, Matthew; Petrulis, Alice Stollenwerk; Barnette, Leslie

    2003-01-01

    Abstract Background In November 2002, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched a Nursing Home Quality Initiative that included publicly reporting a set of Quality Measures for all nursing homes in the country, and providing quality improvement assistance to nursing homes nationwide. A pilot of this initiative occurred in six states for six months prior to the launch. Methods Review and analysis of the lessons learned from the six Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) tha...

  3. The emotional context facing nursing home residents' families: a call for role reinforcement strategies from nursing homes and the community.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bern-Klug, Mercedes

    2008-01-01

    Identify useful concepts related to the emotional context facing family members of nursing home residents. These concepts can be used in future studies to design and test interventions that benefit family caregivers. Secondary data analyses of qualitative ethnographic data. Two nursing homes in a large Midwestern city; 8 months of data collection in each. 44 family members of nursing home residents whose health was considered, "declining." Role theory was used to design and help interpret the findings. Data included transcripts of conversations between family members and researchers and were analyzed using a coding scheme developed for the secondary analysis. Comments about emotions related to the social role of family member were grouped into three categories: relief related to admission, stress, and decision making support/stress. Subcategories of stress include the role strain associated with "competing concerns" and the psychological pressures of 1) witnessing the decline of a loved one in a nursing home, and 2) guilt about placement. Decision-making was discussed as a challenge which family members did not want to face alone; support from the resident, health care professionals, and other family members was appreciated. Family members may benefit from role reinforcement activities provided by nursing home staff and community members. All nursing home staff members (in particular social workers) and physicians are called upon to provide educationa and support regarding nursing home admissions, during the decline of the resident, and especially regarding medical decision-making. Community groups are asked to support the family member by offering assistance with concrete tasks (driving, visiting, etc.) and social support.

  4. Nursing home case-mix reimbursement in Mississippi and South Dakota.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arling, Greg; Daneman, Barry

    2002-04-01

    To evaluate the effects of nursing home case-mix reimbursement on facility case mix and costs in Mississippi and South Dakota. Secondary data from resident assessments and Medicaid cost reports from 154 Mississippi and 107 South Dakota nursing facilities in 1992 and 1994, before and after implementation of new case-mix reimbursement systems. The study relied on a two-wave panel design to examine case mix (resident acuity) and direct care costs in 1-year periods before and after implementation of a nursing home case-mix reimbursement system. Cross-lagged regression models were used to assess change in case mix and costs between periods while taking into account facility characteristics. Facility-level measures were constructed from Medicaid cost reports and Minimum Data Set-Plus assessment records supplied by each state. Resident case mix was based on the RUG-III classification system. Facility case-mix scores and direct care costs increased significantly between periods in both states. Changes in facility costs and case mix were significantly related in a positive direction. Medicare utilization and the rate of hospitalizations from the nursing facility also increased significantly between periods, particularly in Mississippi. The case-mix reimbursement systems appeared to achieve their intended goals: improved access for heavy-care residents and increased direct care expenditures in facilities with higher acuity residents. However, increases in Medicare utilization may have influenced facility case mix or costs, and some facilities may have been unprepared to care for higher acuity residents, as indicated by increased rates of hospitalization.

  5. Multidisciplinary, Nurse-Led Psychiatric Consultation in Nursing Homes: A Pilot Study in Clinical Practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koekkoek, Bauke; van Baarsen, Carlijn; Steenbeek, Mirella

    2016-07-01

    To determine the effects of multidisciplinary, nurse-led psychiatric consultation on behavioral problems of nursing home residents. Residents often suffer from psychiatric symptoms, while staff psychiatric expertise varies. A pre-post study was conducted in seven homes using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Nursing Home version (NPI-NH). In 71 consultations during 18 months, 56-75% of residents suffered from agitation/aggression, depression, anxiety, and disinhibition. Post-intervention (n = 54), frequency, and severity of psychiatric symptoms were significantly and clinically meaningfully reduced. Also, staff suffered from less work stress. Nurse-led psychiatric consultation is valuable to both nursing home residents and staff. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Deprivation of Dignity in Nursing Home Residents

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Høy, Bente

    2016-01-01

    deepened knowledge in how to maintain and promote dignity in nursing home residents. The purpose of this paper is to present results concerning the question: How is nursing home residents’ dignity maintained or deprived from the perspective of close family caregivers? In this presentation we only focus...... on deprivation of dignity. Methodology: The overall design of this study is modified clinical application research. The study took place at six different nursing home residences in Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Data collection methods were individual research interviews. All together the sample consisted of 28...

  7. Self-transcendence and nurse-patient interaction in cognitively intact nursing home patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haugan, Gørill; Rannestad, Toril; Hanssen, Brith; Espnes, Geir A

    2012-12-01

    The aim of this study was to test whether nurse-patient interaction affects cognitively intact nursing home patients' interpersonal and intrapersonal self-transcendence, as well as testing the psychometric properties of the Nurse-Patient Interaction Scale (NPIS). Self-transcendence is considered a spiritual developmental process of maturity in adulthood, and a vital resource of well-being at the end of life. The concept of self-transcendence has previously been explored in various populations, yet the nurse-patient interactions' potential influence on self-transcendence in nursing home patients has not been published previously. A cross-sectional design employing the Self-Transcendence Scale and the NPIS was adopted. A sample of 202 cognitively well-functioning nursing home patients in Norway was selected. The statistical analyses were carried out using lisrel 8.8 and structural equation modelling. Structural equation modelling-analysis indicates statistical significant effect of nurse-patient interaction on the patients' self-transcendence. Direct influence on the intrapersonal and indirect influence on the interpersonal self-transcendence aspects was disclosed. Nurse-patient interaction significantly affected both interpersonal and intrapersonal self-transcendence among cognitively intact nursing home patients. Hence, facilitating caring interventions can be significantly beneficial to older patients' self-transcendence and thereby well-being, both emotional and physical. Caring behaviour signifies the vital and ultimate qualitative nursing behaviour, which promotes self-transcendence and thereby well-being. These findings are important for clinical nursing that intends to increase patients' well-being. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  8. Thomond Lodge Nursing Home, Ballymahon, Longford.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Humphries, Niamh

    2009-01-01

    ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: This paper presents data on the remittances sent by migrant nurses to their families "back home". It gives voice to the experiences of migrant nurses and illustrates the financial obligations they maintain while working overseas. Although the international economic recession has decreased global remittance flows, they remain resilient. Drawing on the experiences of migrant nurses in Ireland, this paper indicates how and why migrants strive to maintain remittance flows, even in an economic downturn. METHODS: A mixed-methods approach was employed, and the paper draws on data from qualitative in-depth interviews undertaken with 21 migrant nurses in addition to a quantitative survey of 336 migrant nurses in Ireland. RESULTS: The survey of migrant nurses revealed that 87% (293) of the sample sent remittances on a regular basis. According to respondents, remittances made a huge difference in the lives of their family members back home. Remittances were used to ensure that family members could obtain access to health and education services. They were also used to provide an income source for family members who were unemployed or retired.As remittances played an essential role in supporting family members back home, respondent migrant nurses were reluctant to reduce the level of their remittances, despite the onset of a global recession. Respondents noted that an increased demand for remittances from their families coincided with a reduction in their own net salaries - as a result of increased taxes and reduced availability of overtime - and this was a cause for concern for Ireland\\'s migrant nurses. CONCLUSION: This paper provides insights into the importance of remittances in funding social support for family members in home countries. It also illustrates the sacrifices made by migrant nurses to ensure continuation of the remittances, particularly in the context of an economic recession.

  9. How registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and resident aides spend time in nursing homes: An observational study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCloskey, Rose; Donovan, Cindy; Stewart, Connie; Donovan, Alicia

    2015-09-01

    Calls for improved conditions in nursing homes have pointed to the importance of optimizing the levels and skills of care providers. Understanding the work of care providers will help to determine if staff are being used to their full potential and if opportunities exist for improved efficiencies. To explore the activities of care providers in different nursing homes and to identify if variations exist within and across homes and shifts. A multi-centre cross-sectional observational work flow study was conducted in seven different nursing homes sites in one Canadian province. Data were collected by a research assistant who conducted 368 h of observation. The research assistant collected data by following an identical route in each site and recording observations on staff activities. Findings indicate staff activities vary across roles, sites and shifts. Licensed practical nurses (nursing assistants) have the greatest variation in their role while registered nurses have the least amount of variability. In some sites both registered nurses and licensed practical nurses perform activities that may be safely delegated to others. Care providers spend as much as 53.7% of their time engaged in non-value added activities. There may be opportunities for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses to delegate some of their activities to non-regulated workers. The time care providers spend in non-value activities suggest there may be opportunities to improve efficiencies within the nursing home setting. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Examining Racial and Ethnic Differences in Nursing Home Quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hefele, Jennifer Gaudet; Ritter, Grant A; Bishop, Christine E; Acevedo, Andrea; Ramos, Candi; Nsiah-Jefferson, Laurie A; Katz, Gabrielle

    2017-11-01

    Identifying racial/ethnic differences in quality is central to identifying, monitoring, and reducing disparities. Although disparities across all individual nursing home residents and disparities associated with between-nursing home differences have been established, little is known about the degree to which quality of care varies by race//ethnicity within nursing homes. A study was conducted to measure within-facility differences for a range of publicly reported nursing home quality measures. Resident assessment data on approximately 15,000 nursing homes and approximately 3 million residents (2009) were used to assess eight commonly used and publicly reported long-stay quality measures: the proportion of residents with weight loss, with high-risk and low-risk pressure ulcers, with incontinence, with depressive symptoms, in restraints daily, and who experienced a urinary tract infection or functional decline. Each measure was stratified by resident race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Hispanic), and within-facility differences were examined. Small but significant differences in care on average were found, often in an unexpected direction; in many cases, white residents were experiencing poorer outcomes than black and Hispanic residents in the same facility. However, a broad range of differences in care by race/ethnicity within nursing homes was also found. The results suggest that care is delivered equally across all racial/ethnic groups in the same nursing home, on average. The results support the call for publicly reporting stratified nursing home quality measures and suggest that nursing home providers should attempt to identify racial/ethnic within-facility differences in care. Copyright © 2017 The Joint Commission. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Nursing Home Compare

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — The data that is used by the Nursing Home Compare tool can be downloaded for public use. This functionality is primarily used by health policy researchers and the...

  12. Early discharge hospital at home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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

  13. Hospital nurses' work motivation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toode, Kristi; Routasalo, Pirkko; Helminen, Mika; Suominen, Tarja

    2015-06-01

    The knowledge surrounding nurses' work motivation is currently insufficient, and previous studies have rarely taken into account the role of many influential background factors. This study investigates the motivation of Estonian nurses in hospitals, and how individual and organisational background factors influence their motivation to work. The study is quantitative and cross-sectional. An electronically self-reported questionnaire was used for data collection. The sample comprised of 201 Registered Nurses working in various hospital settings in Estonia. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, two-sample Wilcoxon rank-sum (Mann-Whitney) test, Kruskal-Wallis equality-of-populations rank test and Spearman's correlation. Both extrinsic and intrinsic motivations were noted among hospital nurses. Nurses were moderately externally motivated (M = 3.63, SD = 0.89) and intrinsically strongly motivated (M = 4.98, SD = 1.03). A nurses' age and the duration of service were positively correlated with one particular area of extrinsic work motivation, namely introjected regulation (p extrinsic motivation (p = 0.016) and intrinsic work motivation (p = 0.004). The findings expand current knowledge of nurses' work motivation by describing the amount and orientation of work motivation among hospital nurses and highlighting background factors which should be taken into account in order to sustain and increase their intrinsic work motivation. The instrument used in the study can be an effective tool for nurse managers to determine a nurse's reasons to work and to choose a proper motivational strategy. Further research and testing of the instrument in different countries and in different contexts of nursing is however required. © 2014 Nordic College of Caring Science.

  14. [Skin Care to Prevent Development of Pressure Ulcers in Bedridden Nursing Home Residents from Developing Pressure Ulcers in Nursing Home Residents].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furukawa, Chie

    2015-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to clarify whether skincare products are effective in preventing development of pressure ulcers in bedridden nursing home residents. The study sample consisted of 21 nursing home residents at a nursing home in Osaka, Japan who use diapers. Participants were assigned to 3 groups and compared to a control group. None of the subjects developed a pressure ulcer and had improved skin condition around the anus.

  15. Malpractice Litigation and Nursing Home Quality of Care

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konetzka, R Tamara; Park, Jeongyoung; Ellis, Robert; Abbo, Elmer

    2013-01-01

    Objective. To assess the potential deterrent effect of nursing home litigation threat on nursing home quality. Data Sources/Study Setting. We use a panel dataset of litigation claims and Nursing Home Online Survey Certification and Reporting (OSCAR) data from 1995 to 2005 in six states: Florida, Illinois, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Missouri, and Delaware, for a total of 2,245 facilities. Claims data are from Westlaw's Adverse Filings database, a proprietary legal database, on all malpractice, negligence, and personal injury/wrongful death claims filed against nursing facilities. Study Design. A lagged 2-year moving average of the county-level number of malpractice claims is used to represent the threat of litigation. We use facility fixed-effects models to examine the relationship between the threat of litigation and nursing home quality. Principal Findings. We find significant increases in registered nurse-to-total staffing ratios in response to rising malpractice threat, and a reduction in pressure sores among highly staffed facilities. However, the magnitude of the deterrence effect is small. Conclusions. Deterrence in response to the threat of malpractice litigation is unlikely to lead to widespread improvements in nursing home quality. This should be weighed against other benefits and costs of litigation to assess the net benefit of tort reform. PMID:23741985

  16. Study of recent and future trends in place of death in Belgium using death certificate data: a shift from hospitals to care homes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deliens Luc

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Since most patients prefer out-of-hospital death, place of death can be considered an indicator of end-of-life care quality. The study of trends in place of death is necessary to examine causes of shifts, to evaluate efforts to alter place of death and develop future policies. This study aims to examine past trends and future projections of place of death. Methods Analysis of death certificates (decedents aged ≥ 1 year in Belgium (Flanders and Brussels Capital region 1998-2007. Trends in place of death were adjusted for cause of death, sociodemographic characteristics, environmental factors, numbers of hospital beds, and residential and skilled nursing beds in care homes. Future trends were based on age- and sex-specific mortality prognoses. Results Hospital deaths decreased from 55.1% to 51.7% and care home deaths rose from 18.3% to 22.6%. The percentage of home deaths remained stable. The odds of dying in a care home versus hospital increased steadily and was 1.65 (95%CI:1.53-1.78 in 2007 compared to 1998. This increase could be attributed to the replacement of residential beds by skilled nursing beds. Continuation of these trends would result in the more than doubling of deaths in care homes and a decrease in deaths at home and in hospital by 2040. Conclusions Additional end-of-life care resources in care homes largely explain the decrease in hospital deaths. Care homes will become the main locus of end-of-life care in the future. Governments should provide sufficient skilled nursing resources in care homes to fulfil the end-of-life care preferences and needs of patients.

  17. Nursing: the hospital's competitive edge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaffer, F A; Preziosi, P

    1988-09-01

    The health care marketplace is becoming increasingly competitive. The hospital has a built-in marketing force with the nursing department, because nurses are in constant, direct contact with the customer. Nursing must identify the case mix profile of the community and focus the hospital product lines to meet community needs. The nursing department should decentralize, change, measure, and innovate the staff mix needed to operationalize these product lines. The development of nursing practice standards for the case mix will help to identify the staff mix needed and create systems to efficiently manage the product lines. Nursing management must become aware of cross-subsidization and downward skill substitution of nursing personnel. Nursing information systems must generate quality reports that invoke cost consciousness on the part of nursing staff. Quality assurance programs must become unit based and complete with frequent audits to correlate length of stay with nursing quality. Correlations must be determined between nursing productivity and case mix to determine the hospital's niche in the marketplace. The transformation of health care into a competitive business industry has created many opportunities for nursing. The health care industry's incentives for efficiency along with the decreasing demand for inpatient hospital services will be the forces driving health care toward a competitive marketplace. The hospital's nursing department should be strategically positioned to become accountable for increasing market share and enhancing quality patient outcomes. The focus has shifted from the theoretical to the tactical, which is a step in the right direction, particularly for nursing. Nursing, if strategically positioned, will not only thrive but will also excel in this chaotic environment by capturing the opportunities and being innovative.

  18. Communication skills training in a nursing home: effects of a brief intervention on residents and nursing aides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sprangers, Suzan; Dijkstra, Katinka; Romijn-Luijten, Anna

    2015-01-01

    Effective communication by nursing home staff is related to a higher quality of life and a decrease in verbal and physical aggression and depression in nursing home residents. Several communication intervention studies have been conducted to improve communication between nursing home staff and nursing home residents with dementia. These studies have shown that communication skills training can improve nursing aides’ communication with nursing home residents. However, these studies tended to be time-consuming and fairly difficult to implement. Moreover, these studies focused on the communicative benefits for the nursing home residents and their well-being, while benefits and well-being for the nursing aides were neglected. The current study focused on implementing a brief communication skills training program to improve nursing aides’ (N=24) communication with residents with dementia (N=26) in a nursing home. The effects of the training on nursing aides’ communication, caregiver distress, and job satisfaction and residents’ psychopathology and agitation were assessed relative to a control group condition. Nursing aides in the intervention group were individually trained to communicate effectively with residents during morning care by using short instructions, positive speech, and biographical statements. Mixed ANOVAs showed that, after training, nursing aides in the intervention group experienced less caregiver distress. Additionally, the number of short instructions and instances of positive speech increased. Providing nursing aides with helpful feedback during care aids communication and reduces caregiver burden, even with a brief intervention that requires limited time investments for nursing home staff. PMID:25653513

  19. Rehabilitation services after the implementation of the nursing home prospective payment system: differences related to patient and nursing home characteristics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, Patrick K; Love, Thomas E; Dawson, Neal V; Thomas, Charles L; Cebul, Randall D

    2005-11-01

    The prospective payment system (PPS) for nursing homes was designed to curtail the rapid expansion of Medicare costs for skilled nursing care. This study examines the changes that occurred in nursing home patients and rehabilitation services following the PPS. Free-standing Medicare and/or Medicaid certified nursing homes in Ohio. The percent of new admissions receiving therapy and the amount of rehabilitation therapy provided. A total of 7006 first admissions in 1994-6 (pre-PPS) and 61,569 first admissions in 2000-1 (post-PPS). A logistic model predicting likelihood of rehabilitation was developed and validated in pre-PPS admissions and applied to the post-PPS patients. Rehabilitation services were compared in the pre-PPS and post-PPS cohorts overall, stratified by quintile of predicted score, diagnosis group, and by nursing home profit status. Post-PPS patients had less cognitive impairment, more depression, and more family support. The amount of rehabilitation services declined the most in the higher quintiles of predicted likelihood of rehabilitation and among patients with stroke. The percent of patients receiving rehabilitation services increased the most in the lowest quintile and among patients with medical conditions. These changes were greater in for-profit nursing homes. The implementation of the PPS in nursing homes has been associated with a decrease in the amount of rehabilitation services, targeted at those predicted to receive higher amounts and an increased frequency of providing services targeted at those predicted to be less likely to receive them. The outcomes of the changes deserve further study.

  20. Japan's policy of promoting end-of-life care in nursing homes: impact on facility and resident characteristics associated with the site of death.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ikegami, Naoki; Ikezaki, Sumie

    2012-05-01

    To evaluate the impact of the policy to encourage nursing homes to provide end-of-life care by comparing facility and resident variables associated with dying within the nursing home and not in hospitals, and by comparing life sustaining treatment (LST) respectively provided. Questionnaires mailed to an 11% random sample of 653 nursing homes in 2009. Facility characteristics from 371 nursing homes (57%) and resident characteristics of the 1158 who had been discharged due to death were obtained from 241 facilities (37%). Facility characteristics related to dying in nursing homes were their policy of providing end-of-life care and physicians being based in home care supporting clinics. Resident characteristics related were not having pneumonia as the cause of death, the family's preference of the nursing home as the site of death and agreement within the family. Preferences on the use of LST were adhered more in residents who had died in nursing homes. Although the percentage of residents dying within the facility has increased, the nursing home as a site of death still composes only 3.2% of the total. To increase the latter, nursing homes should refocus their function to providing end-of-life care to those not preferring aggressive treatment. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. The concept of restraints in nursing home practice: a mixed method study in nursing homes for people with dementia.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zwijsen, S.A.; Depla, M.F.I.A.; Niemeijer, A.R.; Francke, A.L.; Hertogh, C.M.P.M.

    2011-01-01

    Introduction: Although in most developed countries the use of restraints is regulated and restricted by law, the concept of restraint in nursing home care remains ambiguous. This study aims to explore how care professionals and family members of nursing home residents with dementia in the

  2. Job strain in nursing homes-Exploring the impact of leadership.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Backman, Annica; Sjögren, Karin; Lövheim, Hugo; Edvardsson, David

    2018-04-01

    To explore the association between nursing home managers' leadership, job strain and social support as perceived by direct care staff in nursing homes. It is well known that aged care staff experience high levels of job strain, and that aged care staff experiencing job strain are exposed to increased risk for adverse health effects. Leadership styles have been associated with job strain in the literature; however, the impact of perceived leadership on staff job strain and social support has not been clarified within nursing home contexts. This study had a cross-sectional design. Participating staff (n = 3,605) completed surveys which included questions about staff characteristics, valid and reliable measures of nursing home managers' leadership, perceived job strain and social support. Statistical analyses of correlations and multiple regression analysis with interaction terms were conducted. Nursing home managers' leadership were significantly associated with lower level of job strain and higher level of social support among direct care staff. A multiple regression analysis including an interaction term indicated individual and joint effects of nursing home managers' leadership and social support on job strain. Nursing home managers' leadership and social support were both individually and in combination associated with staff perception of lesser job strain. Thus, nursing home managers' leadership are beneficial for the working situation and strain of staff. Promoting a supporting work environment through leadership is an important implication for nursing home managers as it can influence staff perception of job strain and social support within the unit. By providing leadership, offering support and strategies towards a healthy work environment, nursing home managers can buffer adverse health effects among staff. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Nurses' knowledge and attitudes toward aged sexuality in Flemish nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahieu, Lieslot; de Casterlé, Bernadette Dierckx; Acke, Jolien; Vandermarliere, Hanne; Van Elssen, Kim; Fieuws, Steffen; Gastmans, Chris

    2016-09-01

    Admission to a nursing home does not necessarily diminish an older person's desire for sexual expression and fulfillment. Given that nursing staff directly and indirectly influence the range of acceptable sexual expressions of nursing home residents, their knowledge and attitudes toward aged sexuality can have far-reaching effects on both the quality of care they provide to residents and the self-image and well-being of these residents. To investigate nursing staff's knowledge and attitudes toward aged sexuality, to determine whether certain sociodemographic factors of the nursing staff relate to their knowledge and attitudes toward later-life sexuality, and to examine the relationship between knowledge and attitudes. Descriptive cross-sectional survey study. The administered questionnaire collected sociodemographic data and data from an adapted, Dutch version of the Aging Sexual Knowledge and Attitudes Scale. Data were collected from November 2011 through April 2012. A total of 43 geographically dispersed nursing homes in Flanders, Belgium, participated. Out of a potential research sample of 2228 nursing staff respondents, 1166 participated. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine of the KU Leuven. Nursing staff appeared to be moderately knowledgeable about aged sexuality and displayed a rather positive attitude toward sexuality in older people. Significant relationships between various variables were found both at univariable and multivariable levels. Knowledge and attitudes proved to be positively related, indicating that a higher level of knowledge of aged sexuality is associated with a more positive attitude toward sexuality in later life. Research findings are discussed within a broader international context. There is room for improvement for both nursing staff's knowledge and attitudes toward aged sexuality. This might be aided by appropriate educational interventions. Our results identified different target groups

  4. Structure, environment and strategic outcome: a study of Pennsylvania nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aaronson, W E; Zinn, J S; Rosko, M D

    1995-02-01

    This study applies Porter's model of competitive advantage to the nursing home industry. Discriminant analysis is used to identify organizational and environmental characteristics associated with nursing homes which have demonstrated valued strategic outcomes, and to distinguish the more successful nursing homes from their rivals. The results of the discriminant analysis suggest that nursing homes with superior payer mix outcomes are distinguishable from their less successful rivals in areas associated with a focused generic strategy. The study suggests that nursing homes which are better staffed, of smaller size and lower price are more likely to achieve high levels of self-pay utilization. Independent living units, continuing care retirement communities in particular, are likely to act synergistically with nursing home organizational characteristics to enhance competitive advantage by linking the value chain of the nursing home to that of retirement housing. Nursing homes with higher proportions of Medicare were found to provide a unique product when compared to their rivals. Profit status does not discriminate better self-pay strategic utilization, but for-profit facilities are more likely to pursue a Medicare strategy. Concern was raised that, as nursing homes become more strategically oriented, Medicaid access may become more problematic.

  5. Do recommendations for institutional food service result in better food service? A study of compliance in Danish hospitals and nursing homes from 1995 to 2002-2003

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mikkelsen, Bent Egberg; Beck, Anne Marie; Lassen, Anne Dahl

    2007-01-01

    in the official Danish recommendations for institutional food service as an indicator for progress. The issues included: using nutrient calculated recipes/menus, offering menu choice options, using feedback routines on acceptability of menus, maintaining nutritional steering committees, employing food...... are analysed over the 8-year period. The only progress for nursing homes was that more homes had implemented feedback routines on acceptability of food service in 2002/3 than in 1995. The difference was statistically significant. For hospitals, however, no progress was found between 1995 and 2002/3. Conclusion...

  6. Improving quality and safety in nursing homes and home care: the study protocol of a mixed-methods research design to implement a leadership intervention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiig, Siri; Ree, Eline; Johannessen, Terese; Strømme, Torunn; Storm, Marianne; Aase, Ingunn; Ullebust, Berit; Holen-Rabbersvik, Elisabeth; Hurup Thomsen, Line; Sandvik Pedersen, Anne Torhild; van de Bovenkamp, Hester; Bal, Roland; Aase, Karina

    2018-01-01

    Introduction Nursing homes and home care face challenges across different countries as people are living longer, often with chronic conditions. There is a lack of knowledge regarding implementation and impact of quality and safety interventions as most research evidence so far is generated in hospitals. Additionally, there is a lack of effective leadership tools for quality and safety improvement work in this context. Methods and analysis The aim of the ‘Improving Quality and Safety in Primary Care—Implementing a Leadership Intervention in Nursing Homes and Homecare’ (SAFE-LEAD) study is to develop and evaluate a research-based leadership guide for managers to increase quality and safety competence. The project applies a mixed-methods design and explores the implications of the leadership guide on managers’ and staffs’ knowledge, attitudes and practices. Four nursing homes and four home care services from different Norwegian municipalities will participate in the intervention. Surveys, process evaluation (interviews, observations) and document analyses will be conducted to evaluate the implementation and impact of the leadership intervention. A comparative study of Norway and the Netherlands will establish knowledge of the context dependency of the intervention. Ethics and dissemination The study is approved by the Norwegian Centre for Research Data (2017/52324 and 54855). The results will be disseminated through scientific articles, two PhD dissertations, an anthology, presentations at national and international conferences, and in social media, newsletters and in the press. The results will generate knowledge to inform leadership practices in nursing homes and home care. Moreover, the study will build new theory on leadership interventions and the role of contextual factors in nursing homes and home care. PMID:29599394

  7. Impact of nursing home admission on health care use and disease status elderly dependent people one year before and one year after skilled nursing home admission based on 2012-2013 SNIIRAM data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atramont, A; Bourdel-Marchasson, I; Bonnet-Zamponi, D; Tangre, I; Fagot-Campagna, A; Tuppin, P

    2017-09-18

    The aim of this study was to compare disease status and health care use 1 year before and 1 year after skilled nursing home (SNH) admission. People over the age of 65 years admitted to SNH during the first quarter of 2013, covered by the national health insurance general scheme (69% of the population of this age), and still alive 1 year after admission were identified (n = 14,487, mean age: 86 years, women: 76%). Their reimbursed health care was extracted from the Système National d'Information Interrégimes de l'Assurance Maladie (SNIIRAM) [National Health Insurance Information System]. One year after nursing home admission, the most prevalent diseases were cardiovascular/neurovascular diseases and neurodegenerative diseases (affecting 45% and 40% of people before admission vs 51% and 53% after admission, respectively). Physical therapy use increased (43% vs 64% of people had at least one physical therapy session during the year, with an average of 47 vs 84 sessions/person during the year), while specialist consultations decreased (29% of people consulted an ophthalmologist at least once during the year before admission vs 25% after admission; 27% vs 21% consulted a cardiologist). Hospitalization rates were lower during the year following institutionalization (75% vs 40% of people were hospitalized at least once during the year), together with a lower emergency admission rate and a higher day admission rate. Analysis of the new French reimbursement database specific to SNH shows that nursing home admission is associated with a reduction of some forms of outpatient care and hospitalizations.

  8. Predictive factors associated with death of elderly in nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sung, Kiwol

    2014-06-01

    An increasing elderly population reflects a great need for readily accessible, clinically useful methods to identify mortality-related factors in nursing home residents. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with the deaths of nursing home residents. Data was collected from a Minimal Data Set of 195 elderly nursing home residents, followed by analysis of demographic factors, disease and nursing condition factors, Activities of Daily Living (ADL), cognitive function, behavioral patterns, and dysfunctional status. Major factors associated with death among nursing home residents were identified as dyspnea (odds ratio [OR] = 4.88), problematic behaviors (OR = 3.95), and ADL (OR = 3.61). These variables accounted for 31.1% of the variance in death. Dyspnea, problematic behaviors, and ADL data were identified as the key factors associated with death among nursing home residents. Future plans for the prediction of death among nursing home residents can be made by nursing staff, factoring in these identified variables, to ensure more comfortable conditions and more responsive care. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  9. [Efficacy of agreements within the Enchede Stroke Service to refer patients with a stroke from the stroke unit in the hospital to a nursing home for short-term rehabilitation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nijmeijer, N.M.; Stegge, B.M. aan de; Zuidema, S.U.; Sips, H.J.W.; Brouwers, P.J.

    2005-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of agreements within the Enschede Stroke Service to refer patients with a stroke from the stroke unit in the hospital to a nursing home for short-term rehabilitation. DESIGN: Prospective, partly retrospective. METHOD: All patients who were referred from the stroke

  10. Hospital-Level Care at Home for Acutely Ill Adults: a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levine, David M; Ouchi, Kei; Blanchfield, Bonnie; Diamond, Keren; Licurse, Adam; Pu, Charles T; Schnipper, Jeffrey L

    2018-05-01

    Hospitals are standard of care for acute illness, but hospitals can be unsafe, uncomfortable, and expensive. Providing substitutive hospital-level care in a patient's home potentially reduces cost while maintaining or improving quality, safety, and patient experience, although evidence from randomized controlled trials in the US is lacking. Determine if home hospital care reduces cost while maintaining quality, safety, and patient experience. Randomized controlled trial. Adults admitted via the emergency department with any infection or exacerbation of heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or asthma. Home hospital care, including nurse and physician home visits, intravenous medications, continuous monitoring, video communication, and point-of-care testing. Primary outcome was direct cost of the acute care episode. Secondary outcomes included utilization, 30-day cost, physical activity, and patient experience. Nine patients were randomized to home, 11 to usual care. Median direct cost of the acute care episode for home patients was 52% (IQR, 28%; p = 0.05) lower than for control patients. During the care episode, home patients had fewer laboratory orders (median per admission: 6 vs. 19; p Home patients were more physically active (median minutes, 209 vs. 78; p home patients, one occurred in control patients. Median direct cost for the acute care plus 30-day post-discharge period for home patients was 67% (IQR, 77%; p home-care services (22% vs. 55%; p = 0.08) and fewer readmissions (11% vs. 36%; p = 0.32). Patient experience was similar in both groups. The use of substitutive home-hospitalization compared to in-hospital usual care reduced cost and utilization and improved physical activity. No significant differences in quality, safety, and patient experience were noted, with more definitive results awaiting a larger trial. Trial Registration NCT02864420.

  11. The course of apraxia and ADL functioning in left hemisphere stroke patients treated in rehabilitation centres and nursing homes.

    OpenAIRE

    Donkervoort, M.; Dekker, J.; Deelman, B.

    2006-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To study the course of apraxia and daily life functioning (ADL) in left hemisphere stroke patients with apraxia. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Rehabilitation centres and nursing homes. SUBJECTS: One hundred and eight left hemisphere stroke patients with apraxia, hospitalized in rehabilitation centres and nursing homes. MEASURES: ADL-observations, Barthel ADL Index, Apraxia Test, Motricity Index. RESULTS: During the study period of 20 weeks, patients showed small improv...

  12. Factors associated with high job satisfaction among care workers in Swiss nursing homes - a cross sectional survey study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwendimann, René; Dhaini, Suzanne; Ausserhofer, Dietmar; Engberg, Sandra; Zúñiga, Franziska

    2016-01-01

    While the relationship between nurses' job satisfaction and their work in hospital environments is well known, it remains unclear, which factors are most influential in the nursing home setting. The purpose of this study was to describe job satisfaction among care workers in Swiss nursing homes and to examine its associations with work environment factors, work stressors, and health issues. This cross-sectional study used data from a representative national sample of 162 Swiss nursing homes including 4,145 care workers from all educational levels (registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, nursing assistants and aides). Care worker-reported job satisfaction was measured with a single item. Explanatory variables were assessed with established scales, as e.g. the Practice Environment Scale - Nursing Work Index. Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) models were used to examine factors related to job satisfaction. Overall, 36.2 % of respondents reported high satisfaction with their workplace, while another 50.4 % were rather satisfied. Factors significantly associated with high job satisfaction were supportive leadership (OR = 3.76), better teamwork and resident safety climate (OR = 2.60), a resonant nursing home administrator (OR = 2.30), adequate staffing resources (OR = 1.40), fewer workplace conflicts (OR = .61), less sense of depletion after work (OR = .88), and fewer physical health problems (OR = .91). The quality of nursing home leadership-at both the unit supervisor and the executive administrator level-was strongly associated with care workers' job satisfaction. Therefore, recruitment strategies addressing specific profiles for nursing home leaders are needed, followed by ongoing leadership training. Future studies should examine the effects of interventions designed to improve nursing home leadership and work environments on outcomes both for care staff and for residents.

  13. The Sources of Work Stress among Nurses in Private Hospitals in Shiraz, 2016

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heshmatollah Asadi

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Since there are few studies on stress experienced by nursing staff in private hospitals, this study aimed to determine the sources of job stress among nurses in private hospitals in southwest of Iran. Method: In a cross-sectional design, nurses in private hospitals in Shiraz were investigated; about 160 nurses were selected by single-stage cluster sampling as the study samples in three selected hospitals. A standard questionnaire on the sources of job stress was used for data collection. The data were analyzed through SPSS, version 21, using Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. The level of significance was considered as 0.05. Results: Five important causes of stress among nurses were low income, lack of job security, work-home interface, lack of enough time for work, and exposure with unsuitable physical situation. There were significant associations between the source of stress and having persons with chronic disease in family and concurrent education and work (P = 0.021, X2= 426.5 and P = 0.022, X2 = 717.5, respectively. Conclusion: The sources of job stress should be considered for effective working of the hospital. Attention to nurses’ salary and job security reduces job stress.

  14. Building Footprints, Primarily residential, at risk buildings such as hospitals, nursing homes, etc for use in Emergency Management Hazard Mitigation planning., Published in 2010, 1:4800 (1in=400ft) scale, Carroll County Government.

    Data.gov (United States)

    NSGIC Local Govt | GIS Inventory — Building Footprints dataset current as of 2010. Primarily residential, at risk buildings such as hospitals, nursing homes, etc for use in Emergency Management Hazard...

  15. Workplace Stress and Ethical Challenges Experienced by Nursing Staff in a Nursing Home

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vondras, Dean D.; Flittner, Diane; Malcore, Sylvia A.; Pouliot, Gregory

    2009-01-01

    This research explores the workplace stress and ethical challenges reported by healthcare staff in a nursing home. A brief self-report survey was administered to 44 members of the nursing staff in a not-for-profit nursing home. The survey included items that elicited identification of specific workplace stressors and ethical challenges and global…

  16. Internal and external environmental factors affecting the performance of hospital-based home nursing care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noh, J-W; Kwon, Y-D; Yoon, S-J; Hwang, J-I

    2011-06-01

    Numerous studies on HNC services have been carried out by signifying their needs, efficiency and effectiveness. However, no study has ever been performed to determine the critical factors associated with HNC's positive results despite the deluge of positive studies on the service. This study included all of the 89 training hospitals that were practising HNC service in Korea as of November 2006. The input factors affecting the performance were classified as either internal or external environmental factors. This analysis was conducted to understand the impact that the corresponding factors had on performance. Data were analysed by using multiple linear regressions. The internal and external environment variables affected the performance of HNC based on univariate analysis. The meaningful variables were internal environmental factors. Specifically, managerial resource (the number of operating beds and the outpatient/inpatient ratio) were meaningful when the multiple linear regression analysis was performed. Indeed, the importance of organizational culture (the passion of HNC nurses) was significant. This study, considering the limited market size of Korea, illustrates that the critical factor for the development of hospital-led HNC lies with internal environmental factors rather than external ones. Among the internal environmental factors, the hospitals' managerial resource-related factors (specifically, the passion of nurses) were the most important contributing element. © 2011 The Authors. International Nursing Review © 2011 International Council of Nurses.

  17. The relationship between advertising, price, and nursing home quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kash, Bita A; Miller, Thomas R

    2009-01-01

    Theoretically, nursing homes should engage in advertising for the following two reasons: (a) to improve awareness of the services offered in a particular market and (b) to signal high-quality services. In this study, we build upon results from prior studies of nursing home advertising activity, market competition, and quality. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between advertising expenses, price, and quality. We focused on answering the question: Do nursing homes use advertising and price to signal superior quality? The Texas Nursing Facilities Medicaid Cost Report, the Texas Quality Reporting System, and the Area Resource File were merged for the year 2003. We used three alternative measures of quality to improve the robustness of this exploratory analysis. Quality measures were examined using Bonferroni correlation coefficient analysis. Associations between advertising expenses and quality were evaluated using three regression models predicting quality. We also examined the association of the price of a private bed per day with quality. Advertising expenses were not associated with better nursing home quality as measured by three quality scales. The average price customers pay for one private bed per day was associated with better quality only in one of the three quality regression models. The price of nursing home care might be a better indicator of quality and necessary to increase as quality of care is improved in the nursing homes sector. Because more advertising expenditures are not necessarily associated with better quality, consumers could be mislead by advertisements and choose poor quality nursing homes. Nursing home administrators should focus on customer relationship management tools instead of expensive advertising. Relationship management tools are proven marketing techniques for the health services sector, usually less expensive than advertising, and help with staff retention and quality outcomes.

  18. The Impact of Certificate-of-Need Laws on Nursing Home and Home Health Care Expenditures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahman, Momotazur; Galarraga, Omar; Zinn, Jacqueline S; Grabowski, David C; Mor, Vincent

    2016-02-01

    Over the past two decades, nursing homes and home health care agencies have been influenced by several Medicare and Medicaid policy changes including the adoption of prospective payment for Medicare-paid postacute care and Medicaid-paid long-term home and community-based care reforms. This article examines how spending growth in these sectors was affected by state certificate-of-need (CON) laws, which were designed to limit the growth of providers and have remained unchanged for several decades. Compared with states without CON laws, Medicare and Medicaid spending in states with CON laws grew faster for nursing home care and more slowly for home health care. In particular, we observed the slowest growth in community-based care in states with CON for both the nursing home and home health industries. Thus, controlling for other factors, public postacute and long-term care expenditures in CON states have become dominated by nursing homes. © The Author(s) 2015.

  19. Does investor ownership of nursing homes compromise the quality of care?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrington, C; Woolhandler, S; Mullan, J; Carrillo, H; Himmelstein, D U

    2001-09-01

    Two thirds of nursing homes are investor owned. This study examined whether investor ownership affects quality. We analyzed 1998 data from state inspections of 13,693 nursing facilities. We used a multivariate model and controlled for case mix, facility characteristics, and location. Investor-owned facilities averaged 5.89 deficiencies per home, 46.5% higher than nonprofit facilities and 43.0% higher than public facilities. In multivariate analysis, investor ownership predicted 0.679 additional deficiencies per home; chain ownership predicted an additional 0.633 deficiencies. Nurse staffing was lower at investor-owned nursing homes. Investor-owned nursing homes provide worse care and less nursing care than do not-for-profit or public homes.

  20. Nurses' Home Health Experience. Part I: The Practice Setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stulginsky, Maryfran McKenzie

    1993-01-01

    Defines home health nursing as meeting the acute and chronic care needs of patients and their families in the home environment. Offers examples of situations in which home health nurses find themselves and their reactions to them. (JOW)

  1. The Application of Multimedia Messaging Services via Mobile Phones to Support Outpatients:Home Nursing Guidance for Pediatric Intestinal Colostomy Complications

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Qiao-Ling Yang; Qin Wei; Ying Huang; Yu-Xiu Jiang; Dai-Zhen Chen; Ping Huang; Li-Jun Liang

    2015-01-01

    Objective:To present a model of extended home nursing support provided through WeChat for pediatric colostomy patients between the first and second surgery to support parents and to assist them in nursing possible complications at home,to reduce colostomy complications caused by improper care,to improve the quality of life of patients at home and to ensure the success of the recovery and second surgery.Methods:A combination of relevant clinical information,health care guidelines,and training as well as the establishment of a specific monitoring protocol was provided to the parents during the patient’ s first hospitalization.A support system for nursing the colostomy was established with regular follow-up via WeChat after the patient’ s first discharge from the hospital using a predetermined protocol.During the 3 to 6 months of home care in-between the colostomy operations,the charge nurse initiated the phone follow-up and provided specific,individual guidance and feedback.If necessary,extended service at predetermined intervals was provided in the 1st week,the 1st month,the 2nd month and the 3rd month.Results:Extended assistance for the home care of patients with pediatric colostomy complications improved the quality of life of the patients and caregivers and was accepted by all parties involved upon introduction.The assistance provided support for the parents at all hours,efficiently reduced the level of complications for this type of patient and facilitated fast referrals to hospital care in cases of emergencies.Furthermore it paved the way to successful second stage surgeries,provided direct feedback to the charge nurse and improved the work satisfaction and sense of achievement of the nurses involved.Conclusions:All 80 cases supported by WeChat successfully underwent two-stage pediatric colostomy operations.The response of the parents and the medical staff involved was very positive.This method is easy to use,economical to operate and could be applied

  2. The Application of Multimedia Messaging Services via Mobile Phones to Support Outpatients:Home Nursing Guidance for Pediatric Intestinal Colostomy Complications

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Qiao-Ling Yang; Qin Wei; Ying Huang; Yu-Xiu Jiang; Dai-Zhen Chen; Ping Huang; Li-Jun Liang

    2015-01-01

    Objective: To present a model of extended home nursing support provided through WeChat for pediatric colostomy patients between the first and second surgery to support parents and to assist them in nursing possible complications at home, to reduce colostomy complications caused by improper care, to improve the quality of life of patients at home and to ensure the success of the recovery and second surgery. Methods: A combination of relevant clinical information, health care guidelines, and training as well as the establishment of a specific monitoring protocol was provided to the parents during the patient’ s first hospitalization. A support system for nursing the colostomy was established with regular follow-up via WeChat after the patient’ s first discharge from the hospital using a predetermined protocol. During the 3 to 6 months of home care in-between the colostomy operations, the charge nurse initiated the phone follow-up and provided specific, individual guidance and feedback. If necessary, extended serv-ice at predetermined intervals was provided in the 1st week, the 1st month, the 2nd month and the 3rd month. Results: Extended assistance for the home care of patients with pediatric colostomy complications im-proved the quality of life of the patients and caregivers and was accepted by all parties involved upon in-troduction. The assistance provided support for the parents at all hours, efficiently reduced the level of complications for this type of patient and facilitated fast referrals to hospital care in cases of emergen-cies. Furthermore it paved the way to successful second stage surgeries, provided direct feedback to the charge nurse and improved the work satisfaction and sense of achievement of the nurses involved. Conclusions: All 80 cases supported by WeChat successfully underwent two-stage pediatric colostomy operations. The response of the parents and the medical staff involved was very positive. This method is easy to use, economical to

  3. Decision Factors Nurses Use to Assess Pain in Nursing Home Residents With Dementia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monroe, Todd B; Parish, Abby; Mion, Lorraine C

    2015-10-01

    Nurses caring for older people with various psychiatric illnesses face many obstacles when treating pain. One setting with a high percentage of psychiatric conditions is long-term care where more than half of residents have some form of dementia, and behavioral symptoms of dementia (BSDs) may mimic behavioral displays of pain. Furthermore, two-thirds of nursing home residents have pain. Thus, many nursing home residents with dementia have pain that may be confounded by BSDs. Since many people with dementia are at risk for poor pain management, determining current methods in which nurses assess and manage pain in nursing home residents will aid in recognizing potential barriers to using current pain management guidelines and help develop strategies to enhance nurses' assessment and management of pain in this vulnerable population. The aim of this study was to explore nursing home nurses' cues and practices to identify and alleviate pain in nursing home residents with dementia. Nurses use the constructs of 'comfort' and 'quality of life' as key components in their overall pain assessment strategy in people with dementia. Indeed, the extensive process they use involving frequent reassessment and application of interventions is geared towards "appearance of comfort." Nurses reported difficulty in ascertaining whether a person with dementia was in pain, and they expressed further difficulty determining the intensity associated with resident pain. Nurses further reported that residents with dementia who are not well know by the staff were are greater risk of poor pain management. It was not unusual for nurses to discuss the importance of conflict resolution among family members as well as allowing for open expression of family's concerns. Nurses had to focus not only on the resident's comfort, but also the families' level of comfort with pain management, especially at the end-of-life. Findings support further use and development of discomfort behavior scales to help

  4. Happy in a nursing home?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cretien van Campen; Debbie Verbeek-Oudijk

    2017-01-01

    Original title: Gelukkig in een verpleeghuis? Life in Dutch residential nursing and care homes is changing. The number of frail older persons in the Netherlands is increasing. Older people are increasingly living independently for longer, and only the most frail older persons move to a nursing or

  5. Nurse aide decision making in nursing homes: factors affecting empowerment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaudhuri, Tanni; Yeatts, Dale E; Cready, Cynthia M

    2013-09-01

    To evaluate factors affecting structural empowerment among nurse aides in nursing homes. Structural empowerment can be defined as the actual rather than perceived ability to make autonomous decisions within an organisation. Given the paucity of research on the subject, this study helps to close the gap by identifying factors that affect nurse aide empowerment, that is, decision-making among nurse aides. The data for the study come from self-administered questionnaires distributed to direct-care workers (nurse aides) in 11 nursing homes in a southern state in the USA. Ordinary least square regression models were estimated to analyse the effects of demographic predictors, personal factors (competency, emotional exhaustion and positive attitude) and structural characteristics (coworker and supervisor support, information availability and shared governance) on nurse aide decision-making. Findings suggest race among demographic predictors, emotional exhaustion among personal characteristics, and supervisor support, and shared governance among structural factors, significantly affect nurse aide decision-making. It is important to explore race as one of the central determinants of structural empowerment among nurse aides. In addition, the nature and type of emotional exhaustion that propels decision-making needs to be further examined. The study shows the importance of shared governance and supervisor support for fostering nurse aide empowerment. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  6. Assisted Living Facilities - MDC_NursingHome

    Data.gov (United States)

    NSGIC Local Govt | GIS Inventory — Label (point) feature class of Miami-Dade County Nursing Homes Facilities. As of May 2004 the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) will provide updates for Nursing...

  7. Outcomes of planned home births attended by certified nurse-midwives in southeastern Pennsylvania, 1983-2008.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cox, Kim J; Schlegel, Ruth; Payne, Pat; Teaf, Dusty; Albers, Leah

    2013-01-01

    In this study, we examined the perinatal outcomes of planned home births over a 25-year period (1983-2008) in a group of primarily Amish women (98%) attended by certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) in southeastern Pennsylvania. This was a retrospective, descriptive analysis of data (N = 1836 births) from several CNM practices. Data were abstracted for 25 items, including demographics, labor, and birth. Initially, 2 investigators abstracted 15 records to compare assessments and standardize definitions. Charts were then divided and abstracted individually by one investigator. Several relationships were examined in 2 by 2 tables using the chi-square procedure for the difference in proportions. Maternal and newborn transfers to the hospital were included in the analysis. Of the women who planned home birth for 1836 pregnancies, 1733 of the births occurred at home. Although more than one-third of the women were of high parity (gravida 5-13), rates of postpartum hemorrhage were low (n = 96, 5.5%). There were no maternal deaths. Nearly half of the maternal transfers to the hospital (n = 103, 5.6%) were for ruptured membranes without labor (n = 25, 1.4%) and/or failure to progress (n = 23, 1.3%). The neonatal hospital admission rate also was low (n = 13, 0.75%). Of the 7 (0.4%) early neonatal deaths, all were attributed to lethal congenital anomalies that are common to this population. This study is the first to describe the outcomes of planned home births in a primarily Amish population cared for by CNMs. It also adds to the literature on planned home births in the United States and supports the findings from previous studies that women who have home births attended by CNMs have safety profiles equal to or better than profiles of women who had hospital births in similar populations. © 2013 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  8. Prevention and control of catheter-associated urinary tract infections - implementation of the recommendations of the Commission for Hospital Hygiene and Infection Prevention (KRINKO) in nursing homes for the elderly in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heudorf, Ursel; Gasteyer, Stefanie; Müller, Maria; Samoiski, Yvonne; Serra, Nicole; Westphal, Tim

    2016-01-01

    Urinary tract infections range among the most frequent infections not only in hospital patients but also in residents of long-term care facilities for the elderly. Urinary catheters are the greatest risk factor for urinary tract infections. In the guidance paper on the "prevention of infections in nursing homes" (2005) as well as in the updated recommendations for the "prevention and control of catheter-associated urinary tract infections" (2015), the Commission for Hospital Hygiene and Infection Prevention (KRINKO) has recommended adequate preventive measures. In 2015, the implementation of these KRINKO recommendations was investigated. All of Frankfurt's 40 nursing homes were evaluated using a checklist based on the KRINKO recommendations. The evaluation included assessing the availability of operating instructions, appropriate indications for the placement of catheters etc. Age, sex and duration of catheterization, as well as current and previous infections within the past 6 months were documented for every resident with a catheter. In 35 (87.5%) of the nursing homes, operating instructions for the handling of urinary tract catheters were available. The decision as to whether a catheter is indicated is made by physicians, while its placement is often delegated to the nursing service. Typically, silicon catheters are used. In three-quarters of the nursing homes, regular intervals of 4-6 weeks for changing catheters were reported. On the respective survey day, 7.3% of the residents were catheterized. On the survey day, 3.6% (4.2%) and in the previous 6 months a total of 28% (28.9%) of the residents had a urinary tract infection (prevalence of antibiotic therapy in parentheses). Ciprofloxacin was used most often followed by cefuroxime and cotrimoxazole. In the current evaluation, fewer nursing home residents were catheterized than in previous years and the rate of urinary tract infections was low. This indicates an increasingly cautious and apparently appropriate

  9. 78 FR 46421 - Proposed Information Collection (Per Diem for Nursing Home Care of Veterans in State Homes; Per...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-07-31

    ... State homes providing nursing home and adult day health services care to Veterans. VA requires... Diem for Nursing Home Care of Veterans in State Homes; Per Diem for Adult Day Care of Veterans in State... information needed to ensure that nursing home and adult day health care facilities are providing high quality...

  10. Improving quality and safety in nursing homes and home care: the study protocol of a mixed-methods research design to implement a leadership intervention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiig, Siri; Ree, Eline; Johannessen, Terese; Strømme, Torunn; Storm, Marianne; Aase, Ingunn; Ullebust, Berit; Holen-Rabbersvik, Elisabeth; Hurup Thomsen, Line; Sandvik Pedersen, Anne Torhild; van de Bovenkamp, Hester; Bal, Roland; Aase, Karina

    2018-03-28

    Nursing homes and home care face challenges across different countries as people are living longer, often with chronic conditions. There is a lack of knowledge regarding implementation and impact of quality and safety interventions as most research evidence so far is generated in hospitals. Additionally, there is a lack of effective leadership tools for quality and safety improvement work in this context. The aim of the 'Improving Quality and Safety in Primary Care-Implementing a Leadership Intervention in Nursing Homes and Homecare' (SAFE-LEAD) study is to develop and evaluate a research-based leadership guide for managers to increase quality and safety competence. The project applies a mixed-methods design and explores the implications of the leadership guide on managers' and staffs' knowledge, attitudes and practices. Four nursing homes and four home care services from different Norwegian municipalities will participate in the intervention. Surveys, process evaluation (interviews, observations) and document analyses will be conducted to evaluate the implementation and impact of the leadership intervention. A comparative study of Norway and the Netherlands will establish knowledge of the context dependency of the intervention. The study is approved by the Norwegian Centre for Research Data (2017/52324 and 54855). The results will be disseminated through scientific articles, two PhD dissertations, an anthology, presentations at national and international conferences, and in social media, newsletters and in the press. The results will generate knowledge to inform leadership practices in nursing homes and home care. Moreover, the study will build new theory on leadership interventions and the role of contextual factors in nursing homes and home care. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  11. Research supporting the congruence between rehabilitation principles and home health nursing practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neal, L J

    1999-01-01

    A grounded-theory study of 30 home health nurses conducted in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area used unstructured audiotaped interviews to elicit data as to how home health nurses define their practice. The purpose of the study was to develop a beginning substantive research-based theory of home health nursing practice. The model that emerged consists of three stages by which nurses attain autonomy in their practice. Adaptation was found to be the core category, in that nurses cannot function effectively or successfully in the home health arena unless they are or learn to be adaptable. Data also revealed that home health nurses either knowingly or unknowingly use rehabilitation nursing principles in their practice, thereby lending credence to the supposition that home health nursing practice is congruent with rehabilitation nursing principles.

  12. Identifying nursing home residents at risk for falling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiely, D K; Kiel, D P; Burrows, A B; Lipsitz, L A

    1998-05-01

    To develop a fall risk model that can be used to identify prospectively nursing home residents at risk for falling. The secondary objective was to determine whether the nursing home environment independently influenced the development of falls. A prospective study involving 1 year of follow-up. Two hundred seventy-two nursing homes in the state of Washington. A total of 18,855 residents who had a baseline assessment in 1991 and a follow-up assessment within the subsequent year. Baseline Minimum Data Set items that could be potential risk factors for falling were considered as independent variables. The dependent variable was whether the resident fell as reported at the follow-up assessment. We estimated the extrinsic risk attributable to particular nursing home environments by calculating the annual fall rate in each nursing home and grouping them into tertiles of fall risk according to these rates. Factors associated independently with falling were fall history, wandering behavior, use of a cane or walker, deterioration of activities of daily living performance, age greater than 87 years, unsteady gait, transfer independence, wheelchair independence, and male gender. Nursing home residents with a fall history were more than three times as likely to fall during the follow-up period than residents without a fall history. Residents in homes with the highest tertile of fall rates were more than twice as likely to fall compared with residents of homes in the lowest tertile, independent of resident-specific risk factors. Fall history was identified as the strongest risk factor associated with subsequent falls and accounted for the vast majority of the predictive strength of the model. We recommend that fall history be used as an initial screener for determining eligibility for fall intervention efforts. Studies are needed to determine the facility characteristics that contribute to fall risk, independent of resident-specific risk factors.

  13. Optimizing Antibiotic Use in Nursing Homes Through Antibiotic Stewardship.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sloane, Philip D; Huslage, Kirk; Kistler, Christine E; Zimmerman, Sheryl

    2016-01-01

    Antibiotic stewardship is becoming a requirement for nursing homes. Programs should be interdisciplinary and multifaceted; should have support from nursing home administrators; and should aim to promote antibiotics only when needed, not just in case. Recommended components include use of evidence-based guidelines; ongoing monitoring of antibiotic prescriptions, cultures, and study results; monitoring of health outcomes; use of nursing home-specific antibiograms; regular reporting and feedback to medical providers and nurses; and education of residents and families. ©2016 by the North Carolina Institute of Medicine and The Duke Endowment. All rights reserved.

  14. Mobbing among care workers in nursing homes: A cross-sectional secondary analysis of the Swiss Nursing Homes Human Resources Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tong, Myriam; Schwendimann, René; Zúñiga, Franziska

    2017-01-01

    As a category of bullying, mobbing is a form of violence in the workplace that damages the employing organization as well as the targeted employee. In Europe, the overall prevalence of mobbing in healthcare is estimated at 4%. However, few studies have explored mobbing among long-term care workers. This study aims to examine the frequency of mobbing in Swiss nursing homes and its relationships with care workers' (i.e. registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, assistant nurse, nurse aide) health status, job satisfaction, and intention to leave, and to explore the work environment as a contributing factor to mobbing. A cross-sectional, multi-center sub-study of the Swiss Nursing Homes Human Resource Project (SHURP). Nursing homes in Switzerland's three language regions. A total of 162 randomly selected nursing homes with 20 or more beds, including 5311 care workers with various educational levels. Controlling for facility and care worker characteristics, generalized estimation equations were used to assess the relationships between mobbing and care workers' health status, job satisfaction, and intention to leave as well as the association of work environment factors with mobbing. In Swiss nursing homes, 4.6% of surveyed care workers (n=242) reported mobbing experiences in the last 6 months. Compared to untargeted persons, those directly affected by mobbing had higher odds of health complaints (Odds Ratios (OR): 7.81, 95% CI 5.56-10.96) and intention to leave (OR: 5.12, 95% CI 3.81-6.88), and lower odds of high job satisfaction (OR: 0.19, 95% CI 0.14-0.26). Odds of mobbing occurrences increased with declining teamwork and safety climate (OR: 0.41, 95% CI 0.30-0.58), less supportive leadership (OR: 0.42, 95% CI 0.30-0.58), and higher perceived inadequacy of staffing resources (OR: 0.66, 95% CI 0.48-0.92). Mobbing experiences in Swiss nursing homes are relatively rare. Alongside teamwork and safety climate, risk factors are strongly associated with superiors

  15. 77 FR 45719 - Proposed Information Collection (Per Diem for Nursing Home Care of Veterans in State Homes; Per...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-08-01

    ... per diem to State homes providing nursing home and adult day health services care to Veterans. VA... Diem for Nursing Home Care of Veterans in State Homes; Per Diem for Adult Day Care of Veterans in State... information needed to ensure that nursing home and adult day health care facilities are providing high quality...

  16. Job control, work-family balance and nurses' intention to leave their profession and organization: A comparative cross-sectional survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamaguchi, Yoshiko; Inoue, Takahiro; Harada, Hiroko; Oike, Miyako

    2016-12-01

    The shortage of nurses is a problem in many countries. In Japan, the distribution of nurses across different care settings is uneven: the shortage of nurses in home healthcare and nursing homes is more serious than in hospitals. Earlier research has identified numerous factors affecting nurses' intention to leave work (e.g., job control, family-related variables, work-family conflict); however, these factors' levels and effect size may vary between nurses in hospitals, home healthcare, and nursing homes. This study measured job control, family-related variables, and work-family conflict among nurses in hospitals, home healthcare, and nursing homes, and compared these variables' levels and effect size on nurses' intention to leave their organization or profession between these care settings. The research design was cross-sectional. Participating nurses from hospitals, home healthcare facilities, and nursing homes self-administered an anonymous questionnaire survey; nurses were recruited from the Kyushu district of Japan. Nurses from nine hospitals, 86 home healthcare offices, and 107 nursing homes participated. We measured nurses' intention to leave nursing or their organization, perceived job control, family variables and work-family conflict. We analyzed 1461 participants (response rate: 81.7%). The level of job control, family variables, and work-family conflict affecting nurses varied between hospitals, home healthcare, and nursing homes; additionally, these variables' effect on nurses' intention to leave their organization or profession varied between these care settings. Work-family conflict, family variables, and job control most strongly predicted nurses' intention to leave their organization or profession in hospitals, home healthcare, and nursing homes, respectively. Interventions aiming to increase nurse retention should distinguish between care settings. Regarding hospitals, reducing nurses' work-family conflict will increase nurse retention. Regarding

  17. Time to and predictors of dual incontinence in older nursing home admissions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bliss, Donna Z; Gurvich, Olga V; Eberly, Lynn E; Harms, Susan

    2018-01-01

    There are few studies of nursing home residents that have investigated the development of dual incontinence, perhaps the most severe type of incontinence as both urinary and fecal incontinence occur. To determine the time to and predictors of dual incontinence in older nursing home residents. Using a cohort design, records of older nursing home admissions who were continent or had only urinary or only fecal incontinence (n = 39,181) were followed forward for report of dual incontinence. Four national US datasets containing potential predictors at multiple levels describing characteristics of nursing home residents, nursing homes (n = 445), and socioeconomic and sociodemographic status of the community surrounding nursing homes were analyzed. A Cox proportional hazard regression with nursing home-specific random effect was used. At 6 months after admission, 28% of nursing home residents developed dual incontinence, at 1 year 42% did so, and at 2 years, 61% had dual incontinence. Significant predictors for time to developing dual incontinence were having urinary incontinence, greater functional or cognitive deficits, more comorbidities, older age, and lesser quality of nursing home care. The development of dual incontinence is a major problem among nursing home residents. Predictors in this study offer guidance in developing interventions to prevent and reduce the time to developing this problem which may improve the quality of life of nursing residents. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Self Conservation Trajectory in Nursing Homes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ângela Simões

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: This article intends to present some of the results obtained during the research on the Promotion and Preservation of Dignity in the context of care in nursing homes, carried out in the context of the PhD in Nursing of the University of Lisbon. Methodology: Within the interpretative paradigm, Grounded Theory (GT was adopted as methodology. Data were collected through participant observation and interviews at an Nursing Home (IPSS with about 350 residents distributed through three residential structures in the county of Castelo Branco for 21 months, with residents, nurses and direct acting helpers as participants. The constant comparative analysis of the data occurred simultaneously, using the software NVivo 10® and NVivo 11®. From the data analysis it was possible to construct a middle-range theory - Promotion and Preservation of Dignity in Nursing Homes: Self Conservation. Results: A complex, unforeseen phenomenon, exposed to variability and multiple, constructed, deconstructed and reconstructed in the daily rhythms, in a continuous, systematic and dynamic manner. It follows a two-dimensional route that was called the Self Conservation Trajectory. On the one hand a personal, individual, although accompanied and promoted. On the other hand a profoundly social path. Is the first dimension of this route that will be presented in this article.

  19. What Is Nursing Home Quality and How Is It Measured?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castle, Nicholas G.; Ferguson, Jamie C.

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: In this commentary, we examine nursing home quality and indicators that have been used to measure nursing home quality. Design and Methods: A brief review of the history of nursing home quality is presented that provides some context and insight into currently used quality indicators. Donabedian's structure, process, and outcome (SPO)…

  20. Advertising expenditures in the nursing home sector: evaluating the need for and purpose of advertising.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kash, Bita A; Boyer, Gregory J

    2008-01-01

    Marketing and advertising activities in the nursing home sector have increased in recent years, following the example of hospitals and health systems. The reasons for this trend may be related to the growth in competition but are not clearly identified yet. Theoretically, advertising becomes necessary to gain an advantage over the competition. The purpose of this study was to identify the reasons for the variation in advertising expenditures among nursing homes in Texas. For this study, we merged 2003 data from the Texas Medicaid Nursing Facility Cost Report, the Texas Nursing Home Quality Reporting System, and the Area Resource File for Texas. Using the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, we then examined the correlations between advertising expenses and the level of market concentration. We evaluated the association between advertising expenditures and market competition using two logistic and four linear regression models. Total advertising expenses in Texas nursing homes ranged from $0 to $165,000 per year. Higher advertising expenditures were associated with larger facilities, higher occupancy, and high Medicare census. Market competition, however, was not a significant predictor of such expenses. Advertising seems to be more resource-driven than market-driven. Therefore, some advertising expenditures may be unnecessary, may lack impact, and may even be wasteful. Reducing unnecessary advertising costs could free up resources, which may be allocated to necessary resident care activities.

  1. Effects of introducing a nursing guideline on depression in psychogeriatric nursing home residents.

    OpenAIRE

    Verkaik, R.; Francke, A.; Berno, M. van; Bensing, J.; Miel, R.

    2010-01-01

    Introduction: The prevalence rate of depression in psychogeriatric nursing home residents with dementia is recently estimated at 19%. Comorbid depression in dementia has been associated with decreased quality of life, greater health care utilization and higher mortality rates. The effects of introducing an evidence based nursing guideline on psychogeriatric nursing home wards were studied. Main principles of the guideline were (1) increasing individualized pleasant activities, (2) decreasing ...

  2. Higher prices, higher quality? Evidence from German nursing homes

    OpenAIRE

    Herr, Annika; Hottenrott, Hanna

    2016-01-01

    Objectives: This study investigates the relationship between prices and quality of 7,400 German nursing homes controlling for income, nursing home density, demographics, labour market characteristics, and infrastructure at the regional level. Method: We use a cross section of public quality reports for all German nursing homes, which had been evaluated between 2010 and 2013 by external institutions. Our analysis is based on multivariate regressions in a two stage least squares framework, wher...

  3. 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.

  4. Implementing guidelines in nursing homes: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diehl, Heinz; Graverholt, Birgitte; Espehaug, Birgitte; Lund, Hans

    2016-07-25

    Research on guideline implementation strategies has mostly been conducted in settings which differ significantly from a nursing home setting and its transferability to the nursing home setting is therefore limited. The objective of this study was to systematically review the effects of interventions to improve the implementation of guidelines in nursing homes. A systematic literature search was conducted in the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, DARE, HTA, CENTRAL, SveMed + and ISI Web of Science from their inception until August 2015. Reference screening and a citation search were performed. Studies were eligible if they evaluated any type of guideline implementation strategy in a nursing home setting. Eligible study designs were systematic reviews, randomised controlled trials, non-randomised controlled trials, controlled before-after studies and interrupted-time-series studies. The EPOC risk of bias tool was used to evaluate the risk of bias in the included studies. The overall quality of the evidence was rated using GRADE. Five cluster-randomised controlled trials met the inclusion criteria, evaluating a total of six different multifaceted implementation strategies. One study reported a small statistically significant effect on professional practice, and two studies demonstrated small to moderate statistically significant effects on patient outcome. The overall quality of the evidence for all comparisons was low or very low using GRADE. Little is known about how to improve the implementation of guidelines in nursing homes, and the evidence to support or discourage particular interventions is inconclusive. More implementation research is needed to ensure high quality of care in nursing homes. PROSPERO 2014: CRD42014007664.

  5. Predictive Factors associated with Death of Elderly in Nursing Homes

    OpenAIRE

    Kiwol Sung, PhD, RN

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: An increasing elderly population reflects a great need for readily accessible, clinically useful methods to identify mortality-related factors in nursing home residents. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with the deaths of nursing home residents. Methods: Data was collected from a Minimal Data Set of 195 elderly nursing home residents, followed by analysis of demographic factors, disease and nursing condition factors, Activities of Daily Living (ADL), co...

  6. Social exchange as a framework for client-nurse interaction during public health nursing maternal-child home visits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byrd, Mary E

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this paper was to develop a nursing-focused use of social exchange theory within the context of maternal-child home visiting. The nature of social exchange theory, its application to client-nurse interaction, and its fit with an existing data set from a field research investigation were examined. Resources exchanged between the nurse and clients were categorized and compared across the patterns of home visiting, nursing strategies based on exchange notions were identified, and variations in exchange were linked with client outcomes. The nurse provided resources within the categories of information, status, service, and goods. Clients provided time, access to the home, space within the home to conduct the visit, opportunities to observe maternal-child interaction, access to the infant, and information. The ease and breadth of resource exchange varied across the patterns of home visiting. The social exchange perspective was useful in categorizing resources, specifying and uncovering new resource categories, understanding nursing strategies to initiate and maintain the client-nurse relationship, and linking client-nurse interactive phenomena with client outcomes. Social exchange theory is potentially useful for understanding client-nurse interaction in the context of maternal-child home visits.

  7. Nursing Home Compare Data

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — These are the official datasets used on the Medicare.gov Nursing Home Compare Website provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. These data allow...

  8. Nursing Home Data Compendium

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — The compendium contains figures and tables presenting data on all Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes in the United States as well as the residents in...

  9. Communication skills training in a nursing home: Effects of a brief intervention on residents and nursing aides

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    S. Sprangers (Suzan); K. Dijkstra (Katinka); A. Romijn-Luijten (Anna)

    2015-01-01

    textabstractEffective communication by nursing home staff is related to a higher quality of life and a decrease in verbal and physical aggression and depression in nursing home residents. Several communication intervention studies have been conducted to improve communication between nursing home

  10. Study protocol: cost-effectiveness of multidisciplinary nutritional support for undernutrition in older adults in nursing home and home-care: cluster randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beck, Anne Marie; Gøgsig Christensen, Annette; Stenbæk Hansen, Birthe; Damsbo-Svendsen, Signe; Kreinfeldt Skovgaard Møller, Tina; Boll Hansen, Eigil; Keiding, Hans

    2014-08-28

    Older adults in nursing home and home-care are a particularly high-risk population for weight loss or poor nutrition. One negative consequence of undernutrition is increased health care costs. Several potentially modifiable nutritional risk factors increase the likelihood of weight loss or poor nutrition. Hence a structured and multidisciplinary approach, focusing on the nutritional risk factors and involving e.g. dieticians, occupational therapists, and physiotherapist, may be necessary to achieve benefits. Up till now a few studies have been done evaluating the cost-effectiveness of nutritional support among undernourished older adults and none of these have used such a multidisciplinary approach. An 11 week cluster randomized trial to assess the cost-effectiveness of multidisciplinary nutritional support for undernutrition in older adults in nursing home and home-care, identified by screening with the Eating validation Scheme. Before start of the study there will be performed a train-the-trainer intervention involving educated nutrition coordinators.In addition to the nutrition coordinator, the participants assigned to the intervention group strategy will receive multidisciplinary nutrition support. Focus will be on treatment of the potentially modifiable nutritional risk factors identified by screening, by involving physiotherapist, registered dietician, and occupational therapist, as relevant and independent of the municipality's ordinary assessment and referral system.The primary outcome parameter will be change in quality of life (by means of Euroquol-5D-3L). Secondary outcomes will be: physical performance (chair stand), nutritional status (weight, Body Mass Index and hand-grip strength), oral care, fall incidents, hospital admissions, rehabilitation stay, moving to nursing homes (for participants from home-care), use of social services and mortality.An economic evaluation will be conducted to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the multidisciplinary

  11. Pressure ulcers: knowledge and attitude of nurses and nursing assistants in Belgian nursing homes.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Demarre, L.; Vanderwee, K.; Defloor, T.; Verhaeghe, S.; Schoonhoven, L.; Beeckman, D.

    2012-01-01

    AIMS: To gain insight into the knowledge and attitudes of nurses and nursing assistants and to study the correlation between knowledge, attitudes and the compliance with the pressure ulcer prevention guidelines provided to residents at risk of pressure ulcers in nursing homes. BACKGROUND: There is a

  12. Comparing Sleep Quality and General Health Among the Elderly Living at Home and at Nursing Home

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mansour Beyrami

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: Survey about the issues and problems related to elderly in order to improve their quality of life of this increasing population has become a universal concern.This study was performed by the purpose of comparing the sleep quality and general health among the Elderly Residing at Home and Old People's Homes. Methods & Materials: This study is descriptive-analytic type. Population of this investigation consisted of elderly men and women (upper than 60 years old living at personal home and at nursing home in Tabriz. Sample group composed of 100 elderly (50 men and 50 women 50 living at home and 50 living at nursing home who were selected through available sampling method. For collecting data, Goldberg General Health Questionnaire and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were used. Data were analyzed by Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA. Results: Findings showed that In terms of general health and its components (Physical symptoms, anxiety, social dysfunction and depression and Sleep quality and its components (Subjective quality of sleep, time for sleep, total sleep time, sleep efficiency, routine, sleep disorders, sleep medications and daily dysfunction there were significant differences between nursing home residents and elderly residents in nursing homes (P=0.001. Conclusion: Findings indicated that elderly residents in nursing home are experiencing more symptoms of anxiety, depression, physical symptoms and social dysfunction Compared with the elderly whom resident at home. Also the results showed that the elderly residents of nursing homes have poor sleep quality than ones whom residents at home. On the other hand Future development of elderly care institution is inevitable. Therefore, more attention to the living conditions of elderly residents of institutions seems necessary.

  13. Competition, information, and quality: Evidence from nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Xin

    2016-09-01

    Economic theory suggests that competition and information can both be important for product quality, and yet evidence on how they may interact to affect quality is sparse. This paper estimates the impact of competition between nursing homes on their quality, and how this impact varies when consumers have better access to information. The effect of competition is identified using exogenous variation in the geographical proximity of nursing homes to their potential consumers. The change in information transparency is captured by the launch of the Five-Star Quality Rating System in 2009, which improved access to the quality information of nursing homes. We find that while the effect of competition on nursing home quality is generally rather limited, this effect becomes significantly stronger with increased information transparency. The results suggest that regulations on public quality reporting and on market structure are policy complements, and should be considered jointly to best improve quality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Do guidelines on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in Dutch hospitals and nursing homes reflect the law? A content analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hesselink, B A M; Onwuteaka-Philipsen, B D; Janssen, A J G M; Buiting, H M; Kollau, M; Rietjens, J A C; Pasman, H R W

    2012-01-01

    To describe the content of practice guidelines on euthanasia and assisted suicide (EAS) and to compare differences between settings and guidelines developed before or after enactment of the euthanasia law in 2002 by means of a content analysis. Most guidelines stated that the attending physician is responsible for the decision to grant or refuse an EAS request. Due care criteria were described in the majority of guidelines, but aspects relevant for assessing these criteria were not always described. Half of the guidelines described the role of the nurse in the performance of euthanasia. Compared with hospital guidelines, nursing home guidelines were more often stricter than the law in excluding patients with dementia (30% vs 4%) and incompetent patients (25% vs 4%). As from 2002, the guidelines were less strict in categorically excluding patients groups (32% vs 64%) and in particular incompetent patients (10% vs 29%). Healthcare institutions should accurately state the boundaries of the law, also when they prefer to set stricter boundaries for their own institution. Only then can guidelines provide adequate support for physicians and nurses in the difficult EAS decision-making process.

  15. Higher prices, higher quality? Evidence from German nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herr, Annika; Hottenrott, Hanna

    2016-02-01

    This study investigates the relationship between prices and quality of 7400 German nursing homes. We use a cross section of public quality reports for all German nursing homes, which had been evaluated between 2010 and 2013 by external institutions. Our analysis is based on multivariate regressions in a two stage least squares framework, where we instrument prices to explain their effect on quality controlling for income, nursing home density, demographics, labour market characteristics, and infrastructure at the regional level. Descriptive analysis shows that prices and quality do not only vary across nursing homes, but also across counties and federal states and that quality and prices correlate positively. Second, the econometric analysis, which accounts for the endogenous relation between negotiated price and reported quality, shows that quality indeed positively depends on prices. In addition, more places in nursing homes per people in need are correlated with both lower prices and higher quality. Finally, unobserved factors at the federal state level capture some of the variation of reported quality across nursing homes. Our results suggest that higher prices increase quality. Furthermore, since reported quality and prices vary substantially across federal states, we conclude that the quality and prices of long-term care facilities may well be compared within federal states but not across. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. An Education Initiative Modifies Opinions of Hemodialysis Nurses towards Home Dialysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew Phillips

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: It has been shown that in-center hemodialysis (HD nurses prefer in-center HD for patients with certain characteristics; however it is not known if their opinions can be changed. Objective: To determine if an education initiative modified the perceptions of in-center HD nurses towards home dialysis. Design: Cross-sectional survey of in-center HD nurses before and after a three hour continuing nursing education (CNE initiative. Content of the CNE initiative included a didactic review of benefits of home dialysis, common misconceptions about patient eligibility, cost comparisons of different modalities and a home dialysis patient testimonial video. Setting: All in-center HD nurses (including those working in satellite dialysis units affiliated with a single academic institution Measurements: Survey themes included perceived barriers to home dialysis, preferred modality (home versus in-center HD, ideal modality distribution in the local program, awareness of home dialysis and patient education about home modalities. Methods: Paired comparisons of responses before and after the CNE initiative. Results: Of the 115 in-center HD nurses, 100 registered for the CNE initiative and 89 completed pre and post surveys (89% response rate. At baseline, in-center HD nurses perceived that impaired cognition, poor motor strength and poor visual acuity were barriers to peritoneal dialysis and home HD. In-center HD was preferred for availability of multidisciplinary care and medical personnel in case of catastrophic events. After the initiative, perceptions were more in favor of home dialysis for all patient characteristics, and most patient/system factors. Home dialysis was perceived to be underutilized both at baseline and after the initiative. Finally, in-center HD nurses were more aware of home dialysis, felt better informed about its benefits and were more comfortable teaching in-center HD patients about home modalities after the CNE session

  17. Distress experienced by nurses in response to the challenging behaviour of residents - evidence from German nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidt, Sascha G; Dichter, Martin N; Palm, Rebecca; Hasselhorn, Hans Martin

    2012-11-01

    The aim of this research is to investigate the degree of distress experienced by nurses in response to the challenging behaviour of nursing home residents (residents' challenging behaviour) and their impact on nurses individual resources (general health, burnout and work ability). Because of the increasing and ageing population of nursing home residents, professional nursing care faces several challenges. One highly prevalent issue among nursing home residents is the so-called 'challenging behaviour'. However, to date, 'challenging behaviour' has not yet been recognised as an occupational stressor, and the extent of the impact of 'challenging behaviour' on nurses' well-being and functioning is not well understood. Cross-sectional study. Self-report questionnaire data collected from 731 registered nurses and nursing aides in 56 German nursing homes were used in a secondary data analysis. The level of residents' challenging behaviour-related distress that nurses experienced was assessed using a scale consisting of nine questions. Validated instruments were used for the assessment of individual resources. The mean score for residents' challenging behaviour-related distress was 41·3 (SD 21·2). Twenty-seven per cent of all nurses reported over 50 residents' challenging behaviour. Residents' challenging behaviour had a significant impact on all three measures of individual resources. Specifically, nurses exposed to frequent residents' challenging behaviour reported a significantly lower quality of general health, reduced workability and high burnout levels. Our findings indicate that residents' challenging behaviour-related distress is a significant work place stressor for nurses in nursing homes with a clear impact on general health, the risk of burnout and work ability. Our findings suggest that residents' challenging behaviour is a stressor for nurses in nursing homes. Further scientific and practical attention is necessary from the point of view of working

  18. Rheumatologic care of nursing home residents with rheumatoid arthritis: a comparison of the year before and after nursing home admission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luque Ramos, Andres; Albrecht, Katinka; Zink, Angela; Hoffmann, Falk

    2017-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate health care for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) before and after admission to nursing homes. Data of a German health insurance fund from persons with diagnostic codes of RA, aged ≥65 years, admitted to a nursing home between 2010 and 2014 and continuously insured 1 year before and after admission were used. The proportion of patients with ≥1 rheumatologist visit and ≥1 prescription of biologic or conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs or csDMARDs), glucocorticoids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the year before and after admission were calculated. Predictors of rheumatologic care after admission were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression. Of 75,697 nursing home residents, 2485 (3.3%) had RA (90.5% female, mean age 83.8). Treatment by rheumatologists and prescription of antirheumatic drugs decreased significantly in the year after admission (rheumatologic visits: 17.6 to 9.1%, bDMARDs: 2.1 to 1.5%, csDMARDs: 22.5 to 16.5%, glucocorticoids: 46.5 to 43.1%, NSAIDs: 47.4 to 38.5%). 60.2% of patients in rheumatologic care received csDMARDs compared with 14.5% without rheumatologic care. Rheumatologic care before admission to a nursing home strongly predicted rheumatologic care thereafter (OR 33.8, 95%-CI 23.2-49.2). Younger age and lower care level (reflecting need of help) were also associated with a higher chance of rheumatologic care. Rheumatologic care is already infrequent in old patients with RA and further decreases after admission to a nursing home. Patients without rheumatologic care are at high risk of insufficient treatment for their RA. Admission to a nursing home further increases this risk.

  19. Does Person-Centered Care Improve Residents' Satisfaction With Nursing Home Quality?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poey, Judith L; Hermer, Linda; Cornelison, Laci; Kaup, Migette L; Drake, Patrick; Stone, Robyn I; Doll, Gayle

    2017-11-01

    Person-centered care (PCC) is meant to enhance nursing home residents' quality of life (QOL). Including residents' perspectives is critical to determining whether PCC is meeting residents' needs and desires. This study examines whether PCC practices promote satisfaction with QOL and quality of care and services (QOC and QOS) among nursing home residents. A longitudinal, retrospective cohort study using an in-person survey. Three hundred twenty nursing homes in Kansas enrolled or not enrolled in a pay-for-performance program, Promoting Excellent Alternatives in Kansas (PEAK 2.0), to promote PCC in nursing homes. A total of 6214 nursing home residents in 2013-2014 and 5538 residents in 2014-2015, with a Brief Interview for Mental Status score ≥8, participated in face-to-face interviews. Results were aggregated to the nursing home level. My InnerView developed a Resident Satisfaction Survey for Kansas composed of 32 questions divided into QOL, QOC, QOS, and global satisfaction subdomains. After controlling for facility characteristics, satisfaction with overall QOL and QOC was higher in homes that had fully implemented PCC. Although some individual measures in the QOS domain (eg, food) showed greater satisfaction at earlier levels of implementation, high satisfaction was observed primarily in homes that had fully implemented PCC. These findings provide evidence for the effectiveness of PCC implementation on nursing home resident satisfaction. The PEAK 2.0 program may provide replicable methods for nursing homes and states to implement PCC systematically. Copyright © 2017 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Temporal and Geographic variation in the validity and internal consistency of the Nursing Home Resident Assessment Minimum Data Set 2.0.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mor, Vincent; Intrator, Orna; Unruh, Mark Aaron; Cai, Shubing

    2011-04-15

    The Minimum Data Set (MDS) for nursing home resident assessment has been required in all U.S. nursing homes since 1990 and has been universally computerized since 1998. Initially intended to structure clinical care planning, uses of the MDS expanded to include policy applications such as case-mix reimbursement, quality monitoring and research. The purpose of this paper is to summarize a series of analyses examining the internal consistency and predictive validity of the MDS data as used in the "real world" in all U.S. nursing homes between 1999 and 2007. We used person level linked MDS and Medicare denominator and all institutional claim files including inpatient (hospital and skilled nursing facilities) for all Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries entering U.S. nursing homes during the period 1999 to 2007. We calculated the sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) of diagnoses taken from Medicare hospital claims and from the MDS among all new admissions from hospitals to nursing homes and the internal consistency (alpha reliability) of pairs of items within the MDS that logically should be related. We also tested the internal consistency of commonly used MDS based multi-item scales and examined the predictive validity of an MDS based severity measure viz. one year survival. Finally, we examined the correspondence of the MDS discharge record to hospitalizations and deaths seen in Medicare claims, and the completeness of MDS assessments upon skilled nursing facility (SNF) admission. Each year there were some 800,000 new admissions directly from hospital to US nursing homes and some 900,000 uninterrupted SNF stays. Comparing Medicare enrollment records and claims with MDS records revealed reasonably good correspondence that improved over time (by 2006 only 3% of deaths had no MDS discharge record, only 5% of SNF stays had no MDS, but over 20% of MDS discharges indicating hospitalization had no associated Medicare claim). The PPV and sensitivity levels of

  1. Hospital nurses' lived experience of power.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fackler, Carol A; Chambers, Angelina N; Bourbonniere, Meg

    2015-05-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore hospital nurses' lived experience of power. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach informed by Merleau-Ponty's philosophy of the phenomenology of perception was used to further an understanding of nurses' embodiment of power. Fourteen hospital clinical nurses employed in intensive care units and on medical floors in two major medical centers in the northeastern United States participated in 1-hr semistructured interviews about their lived experience of power. A hermeneutic analytic approach and reflexive (cultural) bracketing produced three relational themes of power: (a) knowing my patients and speaking up for them; (b) working to build relationships that benefit patients; and (c) identifying my powerful self. Hospital clinical nurses develop a sense of power. Nurses believe power develops through acquisition of knowledge, experience, and self-confidence; this process is enhanced by exposure to good mentors. Nurses use their power to build relationships and advocate for patients. They consciously use power to improve patient care. Nurses' voices need to be heard and acknowledged. To do this in the clinical setting and beyond, hospital nurses must invite themselves or find ways to be invited into the authoritative discourse of hospital organizations. Nurses use their power to advocate for positive outcomes for patients and families. The satisfaction that comes from these positive relationships may improve nurses' perceptions of their work environment. Nurses' understanding and use of sociopolitical knowing needs further study, so that nurses may understand how to participate in current and future debates and decisions about our changing healthcare delivery systems and services. © 2015 Sigma Theta Tau International.

  2. Nursing Students' Clinical Learning Environment in Norwegian Nursing Homes: Lack of Innovative Teaching and Learning Strategies

    OpenAIRE

    Berntsen, Karin; Bjørk, Ida Torunn; Brynildsen, Grethe

    2017-01-01

    Background: Nursing students hesitate to choose aged care as a career, and the aged care sectors are on an edge regarding nursing positions. Clinical learning environments may influence nursing students’ career choices. Few studies have explored learning environments in nursing homes, although students increasingly have placements there. Objectives: The aim was to produce information for developing nursing students’ learning opportunities in nursing homes. Design: A cross-sectional survey des...

  3. Technology and medication errors: impact in nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baril, Chantal; Gascon, Viviane; St-Pierre, Liette; Lagacé, Denis

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to study a medication distribution technology's (MDT) impact on medication errors reported in public nursing homes in Québec Province. The work was carried out in six nursing homes (800 patients). Medication error data were collected from nursing staff through a voluntary reporting process before and after MDT was implemented. The errors were analysed using: totals errors; medication error type; severity and patient consequences. A statistical analysis verified whether there was a significant difference between the variables before and after introducing MDT. The results show that the MDT detected medication errors. The authors' analysis also indicates that errors are detected more rapidly resulting in less severe consequences for patients. MDT is a step towards safer and more efficient medication processes. Our findings should convince healthcare administrators to implement technology such as electronic prescriber or bar code medication administration systems to improve medication processes and to provide better healthcare to patients. Few studies have been carried out in long-term healthcare facilities such as nursing homes. The authors' study extends what is known about MDT's impact on medication errors in nursing homes.

  4. [Family caregivers' adjustment to nursing home placement of older relatives].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Szu-Yao; Davies, Elizabeth

    2007-06-01

    The literature on the impact of nursing home placement of older parents on family caregivers is still incomplete. Family caregivers experience stress, shock, anxiety, fear, resistance, and guilt in the process of decision making. The literature has demonstrated that family caregivers continue to experience stress and problems after placing older relatives into a long term care facility. Cultural values impact on people's attitudes, values and expectations. Culture will therefore affect the care-giving experience. Relatively little information is available from Asian and multicultural societies. Identifying family caregiver experiences after nursing home placement can alert professionals to the need for family guidance prior to nursing home placement and assist in early identification of potential problems. This article reviews the literature and discusses the impact on family caregivers of making a decision for nursing home placement and dealing with the stress and challenges that persist after nursing home admission.

  5. [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

  6. The effect of skill mix in non-nursing assistants on work engagements among home visiting nurses in Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naruse, Takashi; Taguchi, Atsuko; Kuwahara, Yuki; Nagata, Satoko; Sakai, Mahiro; Watai, Izumi; Murashima, Sachiyo

    2015-05-01

    This study evaluated the effect of a skill-mix programme intervention on work engagement in home visiting nurses. A skill-mix programme in which home visiting nurses are assisted by non-nursing workers is assumed to foster home visiting nurses' work engagement. Pre- and post-intervention evaluations of work engagement were conducted using self-administered questionnaires. A skill-mix programme was introduced in the intervention group of home visiting nurses. After 6 months, their pre- and post-intervention work engagement ratings were compared with those of a control group. Baseline questionnaires were returned by 174 home visiting nurses (44 in the intervention group, 130 in the control group). Post-intervention questionnaires were returned by 38 and 97 home visiting nurses from each group. The intervention group's average work engagement scores were 2.2 at baseline and 2.3 at post-intervention; the control group's were 3.3 and 2.6. Generalised linear regression showed significant between-group differences in score changes. The skill-mix programme might foster home visiting nurses' work engagement by improving the quality of care for each client. Future research is needed to explain the exact mechanisms that underlie its effectiveness. In order to improve the efficiency of services provided by home visiting nurses and foster their work engagement, skill-mix programmes might be beneficial. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. Nurse odor perception in various Japanese hospital settings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masami Horiguchi

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Because unpleasant hospital odors affect the nursing environment, we investigated nurses' perceptions of the odors of various hospital settings: hospital rooms, nurse stations, and human waste disposal rooms to discard the urine, stools and diapers. A questionnaire based on the Japanese Ministry of the Environment's guidelines on odor index regulation was used to assess nurses' perceptions of odor intensity, comfort, tolerability, and description in the aforementioned settings. Questionnaires were distributed to nursing department directors at three Japanese hospitals, who then disseminated the questionnaires to nursing staff. Of the 1,151 questionnaires distributed, 496 nurses participated. Human waste disposal rooms had greater odor intensity and were perceived as more uncomfortable than the other settings. Unpleasant odors in disposal rooms, hospital rooms, and nurse stations were rated as slightly intolerable in comparison. Hospital and disposal rooms were mainly described as having a “pungent odor such as of urine and stool.” In contrast, nurse stations were described as having other unpleasant odors, such as chemical, human-body-related, or sewage-like odors. Given that nurses spend much of their time in hospital rooms and nurse stations, odor management in these two settings would likely improve nurses' working conditions at hospitals. Improving odors at nurse stations is feasible. Such improvements could have indirect effects on nurse turnover and burnout.

  8. How nursing staff spend their time on activities in a nursing home: an observational study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munyisia, Esther Naliaka; Yu, Ping; Hailey, David

    2011-09-01

    This article is a report of a study to examine how nursing staff spend their time on activities in a nursing home. Few studies have investigated how nursing staff spend their time on activities in a nursing home. Such information is important for nurse managers in deciding on staff deployment, and for evaluating the effects of changes in nursing practice. A work sampling study with an observational component was undertaken in 2009 with nursing staff at a nursing home. A total of 430 activities were recorded for Registered Nurses, 331 for Endorsed Enrolled Nurses, 5276 for Personal Carers, and 501 for Recreational Activity Officers. Registered Nurses spent 48·4% of their time on communication and 18·1% on medication management. Endorsed Enrolled Nurses spent 37·7% on communication and 29·0% on documentation tasks. Communication was the most time-consuming activity for Recreational Activity Officers and Personal Carers, except that Personal Carers in a high care house spent more time on direct care duties. Hygiene duties and resident interaction were more frequently multitasked by the nursing staff in high care than in low care house. Nursing staff value their face-to-face interaction for successful care delivery. There is need, however, to investigate the effects of this form of communication on quality of care given to residents. Differences in multi-tasked activities between high care and low care houses should be considered when deploying staff in a nursing home. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  9. A theoretical model of job retention for home health care nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellenbecker, Carol Hall

    2004-08-01

    Predicted severe nursing shortages and an increasing demand for home health care services have made the retention of experienced, qualified nursing staff a priority for health care organizations. The purpose of this paper is to describe a theoretical model of job retention for home health care nurses. The theoretical model is an integration of the findings of empirical research related to intent to stay and retention, components of Neal's theory of home health care nursing practice and findings from earlier work to develop an instrument to measure home health care nurses' job satisfaction. The theoretical model identifies antecedents to job satisfaction of home health care nurses. The antecedents are intrinsic and extrinsic job characteristics. The model also proposes that job satisfaction is directly related to retention and indirectly related to retention though intent to stay. Individual nurse characteristics are indirectly related to retention through intent to stay. The individual characteristic of tenure is indirectly related to retention through autonomy, as an intrinsic characteristic of job satisfaction, and intent to stay. The proposed model can be used to guide research that explores gaps in knowledge about intent to stay and retention among home health care nurses.

  10. Burnout among hospital nurses in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Frances; St John, Winsome; McVeigh, Carol

    2009-04-01

    The aim of this study was to examine the level of burnout and factors that contribute to burnout in hospital nurses in the People's Republic of China. While burnout among hospital nurses has been widely researched in western countries, little research has investigated burnout among hospital nurses in China. A translated version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey was used to measure burnout in 249 randomly selected nurses from various wards of a large teaching hospital in Beijing, China. Questionnaire packs were sent to the hospital wards where selected nurses worked. One hundred and twenty-eight nurses returned the completed questionnaire. The response rate was 51%. The results showed moderate levels of Emotional Exhaustion and Personal Accomplishment, and low levels of Depersonalization. Age, years of experience and professional title had a significant positive relationship with Emotional Exhaustion and Personal Accomplishment. Older, married nurses with more personal responsibilities and in a more senior position experienced higher levels of Emotional Exhaustion. The findings suggest that burnout is a significant issue for nurses in China. The results of this study indicate that working environment factors such as relationships with coworkers and managers may contribute to or mitigate burnout. There is a need to address personal and professional support, life-work balance, personal accomplishment and educational programmes to reduce burnout in nurses working in China.

  11. Nursing home staff's views on residents' dignity: a qualitative interview study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Oosterveld-Vlug, Mariska G.; Pasman, H. Roeline W.; van Gennip, Isis E.; Willems, Dick L.; Onwuteaka-Philipsen, Bregje D.

    2013-01-01

    Maintaining dignity is an important element of end-of-life care and also of the care given in nursing homes. Factors influencing personal dignity have been studied from both nursing home residents' and staff's perspective. Little is however known about the way nursing home staff perceive and promote

  12. Understanding organizational and cultural premises for quality of care in nursing homes: an ethnographic study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakrem, Sigrid

    2015-11-13

    Internationally, there are concerns about the quality of care in nursing homes. The concept of 'corporate culture' as an internal variable could be seen as the means to improve quality of care and quality of life for the residents. The aim of this article was to describe the nursing home culture from the staff's perspective and to include how the residents describe quality of care. An ethnographic design was employed. A purposive sample of four municipal public nursing homes in Norway with long-term care residents was included in the study. Data were collected by participant observation including informal conversation with the staff, and in-depth interviews with 15 residents using a narrative approach. The main findings were that organizational cultures could be seen as relatively stable corporate cultures described as 'personalities' with characteristics that were common for all nursing homes (conformity) and typical traits that were present in some nursing homes, but that they were also like no other nursing home (distinctiveness). Conformity ('Every nursing home is like all other nursing homes') meant that nursing home organizations formed their services according to a perception of what residents in general need and expect. Trait ('Every nursing home is like some other nursing homes') expressed typologies of nursing homes: residency, medical, safeguard or family orientation. The distinctness of each nursing home ('Every nursing home is like no other nursing home') was expressed in unique features of the nursing home; the characteristics of the nursing home involved certain patterns of structure, cultural assumptions and interactions that were unique in each nursing home. Nursing home residents experienced quality of care as 'The nursing home as my home' and 'Interpersonal care quality'. The resident group in the different types of nursing homes were unique, and the experience of quality of care seemed to depend on whether their unique needs and expectations

  13. Learning Opportunities for Nurses Working within Home Care

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lundgren, Solveig

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore home care nurses' experience of learning in a multicultural environment. Design/methodology/approach: The study was based on qualitative research design. Data were collected through repeated interviews with registered home care nurses working in a multicultural area. The data were analyzed through a…

  14. Where do the elderly die? The impact of nursing home utilisation on the place of death. Observations from a mortality cohort study in Flanders

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Van Hecke Ettiene

    2006-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Most of the research concerning place of death focuses on terminally ill patients (cancer patients while the determinants of place of death of the elderly of the general population are not intensively studied. Studies showed the influence of gender, age, social-economical status and living arrangements on the place of death, but a facet not taken into account so far is the influence of the availability of nursing homes. Methods We conducted a survey of deaths, between January 1999 and December 2000 in a small densely populated area in Belgium, with a high availability of nursing homes (within 5 to 10 km of the place of residence of every elderly. We determined the incidence of total mortality (of subjects >60 years from local official death registers that we consulted via the priest or the mortician of the local parish, to ask where the decedent had died and whether the deceased had lived in a nursing home. We compared the distribution of the places of death between parishes with a nursing home and with parishes without nursing home. Results 240 women and 217 men died during the two years study period. Only 22% died at home, while the majority (78% died in an institutional setting, either a hospital (50% or a nursing home (28%. Place of death was influenced by individual factors (age and gender and the availability of a nursing home in the 'own' parish. The chance of in-hospital death was 65% higher for men (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 14 to 138%; p = 0.008 and decreased by 4% (CI: -5.1% to -2.5%; p Conclusion Demographic, but especially social-contextual factors determine where elderly will end their life. The majority of elderly in Flanders die in an institution. Age, gender and living situation are predictors of the place of death but the embedment of a nursing home in the local community seems to be a key predictor.

  15. Two nursing home outbreaks of respiratory infection with Legionella sainthelensi.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loeb, M; Simor, A E; Mandell, L; Krueger, P; McArthur, M; James, M; Walter, S; Richardson, E; Lingley, M; Stout, J; Stronach, D; McGeer, A

    1999-05-01

    To describe outbreaks of infection caused by Legionella sainthelensi occurring in older residents of two nursing homes and to determine risk factors for the development of infection. Descriptive epidemiology and a case-control study. Two nursing homes (140 beds and 254 beds in nursing homes A and B, respectively) located in southern Ontario, Canada, experiencing outbreaks of respiratory tract infection in July and August 1994. Case-residents of the two nursing homes who met clinical and laboratory criteria for Legionella infection. Control-residents were defined as those who were in the homes during the outbreaks and were asymptomatic. Active surveillance was conducted in both nursing homes to identify symptomatic residents. Residents with fever or respiratory tract symptoms had nasopharyngeal swabs taken for viral antigen detection and culture, urine for Legionella antigen detection, and acute and convalescent serology for viruses, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and Legionella. Chest X-rays were performed, and an attempt was made to obtain blood and sputum cultures. Water samples from shower heads, faucets, and air conditioning units were collected for Legionella culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. A case-control study was done to assess possible risk factors for legionellosis. Twenty-nine cases -- 17 in nursing home A; 12 in nursing home B - were identified. Four (14%) case-residents had documented pneumonia and four case-residents died. Univariate analysis revealed that a history of stroke (odds ratio (OR) 2.3 (95% CI, 1.0-5.3)), eating pureed food (OR 4.6 (95% CI, 1.6-12.7)), and having fluids administered with medication (OR 2.5 (95% CI, 1.0-5.9)) were significant risk factors. Cases were less likely to wear dentures (OR .4 (95% CI, .2-.9)) or to eat solid food (OR .3, (95% CI, .1-.6)). Only eating pureed food remained significant in a multivariable analysis (OR 4.6 (95% CI, 1.6-13.0, P = .01)). This report describes outbreaks of

  16. Attractiveness of working in home care: An online focus group study among nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Groot, Kim; Maurits, Erica E M; Francke, Anneke L

    2018-01-01

    Many western countries are experiencing a substantial shortage of home-care nurses due to the increasing numbers of care-dependent people living at home. In-depth knowledge is needed about what home-care nurses find attractive about their work in order to make recommendations for the recruitment and retention of home-care nursing staff. The aims of this explorative, qualitative study were to gain in-depth knowledge about which aspects home-care nurses find attractive about their work and to explore whether these aspects vary for home-care nurses with different levels of education. Discussions were conducted with six online focus groups in 2016 with a total of 38 Dutch home-care nurses. The transcripts were analysed using the principles of thematic analysis. The findings showed that home-care nurses find it attractive that they are a "linchpin", in the sense of being the leading professional and with the patient as the centre of care. Home-care nurses also find having autonomy attractive: autonomy over decision-making about care, freedom in work scheduling and working in a self-directed team. Variety in patient situations and activities also makes their work attractive. Home-care nurses with a bachelor's degree did not differ much in what they found attractive aspects from those with an associate degree (a nursing qualification after completing senior secondary vocational education). It is concluded that autonomy, variety and being a "linchpin" are the attractive aspects of working in home care. To help recruit and retain home-care nursing staff, these attractive aspects should be emphasised in nursing education and practice, in recruitment programmes and in publicity material. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Is There a Trade-off Between Quality and Profitability in United States Nursing Homes?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Godby, Tyler; Saldanha, Sarah; Valle, Jazmine; Paul, David P; Coustasse, Alberto

    Nursing home residents across the United States rely on quality care and effective services. Nursing homes provide skilled nurses and nursing aides who can provide services 24 hours a day for individuals who could not perform these tasks for themselves. Not-for-profit (NFP) versus for-profit (FP) nursing homes have been examined for utilization and efficacy; however, it has been shown that NFP nursing homes generally offer higher quality care and generate greater profit margins compared with FP nursing homes. The purpose of this research was to determine if NFP nursing homes provide enhanced quality care and a larger profit margin compared with FP nursing homes. Benefits and barriers in regard to financial stability and quality of care exist for both FP and NFP homes. Based on the findings of this review, it is suggested that NFP nursing homes have achieved higher quality of care because of a more effective balance of business aspects, as well as prioritizing resident well-being, and care quality over profit maximization in NFP homes.

  18. Resuscitation of patients suffering from sudden cardiac arrests in nursing homes is not futile

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Søholm, Helle; Bro-Jeppesen, John; Lippert, Freddy K

    2014-01-01

    and prognosis after OHCA in NH. METHODS: Consecutive Emergency Medical Service (EMS) attended OHCA-patients in Copenhagen during 2007-2011 were included. Utstein-criteria for pre-hospital data and review of individual patient charts for in-hospital post-resuscitation care were collected. RESULTS: A total...... survival rates as non-NH-patients when adjusting for known prognostic factors and pre-existing co-morbidity. A policy of not attempting resuscitation in nursing homes at all may therefore not be justified....

  19. Mapping the literature of home health nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedman, Yelena

    2006-04-01

    The purpose of this study was to identify core journals in home health nursing and to determine how well these journals were covered by indexing and abstracting services. The study was part of the project for mapping the nursing literature of the Medical Library Association's Nursing and Allied Health Resource Section. A citation analysis of two core journals was done to determine distribution of references by format types and age of citations and dispersion of the literature, according to Bradford's Law of Scattering. The analysis of indexing coverage for Zone 1 and 2 was also provided. The study showed that 64.2% of citations came from journals, versus 22.9% from books and 12.9% from other publications. PubMed/ MEDLINE rated highest in average indexing coverage of Zone 1 and 2 journals, followed by CINAHL. PsycINFO, SocioAbstracts, and EBSCO Health Business FullTEXT showed practically no coverage for the home health nursing literature. As expected, journal articles were found to be the primary source for referencing and books, the secondary source. In regard to bibliographic control, no databases provided full coverage of the journals in the field of home health nursing. PubMed/MEDLINE and CINAHL gave better results in combination, because CINAHL tended to cover more nursing journals, while PubMed/MEDLINE did better with medical titles.

  20. Corbally House Nursing Home, Mill Road, Corbally, Limerick.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Sermeus, Walter

    2011-04-18

    Abstract Background Current human resources planning models in nursing are unreliable and ineffective as they consider volumes, but ignore effects on quality in patient care. The project RN4CAST aims innovative forecasting methods by addressing not only volumes, but quality of nursing staff as well as quality of patient care. Methods\\/Design A multi-country, multilevel cross-sectional design is used to obtain important unmeasured factors in forecasting models including how features of hospital work environments impact on nurse recruitment, retention and patient outcomes. In each of the 12 participating European countries, at least 30 general acute hospitals were sampled. Data are gathered via four data sources (nurse, patient and organizational surveys and via routinely collected hospital discharge data). All staff nurses of a random selection of medical and surgical units (at least 2 per hospital) were surveyed. The nurse survey has the purpose to measure the experiences of nurses on their job (e.g. job satisfaction, burnout) as well as to allow the creation of aggregated hospital level measures of staffing and working conditions. The patient survey is organized in a sub-sample of countries and hospitals using a one-day census approach to measure the patient experiences with medical and nursing care. In addition to conducting a patient survey, hospital discharge abstract datasets will be used to calculate additional patient outcomes like in-hospital mortality and failure-to-rescue. Via the organizational survey, information about the organizational profile (e.g. bed size, types of technology available, teaching status) is collected to control the analyses for institutional differences. This information will be linked via common identifiers and the relationships between different aspects of the nursing work environment and patient and nurse outcomes will be studied by using multilevel regression type analyses. These results will be used to simulate the impact of

  1. Rural-Urban Differences in End-of-Life Nursing Home Care: Facility and Environmental Factors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Temkin-Greener, Helena; Zheng, Nan Tracy; Mukamel, Dana B.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose of the study: This study examines urban-rural differences in end-of-life (EOL) quality of care provided to nursing home (NH) residents. Data and Methods: We constructed 3 risk-adjusted EOL quality measures (QMs) for long-term decedent residents: in-hospital death, hospice referral before death, and presence of severe pain. We used…

  2. Registered Nurse Staffing in Pennsylvania Nursing Homes: Comparison before and after Implementation of Medicare's Prospective Payment System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanda, Katsuya; Mezey, Mathy

    1991-01-01

    Examined changes in resident acuity and registered nurse staffing in all nursing homes in Pennsylvania before and after introduction of Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS) in 1983. Found that acuity of nursing home residents increased significantly since introduction of PPS, full-time registered nurse staffing remained unchanged, and…

  3. Home-based zoledronic acid infusion therapy in patients with solid tumours: compliance and patient-nurse satisfaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lebret, Thierry; Mouysset, Jean-Loup; Lortholary, Alain; El Kouri, Claude; Bastit, Laurent; Ktiouet, Meryem; Slimane, Khemaies; Murraciole, Xavier; Guérif, Stéphane

    2013-06-01

    This study aimed to explore patient and nurse satisfaction, compliance with best practice, technical feasibility and safety of home infusion of the bisphosphonate zoledronic acid (ZOL). This was a prospective 1-year survey of home ZOL therapy (4 mg Zometa, 15-min i.v., every 3-4 weeks) in patients with bone metastases secondary to a solid malignancy. A physician questionnaire, nurse satisfaction/feasibility questionnaire and patient satisfaction questionnaire were administered at several time-points. Physician participation rate was 56.5% (87/154). Physicians enrolled 818 patients visited by 381 predominantly community nurses. Of the 788 case report forms received, 763 met inclusion criteria. Patient characteristics were as follows: median age, 68 years (30-95); M/F, 40/60; ECOG-PS 0 or 1, 78.6%; and primary tumour site, breast (55.2%), prostate (28.4%), lung (7.2%) or other (9.4%). Nurse satisfaction rates were high: organisation of home ZOL therapy, 90.9%; ease of infusion, 96.7%; patient-nurse relationship, 97.5%; and relationship with hospital staff, 73%. Patient satisfaction was also very high (95.3%). The main reasons were quality of the nurse-patient relationship (57.6%), less travel/waiting (68.8%), home environment (52.9%) and less disruption to daily routine (36.6%). ZOL therapy was well tolerated, the discontinuation rate due to adverse events (including deaths whether related to diseases progression or not) was 33.6%. The incidence of osteonecrosis of the jaw was 0.6% and of fractures, 0.2%. Practitioner compliance with best practice was 76.7-83.7% for recommended and/or tolerated dosage, 73% for dental hygiene checks at inclusion and 48-56% thereafter, 66% for pre-infusion hydration, and often undocumented for calcium/vitamin D supplementation. Home ZOL therapy was well tolerated. Both patient and nurse satisfaction were very high. However, better compliance with best practice should be encouraged.

  4. Home health nursing care services in Greece during an economic crisis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adamakidou, T; Kalokerinou-Anagnostopoulou, A

    2017-03-01

    The purpose of this review was to describe public home healthcare nursing services in Greece. The effectiveness and the efficiency of home healthcare nursing are well documented in the international literature. In Greece, during the current financial crisis, the development of home healthcare nursing services is the focus and interest of policymakers and academics because of its contribution to the viability of the healthcare system. A review was conducted of the existing legislation, the printed and electronic bibliography related to the legal framework, the structures that provide home health care, the funding of the services, the human resources and the services provided. The review of the literature revealed the strengths and weaknesses of the existing system of home health care and its opportunities and threats, which are summarized in a SWOT analysis. There is no Greek nursing literature on this topic. The development of home health nursing care requires multidimensional concurrent and combined changes and adjustments that would support and strengthen healthcare professionals in their practices. Academic and nursing professionals should provide guidelines and regulations and develop special competencies for the best nursing practice in home health care. At present, in Greece, which is in an economic crisis and undergoing reforms in public administration, there is an undeniable effort being made to give primary health care the position it deserves within the health system. There is an urgent need at central and academic levels to develop home healthcare services to improve the quality and efficiency of the services provided. © 2016 International Council of Nurses.

  5. Use of mental health services by nursing home residents after hurricanes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Lisa M; Hyer, Kathryn; Schinka, John A; Mando, Ahed; Frazier, Darvis; Polivka-West, Lumarie

    2010-01-01

    A growing body of research supports the value of mental health intervention to treat people affected by disasters. This study used a mixed-methods approach to evaluate pre- and posthurricane mental health service use in Florida nursing homes. A questionnaire was administered to 258 directors of nursing, administrators, and owners of nursing homes, representing two-thirds of Florida's counties, to identify residents' mental health needs and service use. In four subsequent focus group meetings with 22 nursing home administrators, underlying factors influencing residents' use of services were evaluated. Although most nursing homes provided some type of mental health care during normal operations, disaster-related mental health services were not routinely provided to residents. Receiving facilities were more likely than evacuating facilities to provide treatment to evacuated residents. Nursing home staff should be trained to deliver disaster-related mental health intervention and in procedures for making referrals for follow-up evaluation and formal intervention.

  6. Nurse Staffing and Quality of Care of Nursing Home Residents in Korea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Juh Hyun; Hyun, Ta Kyung

    2015-11-01

    To investigate the relationship between nurse staffing and quality of care in nursing homes in Korea. This study used a cross-sectional design to describe the relationship between nurse staffing and 15 quality-of-care outcomes. Independent variables were hours per resident day (HPRD), skill mix, and turnover of each nursing staff, developed with the definitions of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the American Health Care Association. Dependent variables were prevalence of residents who experienced more than one fall in the recent 3 months, aggressive behaviors, depression, cognitive decline, pressure sores, incontinence, prescribed antibiotics because of urinary tract infection, weight loss, dehydration, tube feeding, bed rest, increased activities of daily living, decreased range of motion, use of antidepressants, and use of restraints. Outcome variables were quality indicators from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid and 2013 nursing home evaluation manual by the Korean National Health Insurance Service. The effects of registered nurse (RN) HPRD was supported in fall prevention, decreased tube feeding, decreased numbers of residents with deteriorated range of motion, and decreased aggressive behavior. Higher turnover of RNs related to more residents with dehydration, bed rest, and use of antipsychotic medication. Study results supported RNs' unique contribution to resident outcomes in comparison to alternative nurse staffing in fall prevention, decreased use of tube feeding, better range of motion for residents, and decreased aggressive behaviors in nursing homes in Korea. More research is required to confirm the effects of nurse staffing on residents' outcomes in Korea. We found consistency in the effects of RN staffing on resident outcomes acceptable. By assessing nurse staffing levels and compositions of nursing staffs, this study contributes to more effective long-term care insurance by reflecting on appropriate policies, and ultimately

  7. [Job stress of nursing aides in Swiss nursing homes : Nonlinear canonical analysis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ziegler, A; Bernet, M; Metzenthin, P; Conca, A; Hahn, S

    2016-08-01

    Due to demographic changes, the demand for care in nursing homes for the elderly and infirmed is growing. At the same time nursing staff shortages are also increasing. Nursing aides are the primary care providers and comprise the largest staff group in Swiss nursing homes. They are exposed to various forms of job stress, which threaten job retention. The aim of this study was to discover which features of the work situation and which personal characteristics of the nursing aides were related to the workload. Data from nursing aides in Swiss nursing homes were investigated through a secondary analysis of a national quantitative cross-sectional study, using descriptive statistics and a nonlinear canonical correlation analysis. A total of 1054 nursing aides were included in the secondary analysis, 94.6 % of whom were women between the ages of 42 and 61 years. The job stress most frequently mentioned in the descriptive analysis, almost 60 % of the participants referred to it, was staff shortage. The nonlinear canonical correlation analysis revealed that many job strains are caused by social and organizational issues. In particular, a lack of support from supervisors was associated with staff not feeling appreciated. These job strains correlated with a high level of responsibility, the feeling of being unable to work independently and a feeling of being exploited. These strains were predominant in the nursing aides between 32 and 51 years old who had part time jobs but workloads of 80-90 %. Middle-aged nursing aides who worked to 80-90 % are particularly at risk to resign from the position prematurely. Measures need to be mainly implemented in the social and organizational areas. It can be assumed that a targeted individual support, recognition and promotion of nursing aides may decrease the level of job strain.

  8. Does information matter? Competition, quality, and the impact of nursing home report cards.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grabowski, David C; Town, Robert J

    2011-12-01

    We evaluate the effects of the Nursing Home Quality Initiative (NHQI), which introduced quality measures to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Nursing Home Compare website, on facility performance and consumer demand for services. The nursing home Minimum Data Set facility reports from 1999 to 2005 merged with facility-level data from the On-Line Survey, Certification, and Reporting System. We rely on the staggered rollout of the report cards across pilot and nonpilot states to examine the effect of report cards on market share and quality of care. We also exploit differences in nursing home market competition at baseline to identify the impacts of the new information on nursing home quality. The introduction of the NHQI was generally unrelated to facility quality and consumer demand. However, nursing homes facing greater competition improved their quality more than facilities in less competitive markets. The lack of competition in many nursing home markets may help to explain why the NHQI report card effort had a minimal effect on nursing home quality. With the introduction of market-based reforms such as report cards, this result suggests policy makers must also consider market structure in efforts to improve nursing home performance. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  9. Predictive Factors associated with Death of Elderly in Nursing Homes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kiwol Sung, PhD, RN

    2014-06-01

    Conclusion: Dyspnea, problematic behaviors, and ADL data were identified as the key factors associated with death among nursing home residents. Future plans for the prediction of death among nursing home residents can be made by nursing staff, factoring in these identified variables, to ensure more comfortable conditions and more responsive care.

  10. Body weight changes in elderly psychogeriatric nursing home residents

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Knoops, K.T.B.; Slump, E.; Groot, de C.P.G.M.; Wouters-Wesseling, W.; Brouwer, M.L.; Staveren, van W.A.

    2005-01-01

    Objective. This study was undertaken to identify predictors of body weight change in nursing home patients with possible to severe dementia. Methods. For 24 weeks, 108 elderly residents of a nursing home were followed. Body weight was measured every 2 weeks. Other anthropometric characteristics,

  11. Does hospital at home for palliative care facilitate death at home? Randomised controlled trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grande, Gunn E; Todd, Chris J; Barclay, Stephen I G; Farquhar, Morag C

    1999-01-01

    Objective To evaluate the impact on place of death of a hospital at home service for palliative care. Design Pragmatic randomised controlled trial. Setting Former Cambridge health district. Participants 229 patients referred to the hospital at home service; 43 randomised to control group (standard care), 186 randomised to hospital at home. Intervention Hospital at home versus standard care. Main outcome measures Place of death. Results Twenty five (58%) control patients died at home compared with 124 (67%) patients allocated to hospital at home. This difference was not significant; intention to treat analysis did not show that hospital at home increased the number of deaths at home. Seventy three patients randomised to hospital at home were not admitted to the service. Patients admitted to hospital at home were significantly more likely to die at home (88/113; 78%) than control patients. It is not possible to determine whether this was due to hospital at home itself or other characteristics of the patients admitted to the service. The study attained less statistical power than initially planned. Conclusion In a locality with good provision of standard community care we could not show that hospital at home allowed more patients to die at home, although neither does the study refute this. Problems relating to recruitment, attrition, and the vulnerability of the patient group make randomised controlled trials in palliative care difficult. While these difficulties have to be recognised they are not insurmountable with the appropriate resourcing and setting. Key messagesTerminally ill patients allocated to hospital at home were no more likely to die at home than patients receiving standard careAlthough the subsample of patients actually admitted to hospital at home did show a significant increase in likelihood of dying at home, whether this was due to the service itself or the characteristics of patients admitted to hospital at home could not be determinedThe need to

  12. Mapping the literature of home health nursing

    OpenAIRE

    Friedman, Yelena

    2006-01-01

    Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify core journals in home health nursing and to determine how well these journals were covered by indexing and abstracting services. The study was part of the project for mapping the nursing literature of the Medical Library Association's Nursing and Allied Health Resource Section.

  13. RURAL-URBAN DIFFERENCES IN NURSING HOME ACCESS, QUALITY AND COST

    OpenAIRE

    Yu, Wei; Bradford, Garnett L.

    1995-01-01

    Rural-urban differences in the supply of nursing home services as hypothesized to be jointly affected by competitive and regulatory forces, government policies, and the cost structure. Study findings indicate that rural services are slightly less accessible and lower in quality. A translog cost share function reveals no difference in the operating cost structure of rural and urban homes. Cost shares for nursing care are directly related to the degree of skilled nursing provided by homes. Sign...

  14. Barriers to nursing home staff accessing CPD must be broken down.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-09-29

    A study on priorities for the professional development of registered nurses (RNs) in nursing homes published in Age and Ageing ( page 6 ) has identified that staff shortages, lack of access to NHS courses and lack of paid study time are the main reasons why RNs do not access continuing professional development (CPD) activities. Specialist gerontological education for care home nurses was, however, seen as a means to ensure that care home nursing attracts the best people.

  15. Tetanus immunity in nursing home residents of Bolu, Turkey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tamer Ali

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Tetanus is a serious but vaccine-preventable disease and fatality rate of the disease is high in the neonates and the elderly. The aim of this study was to detect the tetanus antibody prevalence in the over sixty-year age residents of the nursing homes in Bolu. Methods A voluntary-based study was done in the residents of two nursing homes in Bolu, Turkey. Blood samples were taken from 71 volunteers residing in there nursing homes. Tetanus IgG antibodies were measured by a commercial ELISA kit. Results Among overall subjects, only 11 (15.7 % had the protective tetanus antibody titers at the time of the study. Totally, 10 subjects were examined in emergency rooms due to trauma or accidents within the last ten years and, four (40% of them had protective antibody levels. Of the remaining 61 subjects only 7 (11% had protective antibody levels (p Conclusions Tetanus antibody level is below the protective level in the majority of the over-sixty-year-age subjects residing in the nursing homes. Each over sixty-year age person in our country should be vaccinated. Until this is accomplished, at least, nursing home residents should be vaccinated during registration.

  16. Nursing leadership in an academic hospital in Gauteng.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maboko, D R

    2012-10-01

    This study was aimed at describing nursing leadership in an academic hospital in Gauteng, South Africa. Nurse managers' leadership styles affect nurses' attitudes, behaviour and work performance. However, little is known about how nurses experience nurse leadership and what leadership styles are found in academic hospitals in Gauteng. The study was based on Maxwell's framework of leadership (relationships, equipping, leadership and attitude). A qualitative design was used in order to describe the experiences of registered nurses and nurse managers. The population of the study was all registered nurses and nurse managers of the hospital in which the study was conducted. In phase one of the study, a discussion group with 35 registered nurses using the nominal group technique was held to respond to the following statement: 'Please explain how you have experienced leadership by nurse managers in this hospital'. In phase two of the study, five nurse managers were interviewed individually, using a semi-structured interview guide. Some nurse managers were practising autocratic leadership in this hospital. he nurse managers need to be taught about contemporary leadership styles such as transformational leadership and visionary leadership and also about supervision, role modelling and caring. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  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. Family Members’ Experience with Hospice in Nursing Homes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gage, L. Ashley; Washington, Karla T.; Oliver, Debra Parker; Lewis, Alexandra; Kruse, Robin L.; Demiris, George

    2014-01-01

    Research has documented numerous benefits and challenges associated with receipt of hospice care in nursing homes; however, study of this partnership from the perspective of residents’ family members has been limited. The purpose of this qualitative investigation was to explore family members’ experience with hospice services received in the nursing home setting. Researchers conducted a secondary data analysis of 175 family member interviews using a thematic analytic approach. Findings highlighted the critical role of communication in supporting residents and their family members. Care coordination, support and oversight, and role confusion also impacted family members’ experience of hospice care in the nursing home. Efforts directed at enhancing communication and more clearly articulating the roles of members of the health care team are indicated. PMID:25422516

  19. Faith and End of Life in Nursing Homes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert L. Rubinstein

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper explores the role of religious belief in the experiences of dying and death in a Catholic nursing home. The home appeals to residents and their families due to the active religious presence. Thus, religion is a salient element of the “local culture” which exists in this long-term care setting. The preeminence of faith within the organization and the personal religious convictions of staff, residents, and families may drive how death and dying are discussed and experienced in this setting, as well as the meanings that are attached to them. This paper examines the relationship between faith and the experience and meaning of death in this nursing home. We present themes that emerged from open-ended interviews with residents, family members, and staff, gathered between 1996 and 2004. The data indicate that people select the home due to their Catholic faith and the home's religious tone. Themes also show that belief in God and an afterlife helps shape the experience of dying and death for our informants. Our paper does not compare ease of dying with other nursing homes or within other belief systems.

  20. Prevalence of skin tears in the extremities among elderly residents at a nursing home in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skiveren, J; Wahlers, B; Bermark, S

    2017-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of skin tears in the extremities and explore factors in relation to skin tears in elderly residents at a Danish nursing home. METHOD: The study was designed as a point prevalence survey and conducted at a nursing home with 140...... residents >65 years of age. The residents were assessed for presence, number and location of skin tears. Data were collected using a data collection sheet developed for this study. The survey team consisted of four expert nurses from a university hospital (two dermatology and two wound care nurses). Data...... were collected over a period of 10 hours spread over two days. RESULTS: Of the 128 participating residents six had skin tears, yielding a prevalence of 4.6 %. In total, 10 skin tears were observed in the 6 residents. The frequency of previous skin tears was 19.5 %. This frequency was significantly...

  1. The role of the hospice social worker in the nursing home setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amar, D F

    1994-01-01

    Data and case examples from two major metropolitan hospice programs are examined in order to arrive at a definition of the hospice social worker's role in the nursing home, and how it differs from that of the hospice social worker in home care. The nursing home population tends to be older, frailer, and with poorer mental status, making them less available to "talk therapies". The nursing home environment itself needs to be assessed as a significant part of the patient/family system. Social work interventions may focus on the patient, the family, the nursing home staff, or any combination of these elements. The hospice social worker on a nursing home team may do less counseling with patients, but the role draws on diverse other skills such as groupwork, negotiation, education, and advocacy.

  2. Improving Nursing Home Staff Knowledge and Attitudes about Pain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Katherine R.; Fink, Regina; Pepper, Ginny; Hutt, Eveyln; Vojir, Carol P.; Scott, Jill; Clark, Lauren; Mellis, Karen

    2004-01-01

    Purpose: Effective pain management remains a serious problem in the nursing home setting. Barriers to achieving optimal pain practices include staff knowledge deficits, biases, and attitudes that influence assessment and management of the residents' pain. Design and Methods: Twelve nursing homes participated in this intervention study: six…

  3. Evaluation of an ultraviolet room disinfection protocol to decrease nursing home microbial burden, infection and hospitalization rates

    OpenAIRE

    Kovach, Christine R.; Taneli, Yavuz; Neiman, Tammy; Dyer, Elaine M.; Arzaga, Alvin Jason A.; Kelber, Sheryl T

    2017-01-01

    Background The focus of nursing home infection control procedures has been on decreasing transmission between healthcare workers and residents. Less evidence is available regarding whether decontamination of high-touch environmental surfaces impacts infection rates or resident outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine if ultraviolet disinfection is associated with changes in: 1) microbial counts and adenosine triphosphate counts on high-touch surfaces; and 2) facility wide nursing ho...

  4. Challenges and Strategies for Prevention of Multidrug-Resistant Organism Transmission in Nursing Homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dumyati, Ghinwa; Stone, Nimalie D; Nace, David A; Crnich, Christopher J; Jump, Robin L P

    2017-04-01

    Nursing home residents are at high risk for colonization and infection with bacterial pathogens that are multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). We discuss challenges and potential solutions to support implementing effective infection prevention and control practices in nursing homes. Challenges include a paucity of evidence that addresses MDRO transmission during the care of nursing home residents, limited staff resources in nursing homes, insufficient infection prevention education in nursing homes, and perceptions by nursing home staff that isolation and contact precautions negatively influence the well being of their residents. A small number of studies provide evidence that specifically address these challenges. Their outcomes support a paradigm shift that moves infection prevention and control practices away from a pathogen-specific approach and toward one that focuses on resident risk factors.

  5. Organizational factors associated with the use of information systems in nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Jullet A; Brannon, Diane; Whitman, Marilyn V

    2009-01-01

    The use of information systems (ISs) in nursing homes is gradually increasing, yet little is known about the factors that promote the use of these systems. Using resource dependency theory as the conceptual framework, this study examines how chain membership, ownership status, and innovativeness are associated with ISs use in nursing homes. We analyzed the results of the 2004 National Nursing Home Survey. The sampling process consisted of a stratified probability design. A total of 1,174 nursing homes participated in the survey. The results of the regression analysis revealed that facilities that were members of a chain were significantly more likely to use all types of ISs and ISs for administrative tasks than were nonchain facilities. In addition, nonprofit nursing homes were significantly more likely to use administrative systems. The demand for nursing home services is expected to increase substantially with the aging baby boomers. The use of ISs may assist nursing homes to improve service delivery by collecting and analyzing service, finance, and administrative data that are necessary to achieve operational efficiencies. Membership in a multifacility chain may both increase the need for network-wide communication and provide resources promoting use.

  6. Antidepressant treatment of depression in rural nursing home residents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerber, Cindy Sullivan; Dyck, Mary J; Culp, Kennith R; Buckwalter, Kathleen

    2008-09-01

    Under-diagnosis and under-treatment of depression are major problems in nursing home residents. The purpose of this study was to determine antidepressant use among nursing home residents who were diagnosed with depression using three different methods: (1) the Geriatric Depression Scale, (2) Minimum Data Set, and (3) primary care provider assessments. As one would expect, the odds of being treated with an antidepressant were about eight times higher for those diagnosed as depressed by the primary care provider compared to the Geriatric Depression Scale or the Minimum Data Set. Men were less likely to be diagnosed and treated with antidepressants by their primary care provider than women. Depression detected by nurses through the Minimum Data Set was treated at a lower rate with antidepressants, which generates issues related to interprofessional communication, nursing staff communication, and the need for geropsychiatric role models in nursing homes.

  7. The effect of laughter therapy on the quality of life of nursing home residents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuru, Nilgun; Kublay, Gulumser

    2017-11-01

    To evaluate the effect of Laughter therapy on the quality of life of nursing home residents. By improving the quality of life of residents living in nursing homes and allowing them to have a healthier existence, their lives can be extended. Therefore, interventions impacting the quality of life of older adults are of critical importance. Quasi-experimental design. The study was conducted between 2 March - 25 May 2015. The experimental group was composed of 32 nursing home residents from one nursing home, while the control group consisted of 33 nursing home residents from another nursing home in the capital city of Turkey. Laughter therapy was applied with nursing home residents of the experimental group two days per week (21 sessions in total). A socio-demographic form and the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) were used for data collection. After the laughter therapy intervention, general and subscales (physical functioning, role-physical, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, role-emotional and spiritual health) quality-of-life scores of residents in the experimental group significantly increased in comparison with the pretest. Laughter therapy improved the quality of life of nursing home residents. Therefore, nursing home management should integrate laughter therapy into health care and laughter therapy should be provided as a routine nursing intervention. The results indicated that the laughter therapy programme had a positive effect on the quality of life of nursing home residents. Nurses can use laughter therapy as an intervention to improve quality of life of nursing home residents. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Assessment of dementia in nursing home residents by nurses and assistants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Lisbeth Uhrskov; Foldspang, Anders; Gulmann, Nils Christian

    2001-01-01

    Objectives To describe the criterion validity of nursing home staff's assessment of organic disorder compared with ICD-10 criteria, and to identify determinants of staff assessment of organic disorder. Method Two hundred and eighty-eight residents were diagnosed using the GMS-AGECAT. Nursing staff...... members were interviewed about the residents' activities of Daily Living, behavioural problems, orientation in surroundings and communication skills, and asked if the resident had an organic disorder. Multiple logistic regression was used to select the items that most strongly determined staff assessment...... as under-labelling of residents, a tendency that will affect communication with medical personnel and may lead to inadequate or wrong medical treatment and to negative performance as well as negative role expectations in everyday life in nursing homes....

  9. Financial performance, employee well-being, and client well-being in for-profit and not-for-profit nursing homes: A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bos, Aline; Boselie, Paul; Trappenburg, Margo

    Expanding the opportunities for for-profit nursing home care is a central theme in the debate on the sustainable organization of the growing nursing home sector in Western countries. We conducted a systematic review of the literature over the last 10 years in order to determine the broad impact of nursing home ownership in the United States. Our review has two main goals: (a) to find out which topics have been studied with regard to financial performance, employee well-being, and client well-being in relation to nursing home ownership and (b) to assess the conclusions related to these topics. The review results in two propositions on the interactions between financial performance, employee well-being, and client well-being as they relate to nursing home ownership. Five search strategies plus inclusion and quality assessment criteria were applied to identify and select eligible studies. As a result, 50 studies were included in the review. Relevant findings were categorized as related to financial performance (profit margins, efficiency), employee well-being (staffing levels, turnover rates, job satisfaction, job benefits), or client well-being (care quality, hospitalization rates, lawsuits/complaints) and then analyzed based on common characteristics. For-profit nursing homes tend to have better financial performance, but worse results with regard to employee well-being and client well-being, compared to not-for-profit sector homes. We argue that the better financial performance of for-profit nursing homes seems to be associated with worse employee and client well-being. For policy makers considering the expansion of the for-profit sector in the nursing home industry, our findings suggest the need for a broad perspective, simultaneously weighing the potential benefits and drawbacks for the organization, its employees, and its clients.

  10. Losing Items in the Psychogeriatric Nursing Home

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. van Hoof PhD

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Losing items is a time-consuming occurrence in nursing homes that is ill described. An explorative study was conducted to investigate which items got lost by nursing home residents, and how this affects the residents and family caregivers. Method: Semi-structured interviews and card sorting tasks were conducted with 12 residents with early-stage dementia and 12 family caregivers. Thematic analysis was applied to the outcomes of the sessions. Results: The participants stated that numerous personal items and assistive devices get lost in the nursing home environment, which had various emotional, practical, and financial implications. Significant amounts of time are spent on trying to find items, varying from 1 hr up to a couple of weeks. Numerous potential solutions were identified by the interviewees. Discussion: Losing items often goes together with limitations to the participation of residents. Many family caregivers are reluctant to replace lost items, as these items may get lost again.

  11. The incidence of depression and its risk factors in Dutch nursing homes and residential care homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boorsma, Marijke; Joling, Karlijn; Dussel, Martine; Ribbe, Miel; Frijters, Dinnus; van Marwijk, Harm W J; Nijpels, Giel; van Hout, Hein

    2012-11-01

    Although it is known that depression is highly prevalent in institutionalized older adults, little is known about its incidence and risk factors in nursing homes and residential care homes. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the incidence and associated risk factors for depression in Dutch nursing homes and residential care homes. Data on depression were extracted from the Vrije Universiteit naturalistic cohort on routine care monitoring with the Minimum Data Set of the Resident Assessment Instrument. A total of 1,324 residents in six nursing homes and 1,723 residents in 23 residential care homes with an average follow-up of 1.2 years. Depression was defined as a clinical diagnosis according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, criteria and the use of antidepressants. Residents with prevalent depression at baseline were excluded. The incidence rate was 13.6 per 100 person years in the nursing homes and 10.2 per 100 person years in the residential care homes. The independent risk factors for in-home depression for residents in nursing homes included dementia (OR: 1.7; 95% CI: 1.02-2.95) and a score of 3 or more on the Depression Rating Scale (odds ratio [OR]: 2.1; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.23-3.70). A protective effect was seen on the use of a hearing aid (OR: 0.3; 95% CI: 0.12-0.80). In the residential care homes, being male (OR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.27-3.30), having cancer (OR: 2.9; 95% CI: 1.64-4.95), and a score of 2 or higher on the Cognitive Performance Scale (OR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.05-2.22) increased the risk to develop depression. Age greater than 85 years (OR: 0.5; 95% CI: 0.31-0.67) and hearing impairment (OR: 0.8; 95% CI: 0.60-1.00) appeared to be protective. The incidence rate for depression in residents of Dutch nursing homes and residential care homes was high and the associated risk factors found may have important implications for staff. 2012 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry

  12. Defining characteristics and risk indicators for diagnosing nursing home-acquired pneumonia and aspiration pneumonia in nursing home residents, using the electronically-modified Delphi Method.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hollaar, V.; Maarel-Wierink, C. van der; Putten, G.J. van der; Sanden, W. van der; Swart, B.J. de; Baat, C. de

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: In nursing home residents, it is not possible to distinguish pneumonia and aspiration pneumonia clinically. International literature reveals no consensus on which and how many characteristics and risk indicators must be present to diagnose (nursing home-acquired) pneumonia and aspiration

  13. Transfer from planned home birth to hospital: improving interprofessional collaboration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vedam, Saraswathi; Leeman, Lawrence; Cheyney, Melissa; Fisher, Timothy J; Myers, Susan; Low, Lisa Kane; Ruhl, Catherine

    2014-01-01

    Women's heightened interest in choice of birthplace and increased rates of planned home birth in the United States have been well documented, yet there remains significant public and professional debate about the ethics of planned home birth in jurisdictions where care is not clearly integrated across birth settings. Simultaneously, the quality of interprofessional interactions is recognized as a predictor of health outcomes during obstetric events. When care is transferred across birth settings, confusion and conflict among providers with respect to roles and responsibilities can adversely affect both outcomes and the experience of care for women and newborns. This article reviews findings of recent North American studies that examine provider attitudes toward planned home birth, differing concepts of safety of birthplace as reported by women and providers, and sources of conflict among maternity care providers during transfer from home to hospital. Emerging evidence and clinical exemplars can inform the development of systems for seamless transfer of women and newborns from planned home births to hospital and improve experience and perceptions of safety among families and providers. Three successful models in the United States that have enhanced multidisciplinary cooperation and coordination of care across birth settings are described. Finally, best practice guidelines for roles, communication, and mutual accommodation among all participating providers when transfer occurs are introduced. Research, health professional education, and policy recommendations for incorporation of key components into existing health care systems in the United States are included. © 2014 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  14. The Need for Higher Minimum Staffing Standards in U.S. Nursing Homes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrington, Charlene; Schnelle, John F.; McGregor, Margaret; Simmons, Sandra F.

    2016-01-01

    Many U.S. nursing homes have serious quality problems, in part, because of inadequate levels of nurse staffing. This commentary focuses on two issues. First, there is a need for higher minimum nurse staffing standards for U.S. nursing homes based on multiple research studies showing a positive relationship between nursing home quality and staffing and the benefits of implementing higher minimum staffing standards. Studies have identified the minimum staffing levels necessary to provide care consistent with the federal regulations, but many U.S. facilities have dangerously low staffing. Second, the barriers to staffing reform are discussed. These include economic concerns about costs and a focus on financial incentives. The enforcement of existing staffing standards has been weak, and strong nursing home industry political opposition has limited efforts to establish higher standards. Researchers should study the ways to improve staffing standards and new payment, regulatory, and political strategies to improve nursing home staffing and quality. PMID:27103819

  15. Home nurses' turnover intentions: the impact of informal supervisory feedback and self-efficacy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Waeyenberg, Thomas; Decramer, Adelien; Anseel, Frederik

    2015-12-01

    To examine how home nurses' turnover intentions are affected by the quality and frequency of supervisory feedback and by their own self-efficacy. Little is known about effective retention strategies for the growing home healthcare sector that struggles to retain an adequate workforce. While the work environment and supervisors have been found to play a key-role in nurses' turnover intentions, home nurses mostly work autonomously and apart from their supervisors. These circumstances require a customized approach and need to be understood to ensure high-quality home health care. We used a correlational, cross-sectional survey design. A convenience sample of 312 home nurses was selected from a division of a large home health care organization in Flanders, Belgium. Data were collected in 2013 using structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics, structural equation modelling and relative weight analysis. The quality of feedback was related to lower levels of turnover intentions. This relationship was fully mediated by home nurses' self-efficacy. Frequent favourable feedback was directly related to lower turnover intentions while the relationship between frequent unfavourable feedback and turnover intentions was conditional on home nurses' level of self-efficacy. This study contributes to our understanding of home nurses' turnover intentions and the role of informal supervisory feedback and home nurses' self-efficacy. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Perioperative nursing in public university hospitals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Erik Elgaard; Olsen, Ida Østrup; Tewes, Marianne

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND: In recent years, perioperative nursing has received ongoing attention as part of an interprofessional collaboration. Perioperative nursing is constantly faced with new challenges and opportunities that necessitate continual updates of nursing knowledge and technical skills. In light...... of the longstanding relationship between nursing and technology, it is interesting that few studies with this focus have been performed. Therefore, our research question was: What is the content of perioperative nursing and how do nurses facilitate the interaction between nursing care and technology in highly...... specialized operating rooms in public university hospitals? METHODS: An ethnography involving participant observations and interviews was conducted during a 9-month study period. The participants comprised 24 nurses from 9 different operating wards at 2 university hospitals in different regions of Denmark...

  17. [Diabetes care and incidence of severe hypoglycemia in nursing home facilities and nursing services: The Heidelberg Diabetes Study].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bahrmann, A; Wörz, E; Specht-Leible, N; Oster, P; Bahrmann, P

    2015-04-01

    The goal of this study was to perform a structured analysis of the treatment quality and acute complications of geriatric patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) cared for by nursing services and nursing home facilities. Secondly, structural problems and potentials for improvement in the care of multimorbid older people with DM treated by nursing homes and nursing services were analysed from the viewpoint of geriatric nurses, managers of nursing homes and general practitioners. In all, 77 older persons with DM from 13 nursing homes and 3 nursing services were included in the analysis (76.6% female, HbA1c 6.9 ± 1.4%, age 81.6 ± 9.9 years). Structural problems and potentials for improvement were collected from 95 geriatric nurses, 9 managers of nursing homes and 6 general practitioners using semistandardized questionnaires. Metabolic control was too strict in care-dependent older people with DM (mean HbA1c value: 6.9 ± 1.4 %; recommended by guidelines: 7-8%). The measurement of HbA1c was performed in 16 of 77 people (20.8%) within the last year despite a high visitation frequency of the general practitioners (12.7 ± 7.7 within the last 6 months). The incidence of severe hypoglycemia was 7.8%/patient/year. Regarding the management in case of diabetes-related acute complications 33 geriatric nurses (34.7%) stated not having any written standard (nursing home 39%, geriatric services 16.7%). Complex insulin therapies are still used in older people with DM with the consequence of a high incidence of severe hypoglycemia. Concrete management standards in the case of diabetes-related acute complications for geriatric nurses are lacking for more than one third of the nursing services.

  18. Observational Learning among Older Adults Living in Nursing Homes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Story, Colleen D.

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate learning by older adults living in nursing homes through observational learning based on Bandura's (1977) social learning theory. This quantitative study investigated if older adults could learn through observation. The nursing homes in the study were located in the midwestern United States. The…

  19. Pain management in the nursing home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dumas, Linda G; Ramadurai, Murali

    2009-06-01

    This article is about pain management and some of the best practices to address the problem of pain in nursing home patients who have a serious illness and multiple comorbid conditions. Management of the emotional distress that accompanies chronic or acute pain is of foremost concern. In this article, the topics discussed include general pain management in a nursing home for a long-term care resident who has chronic pain, the relief of symptoms and suffering in a patient who is on palliative care and hospice, and the pain management of a postoperative patient with acute pain for a short transitional period (post-acute illness or surgery).

  20. Quality of care in Norwegian nursing homes - typology of family perceptions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vinsnes, Anne G; Nakrem, Sigrid; Harkless, Gene E; Seim, Arnfinn

    2012-01-01

    This study aimed to elucidate the understandings and beliefs about quality held by family members of residents of Norwegian nursing homes. The objective reported in the study considers how family member judge factors that enhance or hamper high care quality. The percentage of those who will require care in a nursing home some time before the end of their lives will increase dramatically in the next 20 years. Therefore, anticipating this pressure to expand nursing home availability, it is urgent that these services are developed from a keen understanding of what creates the best value. Care quality from the family's perspective is just one piece of the nursing home experience that must be understood for optimal value in care to be realised. Qualitative methodology. Three focus group interviews; purposive sampling was used to recruit the 16 family members of residents in nursing homes. Three domains emerged that served as anchors for a typology of family perceptions of the quality care continuum: resident contentment, suitability of staff and environmental context. Each domain was developed with categories describing high- to low-quality markers, which were then clarified by enhancing and hindering factors. This typology provides a family perspective framework that may be useful to nursing leadership at all levels of the nursing home organisation to identify important quality of care strengths as well as markers of poor care. Overall, the typology is offered to expand nurses' understanding of quality, both practically and conceptually, to provide the best value in nursing care. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  1. How Home Health Nurses Plan Their Work Schedules: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Irani, Elliane; Hirschman, Karen B; Cacchione, Pamela Z; Bowles, Kathryn H

    2018-06-12

    To describe how home health nurses plan their daily work schedules and what challenges they face during the planning process. Home health nurses are viewed as independent providers and value the nature of their work because of the flexibility and autonomy they hold in developing their work schedules. However, there is limited empirical evidence about how home health nurses plan their work schedules, including the factors they consider during the process and the challenges they face within the dynamic home health setting. Qualitative descriptive design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 registered nurses who had greater than 2 years of experience in home health and were employed by one of the three participating home health agencies in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Four themes emerged about planning work schedules and daily itineraries: identifying patient needs to prioritize visits accordingly, partnering with patients to accommodate their preferences, coordinating visit timing with other providers to avoid overwhelming patients, and working within agency standards to meet productivity requirements. Scheduling challenges included readjusting the schedule based on patient needs and staffing availability, anticipating longer visits, and maintaining continuity of care with patients. Home health nurses make autonomous decisions regarding their work schedules while considering specific patient and agency factors, and overcome challenges related to the unpredictable nature of providing care in a home health setting. Future research is needed to further explore nurse productivity in home health and improve home health work environments. Home health nurses plan their work schedules to provide high quality care that is patient-centered and timely. The findings also highlight organizational priorities to facilitate continuity of care and support nurses while alleviating the burnout

  2. Exploring correlates of turnover among nursing assistants in the National Nursing Home Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Temple, April; Dobbs, Debra; Andel, Ross

    2011-01-01

    High turnover of nursing assistants (NAs) has implications for the quality of nursing home care. Greater understanding of correlates of NA turnover is needed to provide insight into possible retention strategies. This study examined nursing home organizational characteristics and specific job characteristics of staff in relation to turnover of NAs. Cross-sectional data on 944 nationally representative nursing homes were derived from the 2004 National Nursing Home Survey. Using a 3-month turnover rate, 25% of the facilities with the lowest turnover rates were classified as low turnover, 25% of the facilities with the highest turnover were classified as high turnover, and the remaining 50% of the facilities were classified as moderate turnover. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine organizational and job characteristics associated with low and high turnover compared with moderate turnover. One organizational characteristic, staffing levels at or greater than 4.0 hours per patient day, was associated with greater odds of low NA turnover and reduced odds of high NA turnover. Job characteristics including higher wages and union membership were associated with greater odds of low NA turnover, whereas wages, fully paid health insurance, employee assistance benefits, and involvement in resident care planning were associated with reduced odds of high NA turnover. The results of this study suggest that job characteristics of NA staff may be particularly important for turnover. Specifically, the provision of competitive wages and benefits (particularly health insurance) and involvement of NAs in resident care planning could potentially reduce NA turnover, as could maintaining high levels of nurse staffing.

  3. Estimating the costs associated with malnutrition in Dutch nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meijers, Judith M M; Halfens, Ruud J G; Wilson, Lisa; Schols, Jos M G A

    2012-02-01

    Malnutrition in western health care involves a tremendous burden of illness. In this study the economic implications of malnutrition in Dutch nursing homes are investigated as part of the Health and Economic Impact of Malnutrition in Europe Study from the European Nutrition for Health Alliance. A questionnaire was developed, focussing on the additional time and resources spent to execute all relevant nutritional activities in nursing home patients with at risk of malnutrition or malnourished. Results were extrapolated on national level, based on the prevalence rates gathered within the national Prevalence Measurement of Care Problems 2009. The normal nutritional costs are 319 million Euro per year. The total additional costs of managing the problem of malnutrition in Dutch nursing homes involve 279 million Euro per year and are related to extra efforts in nutritional screening, monitoring and treatment. The extra costs for managing nursing home residents at risk of malnutrition are 8000 euro per patient and 10000 euro for malnourished patients. The extra costs related to malnutrition are a considerable burden for the nursing home sector and urge for preventive measures. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Midwifery Provision of Home Birth Services: American College of Nurse-Midwives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-01-01

    The number of women in the United States choosing to give birth at home has risen substantially in the past decade, creating an increased need for understanding of the evidence regarding the provision of midwifery care to women and families considering this option. The safety of home birth has been evaluated in observational studies in several industrialized nations, including the United States. Most studies find that women who are essentially healthy at term with a singleton fetus and give birth at home have positive outcomes and a lower rate of interventions during labor. Although some studies have found increased neonatal morbidity and mortality in newborns born at home when compared to newborns born in a hospital, the absolute numbers reported in both birth sites are very low. The purpose of this clinical bulletin is to review the evidence on provision of care to women and families who plan to give birth at home, including roles and responsibilities, shared decision making, informed consent, and ongoing assessment for birth site selection. © 2015 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  5. Turnover, staffing, skill mix, and resident outcomes in a national sample of US nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trinkoff, Alison M; Han, Kihye; Storr, Carla L; Lerner, Nancy; Johantgen, Meg; Gartrell, Kyungsook

    2013-12-01

    The authors examined the relationship of staff turnover to selected nursing home quality outcomes, in the context of staffing and skill mix. Staff turnover is a serious concern in nursing homes as it has been found to adversely affect care. When employee turnover is minimized, better care quality is more likely in nursing homes. Data from the National Nursing Home Survey, a nationally representative sample of US nursing homes, were linked to Nursing Home Compare quality outcomes and analyzed using logistic regression. Nursing homes with high certified nursing assistant turnover had significantly higher odds of pressure ulcers, pain, and urinary tract infections even after controlling for staffing, skill mix, bed size, and ownership. Nurse turnover was associated with twice the odds of pressure ulcers, although this was attenuated when staffing was controlled. This study suggests turnover may be more important in explaining nursing home (NH) outcomes than staffing and skill mix and should therefore be given greater emphasis.

  6. Home birth in North America: attitudes and practice of US certified nurse-midwives and Canadian registered midwives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vedam, Saraswathi; Stoll, Kathrin; Schummers, Laura; Rogers, Judy; Paine, Lisa L

    2014-01-01

    Scope of practice, competencies, and philosophy of maternity practice are similar among midwives in the United States and Canada. However, there are marked differences in intrapartum practice sites between registered midwives (RMs) and certified nurse-midwives (CNMs). This study linked data from 2 national surveys: 1) a 2007 survey of CNM members of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (n = 1893); and 2) the Canadian Birth Place Study of maternity providers, including RM members of the Canadian Association of Midwives (n = 451) to compare the demographics, practice experience, and attitudes to home birth between these 2 types of North American midwives. A Provider Attitudes To Planned Home Birth scale-international (PAPHB-i) was developed for this analysis. Descriptive and bivariate analyses are presented. Educational exposure to planned home birth varied greatly when comparing CNMs and RMs, as did practice patterns regarding continuity of care, primary and gynecologic care, and involvement with research and teaching. Registered midwives were almost 4 times more likely than CNMs to have practiced in the home (99.1% vs 26.0%). Certified nurse-midwives scored significantly lower than RMs on the PAPHB-i scale (36.5 vs 41.0), indicating less favorable attitudes toward home birth overall. Certified nurse-midwives were less confident than RMs in their management skills for home birth practice. Age, exposure to planned home birth during midwifery education, and practice experience in the home setting emerged as significant covariates of attitudes toward home birth. Significantly more RMs and CNMs with home birth experience expressed concerns about disapproval of hospital-based peers, but they were significantly less likely to agree that midwives face other systemic barriers than CNMs with no home birth experience. Differences in favorability toward and confidence with practice during planned home births among CNMs and RMs were predicted associated with differences in

  7. Father Attendance in Nurse Home Visitation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holmberg, John R.; Olds, David L.

    2015-01-01

    Our aim was to examine the rates and predictors of father attendance at nurse home visits in replication sites of the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP). Early childhood programs can facilitate father involvement in the lives of their children, but program improvements require an understanding of factors that predict father involvement. The sample consisted of 29,109 low-income, first-time mothers who received services from 694 nurses from 80 sites. We conducted mixed-model multiple regression analyses to identify population, implementation, site, and nurse influences on father attendance. Predictors of father attendance included a count of maternal visits (B = 0.12, SE = 0.01, F = 3101.77), frequent contact between parents (B = 0.61, SE = 0.02, F = 708.02), cohabitation (B = 1.41, SE = 0.07, F = 631.51), White maternal race (B = 0.77, SE = 0.06, F = 190.12), and marriage (B = 0.42, SE = 0.08, F = 30.08). Random effects for sites and nurses predicted father-visit participation (2.7 & 6.7% of the variance, respectively), even after controlling for population sociodemographic characteristics. These findings suggest that factors operating at the levels of sites and nurses influence father attendance at home visits, even after controlling for differences in populations served. Further inquiry about these influences on father visit attendance is likely to inform program-improvement efforts. PMID:25521707

  8. Nurses speak out for home care: winning the last great civil rights battle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halamandaris, Val J

    2009-06-01

    In closing, it is clear that home care nurses are a very special breed. They are missionaries, committed to the goal of helping vulnerable Americans manage their health care needs and to preserving the freedoms and the independence that everyone cherishes. As is clear from the vignettes above, their first and last thoughts each day are for the well-being of their patients. They are so busy providing sophisticated care for a raft of complex medical problems common to their patients and filling out Medicare forms that they sometimes forget to take care of themselves. There is no doubt that they make a difference in the lives of patients and their families. Historically, nurses have been reluctant to take time away from caring for patients to take part in politics. As is evident from the summaries above and the stories of nurses from all 50 states that follow, nurses have had a change of heart. They have reached the conclusion that they must advocate for the aged, infirm, disabled and dying patients because patients cannot speak out for themselves. More and more nurses are becoming involved. One out of every 44 voters today is a nurse. Nurses show up at the polls; home care nurses have made it their responsibility to help make sure that homebound person vote by absentee ballot. They are also committed to march, to speak out for home care and hospice in what more and more are coming to call The Last Great Civil Rights Battle. They are also pushing for the inclusion of home and community based long-term care as part of national health care reform. They believe that home care is the answer to keeping the 12 percent of Americans who suffer from multiple chronic diseases and generate 75 percent of U.S. health care costs out of the hospital. The historian Arnold Toynbee put all these issues in perspective when he wrote that it is possible to measure the longevity and the accomplishment of any society by a common yardstick. I heard President John F. Kennedy quote Toynbee in

  9. Opioid interruptions, pain, and withdrawal symptoms in nursing home residents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Redding, Sarah E; Liu, Sophia; Hung, William W; Boockvar, Kenneth S

    2014-11-01

    Interruptions in opioid use have the potential to cause pain relapse and withdrawal symptoms. The objectives of this study were to observe patterns of opioid interruption during acute illness in nursing home residents and examine associations between interruptions and pain and withdrawal symptoms. Patients from 3 nursing homes in a metropolitan area who were prescribed opioids were assessed for symptoms of pain and withdrawal by researchers blinded to opioid dosage received, using the Brief Pain Inventory Scale and the Clinical Opioid Withdrawal Scale, respectively, during prespecified time periods. The prespecified time periods were 2 weeks after onset of acute illness (eg, urinary tract infection), and 2 weeks after hospital admission and nursing home readmission, if they occurred. Opioid dosing was recorded and a significant interruption was defined as a complete discontinuation or a reduction in dose of >50% for ≥1 day. The covariates age, sex, race, comorbid conditions, initial opioid dose, and initial pain level were recorded. Symptoms pre- and post-opioid interruptions were compared and contrasted with those in a group without opioid interruptions. Sixty-six patients receiving opioids were followed for a mean of 10.9 months and experienced a total of 104 acute illnesses. During 64 (62%) illnesses, patients experienced any reduction in opioid dosing, with a mean (SD) dose reduction of 63.9% (29.9%). During 39 (38%) illnesses, patients experienced a significant opioid interruption. In a multivariable model, residence at 1 of the 3 nursing homes was associated with a lower risk of interruption (odds ratio = 0.073; 95% CI, 0.009 to 0.597; P pain score (difference -0.50 [2.66]; 95% CI, -3.16 to 2.16) and withdrawal score (difference -0.91 [3.12]; 95% CI, -4.03 to 2.21) after the interruption as compared with before interruption. However, when compared with patients without interruptions, patients with interruptions experienced larger increases in pain scores

  10. Coming and staying: a qualitative exploration of Registered Nurses' experiences working in nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prentice, Dawn; Black, Margaret

    2007-09-01

    Aim. This paper reports on a qualitative study that explored the reasons why Registered Nurses (RNs) chose to work in nursing homes in Southern Ontario, Canada and what factors attracted them to remain. Background.  There is a paucity of information about factors associated with the recruitment and retention of RNs within long-term care (LTC) in Canada. As the population of older people is growing in Canada and elsewhere, it is essential that we better understand what attracts RNs to work and remain in this setting. Design and method. A case study approach was used in this study of nine RNs working in three nursing homes. Data were collected through in-depth interviews. Findings. Six sub-themes were identified: 'Job of Choice', 'Job of Convenience', 'Caring for the Residents', 'A Supportive Environment', 'Heavy Workload' and 'Supervisory Role of the RN'. Conclusion. Nurses chose to work in the nursing home because it was a 'Job of Convenience'. However, characteristics of the organizational environment played a major role in their remaining. Also, the caring relationship with residents played a role in the nurses remaining in this setting. Relevance to clinical practice. Strategies are provided that nurse managers may consider when planning recruitment and retention activities for LTC settings.

  11. Being a nurse in nursing home for patients on the edge of life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hov, Reidun; Athlin, Elsy; Hedelin, Birgitta

    2009-12-01

    Nurses in nursing homes care for patients with complex health problems that need to be followed up by medical treatment. Most patients benefit from the treatment, but for some the treatment seems only to lengthen their death process. Sometimes questions are raised as to whether life-sustaining treatment should be withheld/withdrawn. Decisions related to such questions are difficult to make as some patients are 'on the edge of life', which is understood as a transition between living and dying with an unpredictable outcome, whether the illness will lead to recovery or dying. The aim of this study was to acquire a deeper understanding of what it is to be a nurse in a nursing home for patients on the edge of life. The research design was qualitative, based on hermeneutic phenomenology. Fourteen nurses at two nursing homes were interviewed twice. The result shows that when facing a patient on the edge of life, the nurses were challenged as professionals and as human beings. Two main themes were identified, which included two sub-themes each. The first main theme: 'striving to do right and good for everyone' included the sub-themes 'feeling certain, but accompanied by uncertainty' and 'being caught between too much responsibility and too little formal power'. The second main theme: 'being a vulnerable helper--the prize and the price', contained the sub-themes 'needing emotional protection in professional commitment' and 'feeling undervalued in spite of professional pride'. The essence was: 'being a lonely and enduring struggler between opposite poles'. The findings revealed paradoxes in nurses' work which might threaten nurses' professional identity and put heavy demands on their professional performance. There is a need for formal involvement in end-of-life decisions from nurses, further education and support to nurses related to patients on the edge of life.

  12. Articulation Matrix for Home Health Aide, Nursing Assistant, Patient Care Assistant, Practical Nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Florida State Univ., Tallahassee. Center for Instructional Development and Services.

    This document demonstrates the relationships among four Florida nursing education programs (home health aide, nursing assistant, patient care assistant, and practical nursing) by listing student performance standards and indicating which ones are required in each program. The 268 student performance standards are arranged in 23 areas of…

  13. Characteristics of visiting nurse agencies with high home death rates: A prefecture-wide study in Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kashiwagi, Masayo; Tamiya, Nanako; Murata, Masako

    2015-08-01

    The purpose of the present study was to identify characteristics of visiting nurse agencies (VNA) in Japan with high home death rates by a prefecture-wide survey. A cross-sectional study of visiting nurse agencies (n = 101) in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, was completed. Data included the basic characteristics of each VNA, the type of services provided, level of coordination with other service providers, total number of VNA patients who died per year and place of death and contractual relationship with home-care supporting clinics providing end-of-life care services in the home 24 h a day. The VNA characteristics were analyzed by logistic regression, using the home death rate per VNA as a dependent variable. A total 69 agencies, excluding those that did not report number of deaths (n = 14) and those without deaths during the year (n = 6), were analyzed. The median home death rate of the 69 VNA was 29.8%. The results of logistic regression analysis showed that higher home death rate was significantly associated with lack of attachment to a hospital, existence of a contractual relationship with home-care supporting clinics and existence of an interactive information exchange through telephone/face-to-face communication with attending physicians. In order to increase the home death rate of people using VNA, policymakers must consider establishing home-based service systems within the community that can provide home end-of-life care services 24 h a day, and support the interactive exchange of information between the visiting nurse and the attending physician. © 2014 The Authors. Geriatrics & Gerontology International published by Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd on behalf of Japanese Geriatrics Society.

  14. Prevention and control of catheter-associated urinary tract infections – implementation of the recommendations of the Commission for Hospital Hygiene and Infection Prevention (KRINKO in nursing homes for the elderly in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heudorf, Ursel

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Urinary tract infections range among the most frequent infections not only in hospital patients but also in residents of long-term care facilities for the elderly. Urinary catheters are the greatest risk factor for urinary tract infections. In the guidance paper on the “prevention of infections in nursing homes” (2005 as well as in the updated recommendations for the “prevention and control of catheter-associated urinary tract infections” (2015, the Commission for Hospital Hygiene and Infection Prevention (KRINKO has recommended adequate preventive measures. In 2015, the implementation of these KRINKO recommendations was investigated.Method: All of Frankfurt’s 40 nursing homes were evaluated using a checklist based on the KRINKO recommendations. The evaluation included assessing the availability of operating instructions, appropriate indications for the placement of catheters etc. Age, sex and duration of catheterization, as well as current and previous infections within the past 6 months were documented for every resident with a catheter.Results: In 35 (87.5% of the nursing homes, operating instructions for the handling of urinary tract catheters were available. The decision as to whether a catheter is indicated is made by physicians, while its placement is often delegated to the nursing service. Typically, silicon catheters are used. In three-quarters of the nursing homes, regular intervals of 4–6 weeks for changing catheters were reported. On the respective survey day, 7.3% of the residents were catheterized. On the survey day, 3.6% (4.2% and in the previous 6 months a total of 28% (28.9% of the residents had a urinary tract infection (prevalence of antibiotic therapy in parentheses. Ciprofloxacin was used most often followed by cefuroxime and cotrimoxazole.Discussion: In the current evaluation, fewer nursing home residents were catheterized than in previous years and the rate of urinary tract infections was low

  15. Association Between Hospital Admission Risk Profile Score and Skilled Nursing or Acute Rehabilitation Facility Discharges in Hospitalized Older Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Stephen K; Montgomery, Justin; Yan, Yu; Mecchella, John N; Bartels, Stephen J; Masutani, Rebecca; Batsis, John A

    2016-10-01

    To evaluate whether the Hospital Admission Risk Profile (HARP) score is associated with skilled nursing or acute rehabilitation facility discharge after an acute hospitalization. Retrospective cohort study. Inpatient unit of a rural academic medical center. Hospitalized individuals aged 70 and older from October 1, 2013 to June 1, 2014. Participant age at the time of admission, modified Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination score, and self-reported instrumental activities of daily living 2 weeks before admission were used to calculate HARP score. The primary predictor was HARP score, and the primary outcome was discharge disposition (home, facility, deceased). Multivariate analysis was used to evaluate the association between HARP score and discharge disposition, adjusting for age, sex, comorbidities, and length of stay. Four hundred twenty-eight individuals admitted from home were screened and their HARP scores were categorized as low (n = 162, 37.8%), intermediate (n = 157, 36.7%), or high (n = 109, 25.5%). Participants with high HARP scores were significantly more likely to be discharged to a facility (55%) than those with low HARP scores (20%) (P risk of skilled nursing or acute rehabilitation facility discharge. Early identification for potential facility discharges may allow for targeted interventions to prevent functional decline, improve informed shared decision-making about post-acute care needs, and expedite discharge planning. © 2016, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2016, The American Geriatrics Society.

  16. The effect of Channeling on in-home utilization and subsequent nursing home care: a simultaneous equation perspective.

    OpenAIRE

    Rabiner, D J; Stearns, S C; Mutran, E

    1994-01-01

    OBJECTIVE. This study explored the relationship between participation in a home/community-based long-term care case management intervention (known as the Channeling demonstration), use of formal in-home care, and subsequent nursing home utilization. STUDY DESIGN. Structural analysis of the randomized Channeling intervention was conducted to decompose the total effects of Channeling on nursing home use into direct and indirect effects. DATA COLLECTION METHOD. Secondary data analysis of the Nat...

  17. Medication reconciliation in nursing homes: thematic differences between RN and LPN staff.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogelsmeier, Amy A; Scott-Cawiezell, Jill R; Pepper, Ginette A

    2011-12-01

    The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to describe medication reconciliation practices in nursing homes with a specific focus on nursing staff involvement in the process. The study was conducted in eight Midwestern nursing homes and included 46 onsite observations of resident transfers to the nursing home. Informal interviews of nursing staff performing medication reconciliation were conducted during each observation. Findings suggest nursing home nursing staff, including both RN and licensed practical nurse (LPN) staff, were primarily responsible for performing medication reconciliation; however, these staff often varied in how they processed resident transfer information to identify medication order discrepancies. Patterns of differences were found related to their perceptions about medication reconciliation, as well as their actions when performing the process. RN staff were more often focused on resident safety and putting the "big picture" together, whereas LPN staff were more often focused on the administrative assignment and "completing the task." Copyright 2011, SLACK Incorporated.

  18. Determinants of staff job satisfaction of caregivers in two nursing homes in Pennsylvania

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Degenholtz Howard

    2006-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Job satisfaction is important for nursing home staff and nursing home management, as it is associated with absenteeism, turnover, and quality of care. However, we know little about factors associated with job satisfaction and dissatisfaction for nursing home workers. Methods In this investigation, we use data from 251 caregivers (i.e., Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, and Nurse Aides to examine: job satisfaction scores of these caregivers and what characteristics of these caregivers are associated with job satisfaction. The data were collected from two nursing homes over a two and a half year period with five waves of data collection at six-month intervals. The Job Description Index was used to collect job satisfaction data. Results We find that, overall nursing home caregivers are satisfied with the work and coworkers, but are less satisfied with promotional opportunities, superiors, and compensation. From exploratory factor analysis three domains represented the data, pay, management, and work. Nurse aides appear particularly sensitive to the work domain. Of significance, we also find that caregivers who perceived the quality of care to be high have higher job satisfaction on all three domains than those who do not. Conclusion These results may be important in guiding caregiver retention initiatives in nursing homes. The finding for quality may be especially important, and indicates that nursing homes that improve their quality may have a positive impact on job satisfaction of staff, and thereby reduce their turnover rates.

  19. Effect of Nursing Home Staff Training on Quality of Patient Survival.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linn, Margaret W.; And Others

    1989-01-01

    Assessed effects of nursing home staff training in care for the dying on quality of life of 306 terminally ill patients in 5 pairs of matched nursing homes assigned randomly to trained and not trained staff groups. Patients in trained homes had less depression and greater satisfaction with care than patients in control homes at 1 and 3 months.…

  20. The moral geography of home care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liaschenko, J

    1994-12-01

    One result of the historical division of labor between nurses and physicians is that nurses became the eyes and ears of the physician, extending their perceptual capabilities across space and time. This "gaze of medicine" has evolved with the rise of technology, hospitals, and the medical profession to a sort of scientific totalitarianism. Protecting and enhancing patient agency, which is part of the moral work of nursing practice, can be difficult under such circumstances. Yet the geography of sickness is changing as patients move from the hospital back to the home. Because home is thought of as private, as the patient's domain, nurses may think that supporting patient agency will be easier with this transformation of health care. But that assumption may not be warranted since the gaze of medicine will follow patients and change the landscape of the home. The challenge for nursing will be to sharpen the "gaze of nursing," which is an antidote to the strictly biomedical understanding of disease.

  1. Compliance to Universal Design Criteria in Nursing Homes of Tehran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Morteza Nasiri

    2016-07-01

    Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that the majority of nursing homes evaluated did not follow the universal design criteria. Therefore, providing the proper guidelines and policies to promote the universal design observance in nursing homes is considered as a major necessity.

  2. [Hospitality as an expression of nursing care].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barra, Daniela Couto Carvalho; Waterkemper, Roberta; Kempfer, Silvana Silveira; Carraro, Telma Elisa; Radünz, Vera

    2010-01-01

    Qualitative research whose purpose was to reflect and argue about the relationship between hospitality, care and nursing according to experiences of PhD students. The research was developed from theoretic and practical meeting carried through by disciplines "the care in Nursing and Health" of PhD nursing Program at Santa Catarina Federal University. Its chosen theoretical frame of Hospitality perspective while nursing care. Data were collected applying a semi-structured questionnaire at ten doctoral students. The analysis of the data was carried through under the perspective of the content analysis according to Bardin. Hospitality it is imperative for the individuals adaptation in the hospital context or any area where it is looking for health care.

  3. Preventing Rehospitalization through effective home health nursing care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasquez, Monica S

    2009-01-01

    To identify strategies to improve patient outcomes and prevent rehospitalizations in home healthcare. PRIMARY PRACTICE SETTINGS(S): Primarily for home healthcare but can also be a tool for all other fields in nursing. Through team collaboration and the proper resources, patient outcomes can improve and be cost-effective for home healthcare agencies despite the changes implemented after the Medicare change in payment for services, the prospective payment system. The main goal for home healthcare is to improve patient outcomes. Nurses experienced in case management can devise creative strategies to ensure patient outcomes are met in a cost-effective manner. With continuous changes in reimbursement and payment incentives, case managers in every level of care must know about, and be responsible for, fiscal initiatives.

  4. The competencies of Registered Nurses working in care homes: a modified Delphi study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stanyon, Miriam Ruth; Goldberg, Sarah Elizabeth; Astle, Anita; Griffiths, Amanda; Gordon, Adam Lee

    2017-07-01

    registered Nurses (RNs) working in UK care homes receive most of their training in acute hospitals. At present the role of care home nursing is underdeveloped and it is seen as a low status career. We describe here research to define core competencies for RNs working in UK care homes. a two-stage process was adopted. A systematic literature review and focus groups with stakeholders provided an initial list of competencies. The competency list was modified over three rounds of a Delphi process with a multi-disciplinary expert panel of 28 members. twenty-two competencies entered the consensus process, all competencies were amended and six split. Thirty-one competencies were scored in round two, eight were agreed as essential, one competency was split into two. Twenty-four competencies were submitted for scoring in round three. In total, 22 competencies were agreed as essential for RNs working in care homes. A further 10 competencies did not reach consensus. the output of this study is an expert-consensus list of competencies for RNs working in care homes. This would be a firm basis on which to build a curriculum for this staff group. © 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. Drivers of change: Learning from the lived experiences of nursing home social workers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Ahyoung Anna; Lee, Sharon Narae; Armour, Marilyn

    2016-01-01

    In response to the growing attention to integrated health care and the cultural change movement in nursing homes, this study examines the lived experiences of nursing home social workers to better understand their role perceptions, job satisfaction, and relationship with other staff members. Hermeneutic phenomenology was used in order to understand the lived experience of being a nursing home social worker. Ten nursing home social workers were recruited from a southern state and individual interviews were conducted. From the interviews, four themes emerged: challenge, coping, mattering, and rewarding. Guided by identity negotiation theory and social identity theory, these findings are discussed. Also, implications for social work education, nursing home administration, and policy is discussed.

  6. Ethics and quality care in nursing homes: Relatives' experiences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jakobsen, Rita; Sellevold, Gerd Sylvi; Egede-Nissen, Veslemøy; Sørlie, Venke

    2017-01-01

    A total of 71,000 people in Norway suffer from some form of dementia in 2013, of whom approximately 30,000 are in nursing homes. Several studies focus on the experiences of those who have close relatives and who are staying in a nursing home. Results show that a greater focus on cooperation between nursing staff and relatives is a central prerequisite for an increased level of care. Benefits of developing systematic collaboration practices include relief for nursing staff, less stress, and greater mutual understanding. Going through studies focusing on the experiences of nursing home patients' relatives, negative experiences are in the majority. In this study, relatives are invited to share positive experiences regarding the care of their loved ones; a slightly different perspective, in other words. The aim of the study is to investigate relatives of persons with dementia's experiences with quality care in nursing homes. The study is a part of a larger project called Hospice values in the care for persons with dementia and is based on a qualitative design where data are generated through narrative interviews. The chosen method of analysis is the phenomenological-hermeneutical method for the study of lived experiences. Participants and research context: Participants in the project were eight relatives of persons with dementia who were living in nursing homes, long-term residences. The sampling was targeted, enrolment happened through collective invitation. All relatives interested were included. Ethical considerations: The Norwegian Regional Ethics Committee and the Norwegian Social Science Data Services approve the study. Findings show that relatives have certain expectations as to how their loved ones ought to be met and looked after at the nursing home. The results show that in those cases where the expectations were met, the relatives' experiences were associated with engagement, inclusion and a good atmosphere. When the expectations were not met, the relatives

  7. [Characteristics of bedridden elderly people living at home and in a hospital].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagura, E; Igata, A; Fujita, H; Inoue, T; Kanno, K; Matsuura, T; Tokuda, H; Hosokawa, T

    1997-07-01

    We compared bedridden elderly people living at home to others who were hospital inpatients. Questionnaires regarding medical status and care were returned by 85 of 116 people caring for a bedridden elderly person at home in Obu city, Aichi prefecture and by 62 of 64 nurses and family members caring for bedridden inpatients at Chubu National hospital. All subjects were at least 65 years old. The median age in both groups was 81 years, neither age distribution nor female sex predominance differed between both groups. The percentage of subjects with only one underlying disease was 62.5% among those living at home and 64.4% among inpatients. In both groups the most common disease was cerebrovascular disease (42.5% among those at home and 39.0% among inpatients), followed by dementia (31.3%), infirmity of old age (17.5%) and bone fracture (13.8%) among those at home, and by bone fracture (27.1%), dementia (20.3%) and infirmity of old age (16.9%) among inpatients. The median durations of bedridden status were 2 years and 3 months among those at home and 3 months among inpatients. The proportion of subjects bedridden for less than 6 months was greater among inpatients (p bedridden, and 17.7% were completely bedridden. The most common cause rending the patients bedridden was infection (usually pneumonia). The degree of disability did not differ between groups. Decubitus ulcers were present in 25.9% of those at home and 17.7% of inpatients.

  8. Use of foreign-educated nurses and patient satisfaction in U.S. hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazurenko, Olena; Menachemi, Nir

    2016-01-01

    In the context of value-based purchasing, this study examines the association between the utilization of foreign-educated registered nurses (RNs) and patient satisfaction among U.S. acute care hospitals. We utilized data from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems to measure patient satisfaction and data from the American Hospital Association regarding the utilization of foreign-educated RNs in 2012. In this study, a cross-sectional design with propensity score adjustment to examine the relationship between use of foreign-educated nurses and 10 patient satisfaction outcome measures. Control variables include hospital size, ownership, geographic location, teaching status, system membership, a high-technology index, and U.S. region based on census categories. The utilization of foreign-educated RNs was negatively and significantly related to six patient satisfaction measures. Specifically, hospitals with foreign-educated RNs scored, on average, lower on measures related to nurse communication (β = -0.649, p = .01), doctor's communication (β = -0.837, p ≤ .001), communication about administered drugs (β = -0.539, p = .81), and communication about what to do during their recovery at home (β = -0.571, p = .01). Moreover, hospitals utilizing foreign-educated RNs scored, on average, lower on overall satisfaction measures including rating the hospital as 9 or 10 overall (β = -1.20, p = .005), and patients would definitely recommend the hospital (β = -1.32, p = .006). Utilization of foreign-educated RNs is negatively associated with measures of patient satisfaction pertaining to communication and overall perceptions of care. Hospitals that utilize foreign-educated RNs should consider strategies that enhance communication competency and aid improving perception of care among patients.

  9. US and Dutch nurse experiences with fall prevention technology within nursing home environment and workflow: a qualitative study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vandenberg, Ann E.; van Beijnum, Bernhard J.F.; Overdevest, Vera G.P.; Capezuti, Elizabeth; Johnson II, Theodore M.

    2017-01-01

    Falls remain a major geriatric problem, and the search for new solutions continues. We investigated how existing fall prevention technology was experienced within nursing home nurses' environment and workflow. Our NIH-funded study in an American nursing home was followed by a cultural learning

  10. US and Dutch nurse experiences with fall prevention technology within nursing home environment and workflow : a qualitative study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vandenberg, Ann E.; van Beijnum, Bernhard J.F.; Overdevest, Vera G.P.; Capezuti, Elizabeth; Johnson II, Theodore M.

    2017-01-01

    Falls remain a major geriatric problem, and the search for new solutions continues. We investigated how existing fall prevention technology was experienced within nursing home nurses' environment and workflow. Our NIH-funded study in an American nursing home was followed by a cultural learning

  11. Hospital at Home care for older patients with cognitive impairment: a protocol for a randomised controlled feasibility trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pouw, Maaike A; Calf, Agneta H; van Munster, Barbara C; Ter Maaten, Jan C; Smidt, Nynke; de Rooij, Sophia E

    2018-03-27

    An acute hospital admission is a stressful life event for older people, particularly for those with cognitive impairment. The hospitalisation is often complicated by hospital-associated geriatric syndromes, including delirium and functional loss, leading to functional decline and nursing home admission. Hospital at Home care aims to avoid hospitalisation-associated adverse outcomes in older patients with cognitive impairment by providing hospital care in the patient's own environment. This randomised, non-blinded feasibility trial aims to assess the feasibility of conducting a randomised controlled trial in terms of the recruitment, use and acceptability of Hospital at Home care for older patients with cognitive impairment. The quality of care will be evaluated and the advantages and disadvantages of the Hospital at Home care programme compared with usual hospital care. Eligible patients will be randomised either to Hospital at Home care in their own environment or usual hospital care. The intervention consists of hospital level care provided at patients' homes, including visits from healthcare professionals, diagnostics (laboratory tests, blood cultures) and treatment. The control group will receive usual hospital care. Measurements will be conducted at baseline, during admission, at discharge and at 3 and 6 months after the baseline assessment. Institutional ethics approval has been granted. The findings will be disseminated through public lectures, professional and scientific conferences, as well as peer-reviewed journal articles. The study findings will contribute to knowledge on the implementation of Hospital at Home care for older patients with cognitive disorders. The results will be used to inform and support strategies to deliver eligible care to older patients with cognitive impairment. e020313; Pre-results. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is

  12. Making difficult decisions: the role of quality of care in choosing a nursing home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pesis-Katz, Irena; Phelps, Charles E; Temkin-Greener, Helena; Spector, William D; Veazie, Peter; Mukamel, Dana B

    2013-05-01

    We investigated how quality of care affects choosing a nursing home. We examined nursing home choice in California, Ohio, New York, and Texas in 2001, a period before the federal Nursing Home Compare report card was published. Thus, consumers were less able to observe clinical quality or clinical quality was masked. We modeled nursing home choice by estimating a conditional multinomial logit model. In all states, consumers were more likely to choose nursing homes of high hotel services quality but not clinical care quality. Nursing home choice was also significantly associated with shorter distance from prior residence, not-for-profit status, and larger facility size. In the absence of quality report cards, consumers choose a nursing home on the basis of the quality dimensions that are easy for them to observe, evaluate, and apply to their situation. Future research should focus on identifying the quality information that offers the most value added to consumers.

  13. Nursing homes: Development of elderly care management in the Buddhist way

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Warakorn Poolswat

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available This research aims to study the historical background and current situation of care management in nursing homes for the elderly in Western Thailand and develop care management according to Buddhist principles. This qualitative research analyzes three nursing homes using interview, observation, focus group discussion and workshop as data collection tools. The researchers used a snowball sampling method to identify 109 respondents, made up of 35 key informants, 34 casual informants and 40 general informants. The researchers verified data with a triangulation method and analyzed information descriptively. Results found that the most eminent problems in care management of elderly nursing homes are the image of experts, environment and activity management. Nursing homes do not respond to spiritual requests because of a lack of social and spiritual development. It is necessary to find a new way to emphasize responsibility and respond to spiritual requests by Buddhist means. In this paper, the researchers propose a set of guidelines for the care management of nursing homes in Western Thailand.

  14. 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....

  15. Variations in levels of care between nursing home patients in a public health care system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Døhl, Øystein; Garåsen, Helge; Kalseth, Jorid; Magnussen, Jon

    2014-03-05

    Within the setting of a public health service we analyse the distribution of resources between individuals in nursing homes funded by global budgets. Three questions are pursued. Firstly, whether there are systematic variations between nursing homes in the level of care given to patients. Secondly, whether such variations can be explained by nursing home characteristics. And thirdly, how individual need-related variables are associated with differences in the level of care given. The study included 1204 residents in 35 nursing homes and extra care sheltered housing facilities. Direct time spent with patients was recorded. In average each patient received 14.8 hours direct care each week. Multilevel regression analysis is used to analyse the relationship between individual characteristics, nursing home characteristics and time spent with patients in nursing homes. The study setting is the city of Trondheim, with a population of approximately 180 000. There are large variations between nursing homes in the total amount of individual care given to patients. As much as 24 percent of the variation of individual care between patients could be explained by variation between nursing homes. Adjusting for structural nursing home characteristics did not substantially reduce the variation between nursing homes. As expected a negative association was found between individual care and case-mix, implying that at nursing home level a more resource demanding case-mix is compensated by lowering the average amount of care. At individual level ADL-disability is the strongest predictor for use of resources in nursing homes. For the average user one point increase in ADL-disability increases the use of resources with 27 percent. In a financial reimbursement model for nursing homes with no adjustment for case-mix, the amount of care patients receive does not solely depend on the patients' own needs, but also on the needs of all the other residents.

  16. Second-career CNAs in nursing homes: tapping an underused resource.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pennington, Karen; Congdon, Joann G; Magilvy, Joan K

    2007-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics, work perceptions, and factors influencing employment of second-career certified nursing assistants (CNAs) in nursing homes. The qualitative descriptive design included a purposeful sample of 17 participants from 5 nursing homes. Data generation consisted of demographic surveys and audiotaped interviews that were transcribed, coded, and analyzed for emerging themes. Four themes were identified: negative first impressions of the work did not deter second-career CNAs, second-career CNAs lived out personal ideals and values through their work, positive relationships and job benefits retained second-career CNAs, and second-career CNAs expressed hopes for transforming nursing homes. Results revealed a group of committed, mature workers to fill labor shortages in an essential health care setting.

  17. Nursing Home Self-assessment of Implementation of Emergency Preparedness Standards.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lane, Sandi J; McGrady, Elizabeth

    2016-08-01

    Introduction Disasters often overwhelm a community's capacity to respond and recover, creating a gap between the needs of the community and the resources available to provide services. In the wake of multiple disasters affecting nursing homes in the last decade, increased focus has shifted to this vital component of the health care system. However, the long-term care sector has often fallen through the cracks in both planning and response. Problem Two recent reports (2006 and 2012) published by the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Office of Inspector General (OIG), elucidate the need for improvements in nursing homes' comprehensive emergency preparedness and response. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has developed an emergency preparedness checklist as a guidance tool and proposed emergency preparedness regulations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the progress made in nursing home preparedness by determining the level of completion of the 70 tasks noted on the checklist. The study objectives were to: (1) determine the preparedness levels of nursing homes in North and South Carolina (USA), and (2) compare these findings with the 2012 OIG's report on nursing home preparedness to identify current gaps. A survey developed from the checklist of items was emailed to 418 North Carolina and 193 South Carolina nursing home administrators during 2014. One hundred seventeen were returned/"bounced back" as not received. Follow-up emails and phone calls were made to encourage participation. Sixty-three completed surveys and 32 partial surveys were received. Responses were compared to data obtained in a 2010 study to determine progress. Progress had been made in many of the overall planning and sheltering-in-place tasks, such as having contact information of local emergency managers as well as specifications for availability of potable water. Yet, gaps still persisted, especially in evacuation standards, interfacing with emergency

  18. Barriers to work-life balance for hospital nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mullen, Kathleen

    2015-03-01

    Nurses are loyal to their patients and coworkers. They often put the needs of others before their own and sometimes even before the needs of their families. This concern for others can cause conflicts that manifest as stress. Of the more than 2 million nurses in the United States, more than 62% work in hospitals. Hospitals are known to be both rewarding and stressful places to work. Like most workers, nurses face the challenge of balancing demands and achievements of work with those in their private lives. Hospital leaders can facilitate improved work-life balance (WLB) for hospital nurses by using tools already in place. Equally important, nurses can use their knowledge and resources to nurse the nurse within, which can greatly improve their experience of WLB, independent of the demands of their work environment. © 2015 The Author(s).

  19. Formulating evidence-based guidelines for certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives attending home births.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cook, Elizabeth; Avery, Melissa; Frisvold, Melissa

    2014-01-01

    Implementing national home birth guidelines for certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) and certified midwives (CMs) in the United States may facilitate a common approach to safe home birth practices. Guidelines are evidence-based care recommendations for specified clinical situations that can be modified by individual providers to meet specific client needs. Following a review of home birth guidelines from multiple countries, a set of home birth practices guidelines for US CNMs/CMs was drafted. Fifteen American Midwifery Certification Board, Inc. (AMCB)-certified home birth midwives who participate in the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) home birth electronic mailing list considered the use of such a document in their practices and reviewed and commented on the guidelines. The proposed guidelines addressed client screening, informed consent, antepartum care, routine intrapartum care, obstetric complications and hospital transports, postpartum care, neonatal care, gynecologic care, primary care, peer reviews, recordkeeping, and physician collaboration. The reviewers had varying assessments as to whether the guidelines reflected international standards and current best evidence. The primary concern expressed was that an adoption of national guidelines could compromise provider autonomy. Incorporation of evidence-based guidelines is an ACNM standard and was recommended by the Home Birth Consensus Summit. Clinical practice guidelines are informed by current evidence and supported by experts in a given discipline. Implementation of guidelines ensures optimal patient care and is becoming increasingly central to reimbursement and to medicolegal support. A set of practice guidelines based on current best evidence and internationally accepted standards was developed and reviewed by an interested group of US CNMs/CMs. Further discussion with home birth midwives and other stakeholders about the development and implementation of home birth guidelines is needed, especially in

  20. Hospice family members’ perceptions and experiences with end-of-life care in the nursing home

    Science.gov (United States)

    Washington, Karla; Kruse, Robin L.; Albright, David L; Lewis, Alexandria; Demiris, George

    2014-01-01

    Objective Despite the fact that more than 25% of Americans die in nursing homes, end-of-life care has consistently been found to be less than adequate in this setting. Even for those residents on hospice, end-of-life care has been found to be problematic. This study had two research questions; 1) How do family members of hospice nursing home residents differ in their anxiety, depression, quality of life, social networks, perceptions of pain medication, and health compared to family members of community dwelling hospice patients? 2) What are family members’ perceptions of and experiences with end-of-life care in the nursing home setting? Methods This study is a secondary mixed methods analysis of interviews with family members of hospice nursing home residents and a comparative statistical analysis of standard outcome measures between family members of hospice patients in the nursing home and family member of hospice patients residing in the community. Results Outcome measures for family members of nursing home residents were compared (n=176) with family members of community dwelling hospice patients (n=267). The family members of nursing home residents reported higher quality of life however, levels of anxiety, depression, perceptions of pain medicine, and health were similar for hospice family members in the nursing home and in the community. Lending an understanding to the stress for hospice family members of nursing home residents concerns were found with collaboration between the nursing home and the hospice, nursing home care that did not meet family expectations, communication problems, and resident care concerns including pain management. Some family members reported positive end-of-life care experiences in the nursing home setting. Conclusion These interviews identify a multitude of barriers to quality end-of-life care in the nursing home setting, and demonstrate that support for family members is an essential part of quality end-of-life care for

  1. Depression in nursing homes: ensuring adequate treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Llewellyn-Jones, Robert H; Snowdon, John

    2007-01-01

    Studies have shown a high prevalence of depressive disorders among nursing home residents around the world. Various losses in old age may precipitate depression, and physical illness and disability are major factors that contribute to the development and persistence of depressive disorders. Demoralization (existential distress) is common. Recognition of what a nursing home resident has lost is often a key to developing plans for management. The prognosis for recovery from depression is worse for patients who face an ongoing distressing situation or physical condition. For ongoing loss-related distress, including sadness about loss of health, it is important for patients to ventilate feelings, and to either re-acquire what is lost or to grieve and then adapt to the new situation. For major depression with melancholia, psychotic depression and bipolar disorders, biological treatments are of prime importance. Non-melancholic major depression is best treated with a combination of antidepressants and psychosocial therapies, the latter being particularly indicated when the depression has been precipitated by stressful and depressing events or situations. Psychosocial and environmental interventions are important in all types of depression and may prove more effective than the use of antidepressants for milder disorders. There has been a welcome increase in the recognition of depression in nursing homes and in the prescription of newer antidepressants, but the published evidence to date does not allow definitive recommendations regarding which antidepressants to use in this setting. Outcome research is needed to assess antidepressant efficacy and to better plan multifaceted treatment strategies for depressions of varying types and aetiologies among nursing home residents.

  2. 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.

  3. Violence exposure and burn-out among Turkish nursing home staff.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mandiracioglu, Aliye; Cam, Olcay

    2006-10-01

    The aim of this study was to describe the frequency of violence against personnel from residents and to identify the prevalence of burn-out among staff working in nursing homes. The study was performed in two cities in the west of Turkey. A semi-structured questionnaire on violence and Pines' Burnout scale were distributed among all the staff working in six nursing homes, and 214 of them responded. Of the total number of respondents, 56% stated that they had been exposed to violence during the preceding year. More than 20% stated that they had reported violence to their supervisor. Less than 10% had received medical or psychological support following the event. Violent incidents were reported significantly more frequently among staff who reported problems working with elderly residents. There was no relationship between violence towards staff and burn-out. Violence is commonly experienced by care workers in nursing homes for the elderly. Strategies to improve occupational conditions in nursing homes are required.

  4. 38 CFR 17.60 - Extensions of community nursing home care beyond six months.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... nursing home care beyond six months. 17.60 Section 17.60 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL Use of Community Nursing Home Care Facilities § 17.60 Extensions of community nursing home care beyond six months. Directors of health care facilities may authorize, for any...

  5. The course of apraxia and ADL functioning in left hemisphere stroke patients treated in rehabilitation centres and nursing homes.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Donkervoort, M.; Dekker, J.; Deelman, B.

    2006-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To study the course of apraxia and daily life functioning (ADL) in left hemisphere stroke patients with apraxia. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Rehabilitation centres and nursing homes. SUBJECTS: One hundred and eight left hemisphere stroke patients with apraxia, hospitalized

  6. The introduction of a nursing guideline on depression at psychogeriatric nursing home wards: effects on Certified Nurse Assistants

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verkaik, R.; Francke, A.L.; van Meijel, B.; Spreeuwenberg, P.M.; Ribbe, M.W.; Bensing, J.M.

    2011-01-01

    Background: To improve care for residents with depression in dementia, an evidence based nursing guideline was developed. Using the guideline has already shown positive effects on depression in psychogeriatric nursing home residents. Objective: To study the effects of the introduction of the nursing

  7. The introduction of a nursing guideline on depression at psychogeriatric nursing home wards: effects on Certified Nurse Assistants.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verkaik, R.; Francke, A.L.; Meijel, B. van; Spreeuwenberg, P.M.M.; Ribbe, M.W.; Bensing, J.M.

    2011-01-01

    Background: To improve care for residents with depression in dementia, an evidence based nursing guideline was developed. Using the guideline has already shown positive effects on depression in psychogeriatric nursing home residents. Objective: To study the effects of the introduction of the nursing

  8. Multiresistant pathogens in geriatric nursing – infection control in residential facilities for geriatric nursing in Germany

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peters, Claudia

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available [english] Background: The increase of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs causes problems in geriatric nursing homes. Older people are at increased a growing risk of infection due to multimorbidity and frequent stays in hospital. A high proportion of the elderly require residential care in geriatric nursing facilities, where hygiene requirements in nursing homes are similar to those in hospitals. For this reason we examined how well nursing homes are prepared for MDROs and how effectively protect their infection control residents and staff.Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on infection control in residential geriatric nursing facilities in Germany 2012. The questionnaire recorded important parameters of hygiene, resident and staff protection and actions in case of existing MDROs.Results: The response was 54% in Hamburg and 27% in the rest of Germany. Nursing homes were generally well equipped for dealing with infection control: There were standards for MDROs and regular hygiene training for staff. The facilities provided adequate protective clothing, affected residents are usually isolated and hygienic laundry processing conducted. There are deficits in the communication of information on infected residents with hospitals and general practitioners. 54% of nursing homes performed risk assessments for staff infection precaution.Conclusion: There is a growing interest in MDROs and infection control will be a challenge in for residential geriatric nursing facilities in the future. This issue has also drawn increasing attention. Improvements could be achieved by improving communication between different participants in the health service, together with specific measures for staff protection at work.

  9. Hospital outreach to support faith community nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Messerly, Sally; King, Michalene A; Hughes, Suzanne

    2012-01-01

    A Faith Community Nurse (FCN) Program was initiated by a Magnet hospital and developed through collaboration between hospital departments and a university nurse educator. This article describes the program's development and activities that offer FCNs networking, free continuing education, and are an extension of the hospital's mission and values.

  10. Severity of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Nursing Home Residents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anne-Sofie Helvik

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available We aimed at assessing time shift in the severity of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS in nursing home residents between 2004/2005 and 2010/2011 and associations between NPS and socio-demographic variables, physical health status, dementia severity, and the use of psychotropic drugs. The Neuropsychiatric Inventory Nursing Home Version was used in 2004/2005 (n = 1,163 and 2010/2011 (n = 1,858. Linear mixed model analysis was applied. There was no time shift in the severity of apathy, psychosis, and affective symptoms, but agitation did exhibit a time shift. Agitation was less severe in 2010/2011 than in 2004/2005 in residents with a Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR sum of boxes score ≤4, and more severe in residents with a CDR sum of boxes score >16. Higher CDR sum of boxes scores and use of psychotropic medication were associated with more severe apathy, agitation, psychosis, and affective symptoms. Poor physical health was associated with more severe apathy, psychosis, and affective symptoms. Women had more severe agitation and less severe affective symptoms than men. A longer stay in a nursing home was associated with more severe agitation and less severe affective symptoms. In conclusion, agitation was less severe in 2010/2011 than in 2004/2005 among nursing home residents with a milder degree of dementia, and more severe in residents with severe dementia.

  11. Advance Care Planning in Nursing Home Patients With Dementia: A Qualitative Interview Study Among Family and Professional Caregivers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Soest-Poortvliet, Mirjam C; van der Steen, Jenny T; Gutschow, Giselka; Deliens, Luc; Onwuteaka-Philipsen, Bregje D; de Vet, Henrica C W; Hertogh, Cees M P M

    2015-11-01

    The aim of this study was to describe the process of advance care planning (ACP) and to explore factors related to the timing and content of ACP in nursing home patients with dementia, as perceived by family, physicians, and nurses. A qualitative descriptive study. A total of 65 in-depth qualitative interviews were held with families, on-staff elderly care physicians, and nurses of 26 patients with dementia who died in the Dutch End Of Life in Dementia (DEOLD) study. Interviews were coded and analyzed to find themes. Family, nurses, and physicians of all patients indicated they had multiple contact moments during nursing home stay in which care goals and treatment decisions were discussed. Nearly all interviewees indicated that physicians took the initiative for these ACP discussions. Care goals discussed and established during nursing home stay and the terminology to describe care goals varied between facilities. Regardless of care goals and other factors, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and hospitalization were always discussed in advance with family and commonly resulted in a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) and a do-not-hospitalize (DNH) order. The timing of care planning discussions about other specific treatments or conditions and the content of treatment decisions varied. The factors that emerged from the interviews as related to ACP were general strategies that guided physicians in initiating ACP discussions, patient's condition, wishes expressed by patient or family, family's willingness, family involvement, continuity of communication, consensus with or within family, and general nursing home policy. Two influential underlying strategies guided physicians in initiating ACP discussions: (1) wait for a reason to initiate discussions, such as a change in health condition and (2) take initiative to discuss possible treatments (actively, including describing scenarios). ACP is a multifactorial process, which may lean on professional caregivers' guidance. The most

  12. Stressors and Well-Being among Caregivers to Older Adults with Dementia: The In-Home versus Nursing Home Experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stephens, Mary Ann Parris; And Others

    1991-01-01

    Examined differences in stressors and well-being for caregivers who care for relative with dementia at home and those with relative in nursing home (n=120). Found no differences in depression or somatic complaints, but nursing home caregivers reported fewer social disruptions and more stressors resulting from activities of daily living assistance,…

  13. The availability of allied health care in Dutch nursing homes.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boer, M.E. de; Leemrijse, C.J.; Ende, C.H.M. van den; Ribbe, M.W.; Dekker, J.

    2007-01-01

    Purpose. To determine the availability of allied health care in nursing homes in the Netherlands, and its dependency on characteristics of the nursing home. Methods. Structured surveys by telephone were carried out in a sample of 100 from a country total of 286 somatic (for somatic patients only)

  14. Diabetes knowledge in nursing homes and home-based care services: a validation study of the Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test adapted for use among nursing personnel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haugstvedt, Anne; Aarflot, Morten; Igland, Jannicke; Landbakk, Tilla; Graue, Marit

    2016-01-01

    Providing high-quality diabetes care in nursing homes and home-based care facilities requires suitable instruments to evaluate the level of diabetes knowledge among the health-care providers. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test adapted for use among nursing personnel. The study included 127 nursing personnel (32 registered nurses, 69 nursing aides and 26 nursing assistants) at three nursing homes and one home-based care facility in Norway. We examined the reliability and content and construct validity of the Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test. The items in both the general diabetes subscale and the insulin-use subscale were considered relevant and appropriate. The instrument showed satisfactory properties for distinguishing between groups. Item response theory-based measurements and item information curves indicate maximum information at average or lower knowledge scores. Internal consistency and the item-total correlations were quite weak, indicating that the Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test measures a set of items related to various relevant knowledge topics but not necessarily related to each other. The Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test measures a broad range of topics relevant to diabetes care. It is an appropriate instrument for identifying individual and distinct needs for diabetes education among nursing personnel. The knowledge gaps identified by the Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test could also provide useful input for the content of educational activities. However, some revision of the test should be considered.

  15. Obesity and intensive staffing needs of nursing home residents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, John Alexander; Engberg, John; Castle, Nicholas George

    2018-06-05

    The objective of this study is to examine how increasing body mass index (BMI) among nursing home residents affects the amount of staffing assistance needed for activities of daily living (ADL). We analyzed 1,627,141 US nursing home residents reported in the 2013 Minimum Data Set in seven BMI categories, from underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m 2 ) to obesity Class IIIB (≥50 kg/m 2 ). Logistic regression models estimated the odds of nursing home-reported need for extensive (≥2 staff member) assistance needed for ADLs. The adjusted odds increased from 1.07 (95% Confidence Interval (95%CI) 1.06-1.08) for Class I, 1.16 (95%CI 1.14-1.17) for Class II, 1.33 (95%CI 1.31-1.35) for Class IIIA, and 1.90 (95%CI 1.86-1.95) for Class IIIB obesity residents compared to residents of normal weight. As a nursing home resident's BMI increases, especially for BMI ≥40 kg/m 2 , the need for extensive staffing assistance with ADLs also increases substantially. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. When care situations evoke difficult emotions in nursing staff members: an ethnographic study in two Norwegian nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandvoll, Anne Marie; Grov, Ellen Karine; Kristoffersen, Kjell; Hauge, Solveig

    2015-01-01

    Caring practice in nursing homes is a complex topic, especially the challenges of meeting the basic needs of residents when their behaviour evokes difficult emotions. Cognitive and physical changes related to aging and disability can contribute to behaviours considered to be unacceptable. For example, resident behaviours such as spitting, making a mess with food or grinding teeth are behaviours that most people do not want to see, hear or experience. The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of how nursing home staff members deal with such behaviours in care situations. This article draws on ethnographic data to describe how nursing home staff members manage unpleasant resident behaviours. The study was based on two long-term units in two Norwegian public nursing homes. The Region's Medical Ethics Committee and the Norwegian Social Science Data Services granted approval. In total, 45 participants (37 nursing aides and eight nurses) agreed to participate in this study. Ten of the participants were interviewed at the end of the field study. This study indicates that nursing home staff members experience difficult emotions related to some residents' behaviours. However, they found these feelings difficult to express and rarely verbalized them openly. In addition, they were characterized by a strong obligation to help all residents, despite their own feelings. Therefore, it appears that an inner struggle occurs as a part of everyday practice. Despite these difficult emotions, nursing staff members believed that they needed to manage their responses and continued to offer good care to all residents. These findings extend our understanding of this unarticulated part of nursing home practice.

  17. Job Satisfaction Of Hospital Nursing Staff

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charlotte Pietersen

    2005-11-01

    Full Text Available Health care managers realize that job satisfaction impacts on nursing staff retention. This study examined the job satisfaction of nursing staff (N = 109 at a government hospital. Just more than half of the respondents were generally satisfied. Feelings that nursing is worthwhile and satisfying, and financial stability at the hospital could promote staff retention. Specific intrinsic - (promotion, and extrinsic factors (routinization, working conditions, pay, interaction with supervisors, and organizational support could impact negatively on retention. Management should use these findings as a basis for staff consultation, developmental strategies, and interventions. Future research on other nursing populations is recommended.

  18. Nurses' experiences working with nursing students in a hospital: a phenomenological enquiry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yolanda Raquel Lapeña-Moñux

    Full Text Available Abstract Objective: this paper explores the experiences of registered nurses working with Spanish nursing students within the hospital. Methods: a qualitative phenomenological approach was followed. Purposeful sampling was employed. Twenty-one registered nurses, from a public hospital located in Spain, were included in the study. Data were collected by means of unstructured and semi-structured interviews and were analysed using Giorgi's proposal. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research were followed. Results: three main themes described the experience of registered nurses: "The nurse's relationship with nursing students"; most nurses emphasized the importance of the first contact with students and they considered students' attitude to be key. "Defining the role of the student in clinical practice"; it is necessary to unify the nurse's role and interventions to avoid misleading students and establish priorities in clinical practice. "Building bridges between clinical settings and the University"; the need to establish a common ground and connection between the university and hospital clinical settings was emphasized. Nurses felt that the training program should also be designed by the clinical settings themselves. Conclusions: understanding the meaning of nursing students with registered nurses might gain a deeper insight into their expectations.

  19. Self-transcendence, nurse-patient interaction and the outcome of multidimensional well-being in cognitively intact nursing home patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haugan, Gørill; Hanssen, Brith; Moksnes, Unni K

    2013-12-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between age, gender, self-transcendence, nurse-patient interaction and multidimensional well-being as the outcome among cognitively intact nursing home patients. Self-transcendence is considered to be a vital resource of well-being in vulnerable populations and at the end of life. Moreover, the quality of care and the nurse-patient interaction is found to influence self-transcendence and well-being in nursing home patients. A cross-sectional design employing the Self-Transcendence Scale, the Nurse-Patient Interaction Scale, the FACT-G Quality of Life and the FACIT-Sp Spiritual Well-Being questionnaires was adopted. A sample of 202 cognitively intact nursing home patients from 44 nursing homes in central Norway was selected. A previous documented two-factor construct of self-transcendence was applied. The statistical analyses were carried out by means of independent sample t-test, correlation and regression analyses. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed significant relationships between interpersonal self-transcendence and social, functional and spiritual well-being, whereas intrapersonal self-transcendence significantly related to emotional, social, functional and spiritual well-being. Nurse-patient interaction related to physical, emotional and functional well-being. Age and gender were not significant predictors for well-being, except for functional and spiritual well-being where women scored higher than men. Nurse-patient interaction and self-transcendence are vital resources for promoting well-being physically, emotionally, functionally, socially and spiritually among cognitively intact nursing home patients. Nurse-patient interaction signifies vital and ultimate nursing qualities promoting self-transcendence and multidimensional well-being. These findings are important for clinical nursing intending to increase patients' well-being. © 2012 The Authors Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences

  20. Treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcers in the Home: Video Consultations as an Alternative to Outpatient Hospital Care

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jane Clemensen

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate whether video consultations in the home can support a viable alternative to visits to the hospital outpatient clinic for patients with diabetic foot ulcers. And furthermore whether patients, relatives, visiting nurses, and experts at the hospital will experience satisfaction and increased confidence with this new course of treatment. Participatory design methods were applied as well as field observations, semistructured interviews, focus groups, and qualitative analysis of transcriptions of telemedical consultations conducted during a pilot test. This study shows that it is possible for experts at the hospital to conduct clinical examinations and decision making at a distance, in close cooperation with the visiting nurse and the patient. The visiting nurse experienced increased confidence with the treatment of the foot ulcer and characterized the consultations as a learning situation. All patients expressed satisfaction and felt confidence with this new way of working.

  1. Prescription drugs in nursing homes: managing costs and quality in a complex environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendelson, Dan; Ramchand, Rajeev; Abramson, Richard; Tumlinson, Anne

    2002-11-12

    This brief provides a description of prescription drug use in nursing homes and a summary of current policy issues in this area. The brief first profiles the nursing home pharmaceutical market, outlining the major trends in demographics and drug utilization, the supply chain by which drugs go from manufacturers to pharmacies to nursing home residents, and the alternative arrangements by which prescription drugs in nursing homes are financed. The brief then provides a synopsis of current policy issues, focusing in turn on cost containment and quality improvement initiatives.

  2. "Dignity": A central construct in nursing home staff understandings of quality continence care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ostaszkiewicz, Joan; Tomlinson, Emily; Hutchinson, Alison M

    2018-02-03

    To explore nursing home staff members' beliefs and expectations about what constitutes "quality continence care" for people living in nursing homes. Most nursing home residents require assistance to maintain continence or manage incontinence. Best practice guidelines promote active investigation of incontinence, treatment of underlying potentially reversible causes, and initial conservative interventions to prevent, minimise and/or treat incontinence. Despite research showing the positive benefits of implementing active interventions, translating the findings of research into practice in nursing homes has been modest. Understanding the perspectives of individuals who provide continence care may help bridge the gap between evidence and practice. A qualitative exploratory descriptive design. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 19 nursing home staff: eight registered nurses, four enrolled nurses and seven personal care workers working in a nursing home in Australia between 2014-2015. Data were analysed inductively to identify themes and subthemes that described and explained staff beliefs about quality continence care in nursing homes. Participants' understanding and expectations about quality continence care were linked to beliefs about incontinence being an intractable and undignified condition in nursing homes. The key theme to emerge was "protecting residents' dignity" which was supported by the following six subthemes: (i) using pads, ii) providing privacy, (iii) knowing how to "manage" incontinence, (iv) providing timely continence care, (v) considering residents' continence care preferences and (vi) communicating sensitively. The findings provide new insight into the basis for continence care practices in nursing homes. Education about continence care should challenge beliefs that limit continence care practice to cleaning, containing and concealing incontinence. There is a need for a multidimensional framework that is informed by social, psychological

  3. Adapting heart failure guidelines for nursing care in home health settings: challenges and solutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radhakrishnan, Kavita; Topaz, Maxim; Masterson Creber, Ruth

    2014-07-01

    Nurses provide most of home health services for patients with heart failure, and yet there are no evidence-based practice guidelines developed for home health nurses. The purpose of this article was to review the challenges and solutions for adapting generally available HF clinical practice guidelines to home health nursing. Appropriate HF guidelines were identified and home health nursing-relevant guidelines were extracted by the research team. In addition, a team of nursing academic and practice experts evaluated the extracted guidelines and reached consensus through Delphi rounds. We identified 172 recommendations relevant to home health nursing from the American Heart Association and Heart Failure Society of America guidelines. The recommendations were divided into 5 groups (generic, minority populations, normal ejection fraction, reduced ejection fraction, and comorbidities) and further subgroups. Experts agreed that 87% of the recommendations selected by the research team were relevant to home health nursing and rejected 6% of the selected recommendations. Experts' opinions were split on 7% of guideline recommendations. Experts mostly disagreed on recommendations related to HF medication and laboratory prescription as well as HF patient assessment. These disagreements were due to lack of patient information available to home health nurses as well as unclear understanding of scope of practice regulations for home health nursing. After 2 Delphi rounds over 8 months, we achieved 100% agreement on the recommendations. The finalized guideline included 153 recommendations. Guideline adaptation projects should include a broad scope of nursing practice recommendations from which home health agencies can customize relevant recommendations in accordance with available information and state and agency regulations.

  4. A Trial of Nursing Cost Accounting using Nursing Practice Data on a Hospital Information System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miyahira, Akiko; Tada, Kazuko; Ishima, Masatoshi; Nagao, Hidenori; Miyamoto, Tadashi; Nakagawa, Yoshiaki; Takemura, Tadamasa

    2015-01-01

    Hospital administration is very important and many hospitals carry out activity-based costing under comprehensive medicine. However, nursing cost is unclear, because nursing practice is expanding both quantitatively and qualitatively and it is difficult to grasp all nursing practices, and nursing cost is calculated in many cases comprehensively. On the other hand, a nursing information system (NIS) is implemented in many hospitals in Japan and we are beginning to get nursing practical data. In this paper, we propose a nursing cost accounting model and we simulate a cost by nursing contribution using NIS data.

  5. Staff assignment practices in nursing homes: review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahman, Anna; Straker, Jane K; Manning, Lydia

    2009-01-01

    Consistent assignment, whereby nursing home staff members, particularly certified nurse aides, are assigned to the same residents on most shifts, is increasingly viewed as a cornerstone of culture change in nursing homes. It has been advocated as a best-care model that increases residents' quality of life while contributing to a more stable frontline staff. Given these potential benefits, consistent assignment is now widely viewed as superior to rotating assignment, an alternative staffing model that aims to distribute care burden more fairly among staff and ensure that workers are familiar with most residents. Despite favorable anecdotal reports about the benefits of consistent assignment, the research literature reports mixed and sometimes contradictory findings for this staffing practice. This article reviews the research pertaining to staff assignment practices in nursing homes. Reviewed here are 13 reports on experimental trials (6 reports), evaluation research (4 reports), and nursing home surveys (3 reports). The review reveals broad diversity in staffing practices and raises questions that challenge popular assumptions about consistent assignment. The article closes with a discussion of the research, policy, and practice implications of the research findings.

  6. PNEUMONIA IN NURSING HOME RESIDENTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renato Eržen

    2002-10-01

    Full Text Available Background. Pneumonia remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in advanced age. Prognosis of the disease depends on premorbid condition and immune competence of the patient, severity of the disease and causative microorganism. In our analysis we wanted to establish clinical, x-ray and microbiological characteristics of pneumonia in nursing home residents, estimate suitability of therapeutic measures and find out risk factors for adverse outcome in this group of patients.Material and methods. This retrospective study includes all nursing home residents hospitalised due to CAP in Hospital Golnik in 2000. Clinical data was/were evaluated according to case history. Microbiological data and laboratory results were gathered from the patients files. Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis.Results. 30 patients, 17 women were included, aged 82.5 ± 11.7 years. 60% of patients had at least 2 accompanying diseases, most frequently cardiovascular and neurologic diseases. At admittance 83% of patients presented with severe form of the disease. Dispnea (93%, tachypnea, cough (67% and confusion (47% dominate clinical picture. Patients rarely expectorate, are frequently hypoxemic (93%, have leucocytosis (63%, electrolyte disturbances and elevated urea (67%. According to the microbiologic results most frequent causative agents are Enterobacteriae, S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae and also some multiresistant bacteria. Amoxycillin with clavulanic acid was the most frequently used antibiotic, followed by macrolides and 3rd generation cephalosporines.9 patients died, mortality rate was 30%. Their average age was 83,4 years, 67% of them had more than 2 accompanying diseases, all of them severe form of the disease, 89% severe respiratory insufficiency and 22% positive hemoculture.Conclusions. Patients are characterised with numerous comorbidities and advanced age. Clinical presentation is unspecific. Mortality is high

  7. Operating environment and USA nursing homes' participation in the subacute care market: a longitudinal analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weech-Maldonado, Robert; Qaseem, Amir; Mkanta, William

    2009-02-01

    We examined the impact of environmental factors on USA nursing homes' participation in the subacute care market. Findings suggest that the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 did not have a significant impact in the participation of nursing homes in the subacute care market from 1998 to 2000. However, there was a declining trend in the participation of nursing homes in the subacute care market after the implementation of Medicare prospective payment system (PPS). Furthermore, nursing homes with a higher proportion of Medicare residents were more likely to exit the subacute care market after PPS. Results also suggest that nursing homes have responded strategically to the environmental demand for subacute care services. Nursing homes located in markets with higher Medicare managed care penetration were more likely to offer subacute care services. Environmental munificence was also an important predictor of nursing home innovation into subacute care. Nursing homes in states with higher Medicaid reimbursement and those in less competitive markets were more likely to participate in the subacute care market.

  8. 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

  9. Local Medicaid home- and community-based services spending and nursing home admissions of younger adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Kali S; Keohane, Laura; Mor, Vincent

    2014-11-01

    We used fixed-effect models to examine the relationship between local spending on home- and community-based services (HCBSs) for cash-assisted Medicaid-only disabled (CAMOD) adults and younger adult admissions to nursing homes in the United States during 2001 through 2008, with control for facility and market characteristics and secular trends. We found that increased CAMOD Medicaid HCBS spending at the local level is associated with decreased admissions of younger adults to nursing homes. Our findings suggest that states' efforts to expand HCBS for this population should continue.

  10. Exploring the concurrent validity of the nationwide assessment of permanent nursing home residence in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bebe, Anna; Nielsen, Anni Brit Sternhagen; Willadsen, Tora Grauers

    2017-01-01

    Background: Many register studies make use of information about permanent nursing home residents. Statistics Denmark (StatD) identifies nursing home residents by two different indirect methods, one based on reports from the municipalities regarding home care in taken place in a nursing home...... Danish Region, we randomly selected one municipality reporting to Stat D (Method 1) and one not reporting where instead an algorithm created by StatD was used to discover nursing home residents (Method 2). Method 1 means that municipalities reported to Stat D whether home care has taken place......, and the other based on an algorithm created by StatD.The aim of the present study was to validate StatD’s nursing home register using dedicated administrative municipality records on individual nursing home residents as gold standard. Methods: In total, ten Danish municipalities were selected. Within each...

  11. Self-Managed Work Teams in Nursing Homes: Implementing and Empowering Nurse Aide Teams

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeatts, Dale E.; Cready, Cynthia; Ray, Beth; DeWitt, Amy; Queen, Courtney

    2004-01-01

    Purpose: This article describes the progress of our study to examine the advantages and costs of using self-managed nurse aide teams in nursing homes, steps that are being taken to implement such teams, and management strategies being used to manage the teams. Design and Methods: A quasi-experimental design is underway where certified nurse aide…

  12. Maximizing federal Medicaid dollars: nursing home provider tax adoption, 2000-2004.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Edward Alan; Wang, Lili

    2009-12-01

    Since Medicaid is jointly financed by the federal and state governments, state officials have sought to offset state expenditures by maximizing federal contributions. One such strategy is to adopt a provider tax, which enables states to collect revenues from providers; those revenues are then used to pay for services rendered to Medicaid recipients, thereby leveraging federal matching dollars without concomitant increases in state expenditures. The number of states adopting a nursing home tax increased from thirteen to thirty-one between 2000 and 2004. This study seeks to identify the factors that spurred the rapid increase in nursing home provider taxes following implementation of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Results indicate that states with more powerful nursing home lobbies, lower proportions of private pay nursing home residents, worse fiscal health, weaker fiscal capacity, broader Medicaid eligibility, and nursing home supply restrictions were more likely to adopt. This implies that state officials react rationally to prevailing fiscal and programmatic circumstances when formulating policy under Medicaid and that providers seek relief, in part, from the adverse fiscal consequences of federal policy changes by promoting policy change at the state level.

  13. Restorative Virtual Environment Design for Augmenting Nursing Home Rehabilitation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bruun-Pedersen, Jon Ram; Serafin, Stefania; Kofoed, Lise

    2016-01-01

    do, but more studies on content and design of proper custom designs for RVEs is necessary. This paper reviews the background for RVE design, describes four custom RVE designs for recreational VE exploration and presents user preferences among nursing home users concerning content and other pivotal......With increasing age, muscle strength decreases excessively rapidly if physical activity is not maintained. However, physical activity is increasingly difficult with age, due to balance, strength or coordination difficulties, arthritis, etc. Moreover, many nursing home residents become unable...... to experience natural surroundings. Augmenting a conventional biking exercise with a recreational virtual environment (RVE) has shown to serve as an intrinsic motivation contributor to exercise for nursing home residents. RVEs might be able to provide some of the health benefits that regular nature experiences...

  14. The Relationship between Religiosity and Attitudes of Nurses Aides toward Sexual Expression by Older Adults in Nursing Homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stevenson, Robert T.; Courtenay, Bradley C.

    Systematic research on attitudes of nursing home staff toward the sexual expression of older residents is sparse and of recent origin. In order to determine the relationship between the degree of religiosity (religious commitment) of nursing home aides and their degree of tolerance concerning sexuality and aging, female nursing assistants (N=101)…

  15. Factors associated with resident aggression toward caregivers in nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeller, Adelheid; Dassen, Theo; Kok, Gerjo; Needham, Ian; Halfens, Ruud J G

    2012-09-01

    Caregivers in nursing homes often experience aggressive behavior of residents. The aim of this study was to explore the caregivers' experiences with aggressive behavior from residents and to identify environmental factors as well as caregiver and resident characteristics related to aggressive behavior in Swiss nursing homes. A retrospective cross-sectional survey was conducted between November 2010 and April 2011 with a sample of caregivers working in various nursing homes in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. In total, 814 caregivers (response rate 51.8%) of 21 nursing homes participated in the study. Data were collected using the German version of the Survey of Violence Experienced by Staff (SOVES-G-R). Standard descriptive statistics were used to describe and summarize the date. To identify risk factors related to the experience of aggression by residents, multilevel logistic regression analysis was applied. The prevalence of participants reporting an aggressive incident during the 12-month period prior to data collection was 81.6%. Of these, 76.5% had experienced verbal aggression, 27.6% threats, and 54.0% physical aggression. The predictive variables in the multiple regression model for physical aggression were: staff education level (odds ratio [OR]= 1.82), gender (OR = 1.82), age ( 45 years: OR = 2.13), and confidence in managing physical aggression (OR = 1.49). The predictive variables for threatening behavior were staff education level (registered nurses vs. non-registered nurses: OR = 1.70; nonstudent vs. student: OR = 1.89) and age ( 45 years: OR = 2.04). Caregivers in nursing homes are at high risk for experiencing aggressive behavior. The identified risk factors are in line with earlier investigations, but some contradictory results also were observed. The high risk for registered nurses exposed to aggressive behavior and the increased risk for caregivers who feel confident in managing aggressive behavior cast a critical light on the content and

  16. Modifiable factors related to abusive behaviors in nursing home residents with dementia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Volicer, L.; Kampen, van J.T.; Frijters, D.H.M.

    2009-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: To determine modifiable factors related to abusive behaviors in nursing home residents with dementia. DESIGN: Analysis of Minimum Data Set (MDS) of the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) information. SETTING: We used MDS-RAI data from 8 Dutch nursing homes and 10 residential homes that

  17. Giving birth, going home: influences on when low-income women leave hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lichtenstein, Bronwen; Brumfield, Cynthia; Cliver, Suzanne; Chapman, Victoria; Lenze, Deanna; Davis, Valisia

    2004-01-01

    The US Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act of 1996 ('The Two-Day Law') mandates insurance coverage for women who have just given birth to remain in hospital for two days post-partum. However, many women are being discharged from hospital after 24 hours. To assess why early discharge is still occurring, a study of 406 new mothers was conducted at an urban metropolitan hospital in the USA. The women were aware of the new law (95%) but decision making was often relinquished to hospital authorities. Patients who stayed longer tended to be more assertive in decision making, and used the Two-Day Law as leverage in discussions about going home. The study concluded that the nurses were authoritative and often influential agents in the decision-making process, and that patients were likely to interpret specific interactions with hospital staff as a signal to leave.

  18. Pain management for older persons living in nursing homes: a pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tse, Mimi M Y; Ho, Suki S K

    2013-06-01

    Because the prevalence of chronic pain among the elderly in nursing homes is high and decreases their quality of life, effective nonpharmacologic pain management should be promoted. The purpose of this quasiexperimental pretest and posttest control design was to enhance pain management in nursing homes via an integrated pain management program (IPMP) for staff and residents. Nursing staff and residents from the experimental nursing home were invited to join the 8-week IPMP, whereas staff and residents from the control nursing home did not receive the IPMP. Baseline data were collected from nursing staff and residents in both groups before and after the IPMP. The IPMP consisted of eight lectures on pain assessment, drug knowledge,and nondrug strategies for the nursing staff, and 8 weeks of activities, including gardening therapy and physiotherapy exercise, for the residents. There were 48 and 42 older people in the experimental and control groups, respectively. No significant differences were found in their educational level, sleep quality, bowel habits, past and present health conditions, pain conditions and psychologic well-being parameters (p > .05) at baseline. After the IPMP, the experimental nursing staff showed a significant improvement in their knowledge of and attitudes to pain management (p pain scores and used more nondrug strategies for pain relief compared with the control group (p nursing staff, as well as reducing pain conditions and enhancing psychologic well-being for older persons in nursing homes. Copyright © 2013 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. COSMOS--improving the quality of life in nursing home patients: protocol for an effectiveness-implementation cluster randomized clinical hybrid trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Husebo, Bettina S; Flo, Elisabeth; Aarsland, Dag; Selbaek, Geir; Testad, Ingelin; Gulla, Christine; Aasmul, Irene; Ballard, Clive

    2015-09-15

    Nursing home patients have complex mental and physical health problems, disabilities and social needs, combined with widespread prescription of psychotropic drugs. Preservation of their quality of life is an important goal. This can only be achieved within nursing homes that offer competent clinical conditions of treatment and care. COmmunication, Systematic assessment and treatment of pain, Medication review, Occupational therapy, Safety (COSMOS) is an effectiveness-implementation hybrid trial that combines and implements organization of activities evidence-based interventions to improve staff competence and thereby the patients' quality of life, mental health and safety. The aim of this paper is to describe the development, content and implementation process of the COSMOS trial. COSMOS includes a 2-month pilot study with 128 participants distributed among nine Norwegian nursing homes, and a 4-month multicenter, cluster randomized effectiveness-implementation clinical hybrid trial with follow-up at month 9, including 571 patients from 67 nursing home units (one unit defined as one cluster). Clusters are randomized to COSMOS intervention or current best practice (control group). The intervention group will receive a 2-day education program including written guidelines, repeated theoretical and practical training (credited education of caregivers, physicians and nursing home managers), case discussions and role play. The 1-day midway evaluation, information and interviews of nursing staff and a telephone hotline all support the implementation process. Outcome measures include quality of life in late-stage dementia, neuropsychiatric symptoms, activities of daily living, pain, depression, sleep, medication, cost-utility analysis, hospital admission and mortality. Despite complex medical and psychosocial challenges, nursing home patients are often treated by staff possessing low level skills, lacking education and in facilities with a high staff turnover

  20. Is nurse managers' leadership style related to Japanese staff nurses' affective commitment to their hospital?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kodama, Yoshimi; Fukahori, Hiroki; Sato, Kana; Nishida, Tomoko

    2016-10-01

    To determine if nurse managers' leadership style is related to Japanese staff nurses' affective commitment to their hospital. In Western countries, nurse managers' transformational leadership style has been found to increase staff nurses' affective commitment to their hospital. However, there are few studies examining this relationship in the context of acute care hospitals in Japan. Staff nurses completed measures of their nurse managers' perceived leadership style and factors related to their own affective commitment. The association between affective commitment and perception of leadership style was assessed with multiple logistic regression. Of 736 questionnaires distributed, 579 (78.9%) were returned, and data from 396 (53.8%) fully completed questionnaires were analysed. The intellectual stimulation aspect of transformational leadership positively increased staff nurses' affective commitment (odds ratio: 2.23). Nurse managers' transactional and laissez-faire leadership styles were not related to affective commitment among staff nurses. The intellectual stimulation aspect of transformational leadership may increase the retention of staff nurses through enhanced affective commitment. To increase staff nurses' affective commitment to their hospital, we suggest that hospital administrators equip nurse managers with intellectual stimulation skills. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Balance of power shifts when providing care in patients' homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sander, Ruth

    2011-06-01

    Nursing practice at home involves entering a place where the patient's and family's values and habits predominate. In hospital, nurses work in safe territory with the aid of conferred authority but this manner might not be suitable in a patient's own home. When people need nursing care, the meaning of home is at risk of changing.

  2. 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.

  3. 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

  4. Nursing care needs and services utilised by home-dwelling elderly with complex health problems: observational study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Næss, Gro; Kirkevold, Marit; Hammer, Wenche; Straand, Jørund; Wyller, Torgeir Bruun

    2017-09-12

    In Norway, as in many Western countries, a shift from institutional care to home care is taking place. Our knowledge is limited regarding which needs for nursing interventions patients being cared for in their home have, and how they are met. We aimed at assessing aspects of health and function in a representative sample of the most vulnerable home-dwelling elderly, to identify their needs for nursing interventions and how these needs were met. In this observational study we included patients aged 75+ living in their own homes in Oslo, who received daily home care, had three or more chronic diagnoses, received daily medication, and had been hospitalized during the last year. Focused attention and cognitive processing speed were assessed with the Trail Making Test A (TMT-A), handgrip strength was used as a measure of sarcopenia, mobility was assessed with the "Timed Up-and-Go" test, and independence in primary activities of daily living by the Barthel Index. Diagnoses and medication were collected from electronic medical records. For each diagnosis, medication and functional impairment, a consensus group defined which nursing service that the particular condition necessitated. We then assessed whether these needs were fulfilled for each participant. Of 150 eligible patients, 83 were included (mean age 87 years, 25% men). They had on average 6 diagnoses and used 9 daily medications. Of the 83 patients, 61 (75%) had grip strength indicating sarcopenia, 27 (33%) impaired mobility, and 69 (83%) an impaired TMT-A score. Median amount of home nursing per week was 3.6 h (interquartile range 2.6 to 23.4). Fulfilment of pre-specified needs was >60% for skin and wound care in patients with skin diseases, observation of blood glucose in patients taking antidiabetic drugs, and in supporting food intake in patients with eating difficulties. Most other needs as defined by the consensus group were fulfilled in home-dwelling patients. For this group, resources for home nursing

  5. Investigation on nursing service satisfaction of the elderly living in nursing home and influencing factors--Taking Zhengzhou City as an example

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xing Wenhui

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Investigate the status quo of the elderly living in the nursing home and their satisfaction and needs of nursing services, and analyze the service needs of the elderly living in the nursing home of Zhengzhou City. Methods: Randomly select 312 elderly people from 84 nursing homes for questionnaire survey and in-depth interview. Results: More than 60% of the respondents show their satisfaction on the current life in the nursing home. Sex, occupation, physical condition, dietary level, accommodation level, service level and health care conditions of the nursing home have a significant impact on the satisfaction of the elderly. Conclusion: With the growth of the aging of population, improving the level of service for the elderly and improve the service facilities is an essential way to improve the satisfaction and urgent needs of the elderly.

  6. Changes in the personal dignity of nursing home residents: a longitudinal qualitative interview study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mariska G Oosterveld-Vlug

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Most nursing home residents spend the remainder of their life, until death, within a nursing home. As preserving dignity is an important aim of the care given here, insight into the way residents experience their dignity throughout their entire admission period is valuable. AIM: To investigate if and how nursing home residents' personal dignity changes over the course of time, and what contributes to this. DESIGN: A longitudinal qualitative study. METHODS: Multiple in-depth interviews, with an interval of six months, were carried out with 22 purposively sampled nursing home residents of the general medical wards of four nursing homes in The Netherlands. Transcripts were analyzed following the principles of thematic analysis. RESULTS: From admission onwards, some residents experienced an improved sense of dignity, while others experienced a downward trend, a fluctuating one or no change at all. Two mechanisms were especially important for a nursing home resident to maintain or regain personal dignity: the feeling that one is in control of his life and the feeling that one is regarded as a worthwhile person. The acquirement of both feelings could be supported by 1 finding a way to cope with one's situation; 2 getting acquainted with the new living structures in the nursing home and therefore feeling more at ease; 3 physical improvement (with or without an electric wheelchair; 4 being socially involved with nursing home staff, other residents and relatives; and 5 being amongst disabled others and therefore less prone to exposures of disrespect from the outer world. CONCLUSION: Although the direction in which a resident's personal dignity develops is also dependent on one's character and coping capacities, nursing home staff can contribute to dignity by creating optimal conditions to help a nursing home resident recover feelings of control and of being regarded as a worthwhile person.

  7. Changes in the personal dignity of nursing home residents: a longitudinal qualitative interview study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oosterveld-Vlug, Mariska G; Pasman, H Roeline W; van Gennip, Isis E; Willems, Dick L; Onwuteaka-Philipsen, Bregje D

    2013-01-01

    Most nursing home residents spend the remainder of their life, until death, within a nursing home. As preserving dignity is an important aim of the care given here, insight into the way residents experience their dignity throughout their entire admission period is valuable. To investigate if and how nursing home residents' personal dignity changes over the course of time, and what contributes to this. A longitudinal qualitative study. Multiple in-depth interviews, with an interval of six months, were carried out with 22 purposively sampled nursing home residents of the general medical wards of four nursing homes in The Netherlands. Transcripts were analyzed following the principles of thematic analysis. From admission onwards, some residents experienced an improved sense of dignity, while others experienced a downward trend, a fluctuating one or no change at all. Two mechanisms were especially important for a nursing home resident to maintain or regain personal dignity: the feeling that one is in control of his life and the feeling that one is regarded as a worthwhile person. The acquirement of both feelings could be supported by 1) finding a way to cope with one's situation; 2) getting acquainted with the new living structures in the nursing home and therefore feeling more at ease; 3) physical improvement (with or without an electric wheelchair); 4) being socially involved with nursing home staff, other residents and relatives; and 5) being amongst disabled others and therefore less prone to exposures of disrespect from the outer world. Although the direction in which a resident's personal dignity develops is also dependent on one's character and coping capacities, nursing home staff can contribute to dignity by creating optimal conditions to help a nursing home resident recover feelings of control and of being regarded as a worthwhile person.

  8. Vigilant at the end of life: family advocacy in the nursing home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shield, Renee R; Wetle, Terrie; Teno, Joan; Miller, Susan C; Welch, Lisa C

    2010-05-01

    Increasing numbers of Americans die in nursing homes. Little is known about the roles and experiences of family members of persons who die in nursing homes. The authors conducted 54 qualitative telephone interviews of close family or friends of individuals who had spent at least 48 hours in the last month of life in a nursing home. Respondents had earlier participated in a national survey that found 587 of 1578 decedents (37.2%) received end-of-life nursing home care. In qualitative interviews respondents described the last year of life, focusing on the nursing home experience. Interviews were analyzed by a multidisciplinary team to identify key themes of areas of concern. An important interview theme revealed families often felt the need to advocate for their dying relative because of low expectations or experiences with poor quality nursing home care. They noted staff members who did not fully inform them about what to expect in the dying process. Respondents reported burden and gratification in care they themselves provided, which sometimes entailed collaboration with staff. Interviews also identified ways hospice care impacted families, including helping to relieve family burden. End-of-life advocacy takes on increased urgency when those close to the dying resident have concerns about basic care and do not understand the dying course. Enhancing communication, preparing families at the end of life, and better understanding of hospice are likely to increase family trust in nursing home care, improve the care of dying residents, and help reduce family burden.

  9. Efficacy and acceptance of professional dental cleaning among nursing home residents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barbe, Anna Greta; Kottmann, Hannah Elisa; Hamacher, Stefanie; Derman, Sonja Henny Maria; Noack, Michael Johannes

    2018-05-13

    To determine the impact of general and oral health status of nursing home residents in Germany on efficacy and acceptance of professional dental cleaning performed by a dental nurse. Participants (N = 41; mean age 83 ± 8 years) living in a nursing home were included. Personal and general health, oral health, oral hygiene habits, and needs were investigated. Individual acceptance regarding professional dental cleaning via different devices (scaler, interdental brushes, ultrasonic cleaning) was assessed, as was the efficacy of this method using after-cleaning indices. Oral health among nursing home residents was impaired and independent from dementia status. Most residents (33/41) performed oral hygiene procedures independently and showed better index values than those in need of external help. Residents requiring help with oral hygiene showed increased risk profiles (higher age, more often immobile, demented, more xerostomia). The dental cleaning procedure required a mean time of 37 ± 11 min, was widely accepted (36/41), and achieved clean results (plaque index 0.1 ± 0.5, oral hygiene index 0.2 ± 1.6, Volpe-Manhold index 0.4 ± 1.6); food residues were reduced to 0 independent from cognitive status. Regarding the cleaning methods, scalers were accepted best without difference between demented and non-demented residents. Professional dental cleaning in nursing homes is an accepted and efficacious oral hygiene procedure among nursing home residents. Professional dental cleaning is an efficacious and accepted method as a first step in line with strategies to improve oral health and should be considered in nursing home residents.

  10. Tobacco cessation Clinical Practice Guideline use by rural and urban hospital nurses: a pre-implementation needs assessment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Smith Patricia M

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background This study was a pre-program evaluation of hospital-based nurses' tobacco intervention beliefs, confidence, training, practice, and perceived intervention barriers and facilitators. It was designed to identify relevant information prior to implementing tobacco cessation guidelines across a large northern rural region, home to 1 urban and 12 rural hospitals. Methods This cross-sectional survey was distributed by nurse managers to nurses in the 13 hospitals and returned by nurses (N = 269 via mail to the researchers. Results Nurses were somewhat confident providing cessation interventions, agreed they should educate patients about tobacco, and 94% perceived tobacco counselling as part of their role. Although only 11% had received cessation training, the majority reported intervening, even if seldom--91% asked about tobacco-use, 96% advised quitting, 89% assessed readiness to quit, 88% assisted with quitting, and 61% arranged post-discharge follow-up. Few performed any of these steps frequently, and among those who intervened, the majority spent Conclusions The findings showed nurses' willingness to engage in tobacco interventions. What the majority were doing maps onto the recommended minimum of 1-3 minutes but intervention frequency and follow-up were suboptimal. The rural-urban differences suggest a need for more research to explore the strengths of rural practice which could potentially inform approaches to smoking cessation in urban hospitals.

  11. Organizational Climate Determinants of Resident Safety Culture in Nursing Homes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arnetz, Judith E.; Zhdanova, Ludmila S.; Elsouhag, Dalia; Lichtenberg, Peter; Luborsky, Mark R.; Arnetz, Bengt B.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose of the Study: In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on the role of safety culture in preventing costly adverse events, such as medication errors and falls, among nursing home residents. However, little is known regarding critical organizational determinants of a positive safety culture in nursing homes. The aim of this study…

  12. The relationship of staffing and work environment with implicit rationing of nursing care in Swiss nursing homes--A cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zúñiga, Franziska; Ausserhofer, Dietmar; Hamers, Jan P H; Engberg, Sandra; Simon, Michael; Schwendimann, René

    2015-09-01

    Implicit rationing of nursing care refers to the withdrawal of or failure to carry out necessary nursing care activities due to lack of resources, in the literature also described as missed care, omitted care, or nursing care left undone. Under time constraints, nurses give priority to activities related to vital medical needs and the safety of the patient, leaving out documentation, rehabilitation, or emotional support of patients. In nursing homes, little is known about the occurrence of implicit rationing of nursing care and possible contributing factors. The purpose of this study was (1) to describe levels and patterns of self-reported implicit rationing of nursing care in Swiss nursing homes and (2) to explore the relationship between staffing level, turnover, and work environment factors and implicit rationing of nursing care. Cross-sectional, multi-center sub-study of the Swiss Nursing Home Human Resources Project (SHURP). Nursing homes from all three language regions of Switzerland. A random selection of 156 facilities with 402 units and 4307 direct care workers from all educational levels (including 25% registered nurses). We utilized data from established scales to measure implicit rationing of nursing care (Basel Extent of Rationing of Nursing Care), perceptions of leadership ability and staffing resources (Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index), teamwork and safety climate (Safety Attitudes Questionnaire), and work stressors (Health Professions Stress Inventory). Staffing level and turnover at the unit level were measured with self-developed questions. Multilevel linear regression models were used to explore the proposed relationships. Implicit rationing of nursing care does not occur frequently in Swiss nursing homes. Care workers ration support in activities of daily living, such as eating, drinking, elimination and mobilization less often than documentation of care and the social care of nursing homes residents. Statistically

  13. Longevity and admission to nursing home according to age after isolated coronary artery bypass surgery

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thorsteinsson, Kristinn; Andreasen, Jan; Mortensen, Rikke N

    2016-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: Data on nursing home admission in patient's ≥80 years after isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) are scarce. The purpose of this study was to evaluate longevity and subsequent admission to a nursing home stratified by age in a nationwide CABG cohort. METHODS: All patients who...... underwent isolated CABG from 1996 to 2012 in Denmark were identified through nationwide registers. The cumulative incidence of admission to a nursing home after CABG was estimated. A Cox regression model was constructed to identify predictors for living in a nursing home 1 year after CABG. Kaplan.......1% of patients ≥80 years had received home care. The proportion of patients admitted to a nursing home at 1, 5 and 10 years after CABG was 0.1, 0.4 and 1.0% (nursing home 1 year postoperatively were: age ≥80 years...

  14. The changing nature of nursing work in rural and small community hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montour, Amy; Baumann, Andrea; Blythe, Jennifer; Hunsberger, Mabel

    2009-01-01

    the structure and capacity of the rural workforce. Rural nursing practice is generalist in nature, requiring personal flexibility and a broad knowledge base. The nurses in the study preferred this type of practice. However, they felt that new nurses have different values and goals and are more likely to choose the specialized practice opportunities available in urban tertiary centres. Structural changes to the health system influenced relationships between hospitals and altered the internal organization of individual hospitals. Nurse executives were positive about new opportunities for cost savings, sharing best practices and continuing education. Yet they also felt that organizational changes significantly increased their administrative responsibilities and limited their opportunities for communication with frontline nurses. The nurses thought that the changing organizational structures increased opportunities to seek multiple employers to augment the lack of full-time positions in the region. Many reported that part-time and casual nurses often seek employment in other hospitals and long-term care homes to supplement their income. However, multi-site employment within and across healthcare organizations contributes to scheduling issues because casual nurses are unavailable to fill vacant shifts. Patient transports, the implementation of e-technology and emerging disease patterns in the patient population were identified as additional practice challenges. This study has implications for health human resource planning in rural and small community hospitals. The findings indicate that demographic trends pose an immediate threat to the sustainability of the nursing workforce in the rural setting. Many nurses are nearing retirement, but the lack of opportunities for full-time positions as well as specialized and expanded nursing practice are attracting younger nurses to urban centres. Government policies focussing on the retention of clinical expertise, the recruitment

  15. Determinants for the use of psychotropics among nursing home residents

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Lisbeth Uhrskov; Foldspang, A; Gulmann, N C

    2001-01-01

    's Activities of Daily Living (ADL), behavioural problems (Nursing Home Behavior Problem Scale), orientation, communication skills and if the resident had any psychiatric disorder. Multiple logistic regression was used to select the items that determined the use of psychotropics. Results Fifty-six percent......Purpose To characterise the prescription pattern of psychotropics in Danish nursing homes and to identify diagnostic, behavioural, cognitive and performance characteristics associated with prevalent psychotropic drug use. Methods Prescribed daily medication was recorded from nurses' files. Based...

  16. Avoiding mandatory hospital nurse staffing ratios: an economic commentary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buerhaus, Peter I

    2009-01-01

    The imposition of mandatory hospital nurse staffing ratios is among the more visible public policy initiatives affecting the nursing profession. Although the practice is intended to address problems in hospital nurse staffing and quality of patient care, this commentary argues that staffing ratios will lead to negative consequences for nurses involving the equity, efficiency, and costs of producing nursing care in hospitals. Rather than spend time and effort attempting to regulate nurse staffing, this commentary offers alternatives strategies that are directed at fixing the problems that motivate the advocates of staffing ratios.

  17. Mental status testing in the elderly nursing home population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nadler, J D; Relkin, N R; Cohen, M S; Hodder, R A; Reingold, J; Plum, F

    1995-07-01

    The clinical utility of selected brief cognitive screening instruments in detecting dementia in an elderly nursing home population was examined. One hundred twenty nursing home residents (mean age 87.9) were administered the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) and the Modified Mini-Mental State Exam (3MS). The majority of the subjects (75%) were also administered the Dementia Rating Scale (DRS). Both clinically diagnosed demented (n = 57) and non-demented (n = 63) subjects participated in the study. Dementia was diagnosed in accordance with DSM-III-R criteria by physicians specializing in geriatric medicine. Using standard cutoffs for impairment, the 3MS, MMSE, and DRS achieved high sensitivity (82% to 100%) but low specificity (33% to 52%) in the detection of dementia among nursing home residents. Positive predictive values ranged from 52% to 61%, and negative predictive values from 77% to 100%. Higher age, lower education, and history of depression were significantly associated with misclassification of non-demented elderly subjects. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analyses revealed optimal classification of dementia with cutoff values of 74 for the 3MS, 22 for the MMSE, and 110 for the DRS. The results suggest that the 3MS, MMSE, and DRS do not differ significantly with respect to classification accuracy of dementia in a nursing home population. Elderly individuals of advanced age (i.e., the oldest-old) with lower education and a history of depression appear at particular risk for dementia misclassification with these instruments. Revised cutoff values for impairment should be employed when these instruments are applied to elderly residents of nursing homes and the oldest-old.

  18. The Maternity Care Nurse Workforce in Rural U.S. Hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henning-Smith, Carrie; Almanza, Jennifer; Kozhimannil, Katy B

    To describe the maternity care nurse staffing in rural U.S. hospitals and identify key challenges and opportunities in maintaining an adequate nursing workforce. Cross-sectional survey study. Maternity care units within rural hospitals in nine U.S. states. Maternity care unit managers. We calculated descriptive statistics to characterize the rural maternity care nursing workforce by hospital birth volume and nursing staff model. We used simple content analysis to analyze responses to open-ended questions and identified themes related to challenges and opportunities for maternity care nursing in rural hospitals. Of the 263 hospitals, 51% were low volume (maternity care nurses. They did, however, identify significant challenges related to recruiting nurses, maintaining adequate staffing during times of census variability, orienting and training nurses, and retaining experienced nurses. Rural maternity care unit managers recognize the importance of nursing and have varied staffing needs. Policy implementation and programmatic support to ameliorate challenges may help ensure that an adequate nursing staff can be maintained, even in small-volume rural hospitals. Copyright © 2017 AWHONN, the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Gender Regimes in Ontario Nursing Homes: Organization, Daily Work, and Bodies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Storm, Palle; Braedley, Susan; Chivers, Sally

    2017-06-01

    Today more men work in the long-term care sector, but men are still in the minority. Little is known about men's experiences in care work, and the dilemmas and opportunities they face because of their gender. This article focuses on men care workers' integration into the organization and flow of nursing home work as perceived by these workers and staff members. Using a rapid ethnography method in two Ontario nursing homes, we found work organization affected interpretations of gender and race, and that workers' scope for discretion affected the integration and acceptance of men as care workers. In a nursing home with a rigid work organization and little worker discretion, women workers perceived men workers as a problem, whereas at a nursing home with a more flexible work organization that stressed relational care, both women and men workers perceived men workers as a resource in the organization.

  20. Substituting physicians with nurse practitioners, physician assistants or nurses in nursing homes: protocol for a realist evaluation case study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lovink, M.H.; Persoon, A.; Vught, A.J. van; Schoonhoven, L.; Koopmans, R.T.C.M.; Laurant, M.G.H.

    2017-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: In developed countries, substituting physicians with nurse practitioners, physician assistants and nurses (physician substitution) occurs in nursing homes as an answer to the challenges related to the ageing population and the shortage of staff, as well as to guarantee the quality of

  1. Action research in nursing homes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, John; Bilfeldt, Annette

    2016-01-01

    quality in a joint effort between care workers, residents at the nursing home, and researchers. It concludes that the project led to empowerment of the residents and staff and played an important role in the development of democratic knowledge building about better quality and ethics in elder care....

  2. Measures of emergency preparedness contributing to nursing home resilience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lane, Sandi J; McGrady, Elizabeth

    2017-12-13

    Resilience approaches have been successfully applied in crisis management, disaster response, and high reliability organizations and have the potential to enhance existing systems of nursing home disaster preparedness. This study's purpose was to determine how the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) "Emergency Preparedness Checklist Recommended Tool for Effective Health Care Facility Planning" contributes to organizational resilience by identifying the benchmark resilience items addressed by the CMS Emergency Preparedness Checklist and items not addressed by the CMS Emergency Preparedness Checklist, and to recommend tools and processes to improve resilience for nursing homes. The CMS Emergency Preparedness Checklist items were compared to the Resilience Benchmark Tool items; similar items were considered matches. Resilience Benchmark Tool items with no CMS Emergency Preparedness Checklist item matches were considered breaches in nursing home resilience. The findings suggest that the CMS Emergency Preparedness Checklist can be used to measure some aspects of resilience, however, there were many resilience factors not addressed. For nursing homes to prepare and respond to crisis situations, organizations need to embrace a culture that promotes individual resilience-related competencies that when aggregated enable the organization to improve its resiliency. Social workers have the skills and experience to facilitate this change.

  3. Activity Engagement: Perspectives from Nursing Home Residents with Dementia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tak, Sunghee H.; Kedia, Satish; Tongumpun, Tera Marie; Hong, Song Hee

    2014-01-01

    Engagement in social and leisure activities is an indicator of quality of life and well-being in nursing homes. There are few studies in which nursing home residents with dementia self-reported their experiences in activity engagement. This qualitative study describes types of current activity involvement and barriers to activities as perceived by nursing home residents with dementia. Thirty-one residents participated in short, open-ended interviews and six in in-depth interviews. Thematic content analysis showed that participants primarily depended on activities organized by their nursing homes. Few participants engaged in self-directed activities such as walking, visiting other residents and family members, and attending in church services. Many residents felt they had limited opportunities and motivation for activities. They missed past hobbies greatly but could not continue them due to lack of accommodation and limitation in physical function. Environmental factors, along with fixed activity schedule, further prevented them from engaging in activities. Residents with dementia should be invited to participate in activity planning and have necessary assistance and accommodation in order to engage in activities that matter to them. Based on the findings, a checklist for individualizing and evaluating activities for persons with dementia is detailed. PMID:25489122

  4. Risk factors for burnout among caregivers working in nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kandelman, Nadia; Mazars, Thierry; Levy, Antonin

    2018-01-01

    (i) To assess the level of burnout in nursing home caregivers within a unique healthcare network in France and (ii) to evaluate potential risk factors in this population. Burnout syndrome occurs frequently among nursing home caregivers and has strong detrimental effects on the quality of health care for residents. We used an observational survey to study burnout in nursing home caregivers. The survey was used to quantify burnout level (Maslach Burnout Inventory) and potential risk factors and was implemented from October 2013-April 2014. A logistic regression was used to explore the association between burnout and its risk factors. Three hundred and sixty questionnaires were delivered to caregivers in 14 nursing homes within a unique healthcare network. The response rate was 37% (132/360), and 124/132 (94%) surveys were analysed. Caregiver burnout rate was 40% (49/124). Median age was 41 years (range, 20-70) and most caregivers were female. The most common profession (n = 54; 44%) was nurse caregiver and 90% (n = 112) had an antecedent of bullying by a resident. Risk factors identified were as follows: the presence of institutional protocols (death announcement [OR: 3.7] and pain assessment [OR: 2.8]), working in a profit-making establishment (OR: 2.6) and the antecedent of bullying by a resident (OR: 6.2). Factors most negatively associated with burnout included: practising pastimes (OR: 0.4) and working as a nurse (OR: 0.3). The only significant risk factor in the multivariate analysis was the antecedent of bullying by a resident (OR: 5.3). Several specific risk factors for burnout in nursing home caregivers were identified. In high-risk populations of healthcare professionals, screening and management of risk factors is crucial for preventing burnout. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Belt restraint reduction in nursing homes: design of a quasi-experimental study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    van Rossum Erik

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The use of physical restraints still is common practice in the nursing home care. Since physical restraints have been shown to be an ineffective and sometimes even hazardous measure, interventions are needed to reduce their usage. Several attempts have been made to reduce the use of physical restraints. Most studies used educational approaches and introduced a nurse specialist as a consultant. However, the success rate of these interventions has been inconsistent. We developed a new multi-component intervention (EXBELT comprising an educational intervention for nursing home staff in combination with a policy change (belt use is prohibited by the nursing home management, availability of a nurse specialist and nursing home manager as consultants, and availability of alternative interventions. The first aim of this study is to further develop and test the effectiveness of EXBELT on belt restraint reduction in Dutch psychogeriatric nursing homes. However, the reduction of belts should not result in an increase of other restrictive restraints (such as a chair with locked tray table or psychoactive drug use. The overall aim is an effective and feasible intervention that can be employed on a large scale in Dutch nursing homes. Methods and design Effects of EXBELT will be studied in a quasi-experimental longitudinal study design. Alongside the effect evaluation, a process evaluation will be carried out in order to further develop EXBELT. Data regarding age, gender, use of physical restraints, the number of falls and fall related injuries, psychoactive drug use, and the use of alternative interventions will be collected at baseline and after four and eight months of follow-up. Data regarding the process evaluation will be gathered in a period of eight months between baseline and the last measurement. Furthermore, changing attitudes will become an important addition to the educational part of EXBELT. Discussion A quasi

  6. Characteristics of highly rated leadership in nursing homes using item response theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Backman, Annica; Sjögren, Karin; Lindkvist, Marie; Lövheim, Hugo; Edvardsson, David

    2017-12-01

    To identify characteristics of highly rated leadership in nursing homes. An ageing population entails fundamental social, economic and organizational challenges for future aged care. Knowledge is limited of both specific leadership behaviours and organizational and managerial characteristics which have an impact on the leadership of contemporary nursing home care. Cross-sectional. From 290 municipalities, 60 were randomly selected and 35 agreed to participate, providing a sample of 3605 direct-care staff employed in 169 Swedish nursing homes. The staff assessed their managers' (n = 191) leadership behaviours using the Leadership Behaviour Questionnaire. Data were collected from November 2013 - September 2014, and the study was completed in November 2016. A two-parameter item response theory approach and regression analyses were used to identify specific characteristics of highly rated leadership. Five specific behaviours of highly rated nursing home leadership were identified; that the manager: experiments with new ideas; controls work closely; relies on subordinates; coaches and gives direct feedback; and handles conflicts constructively. The regression analyses revealed that managers with social work backgrounds and privately run homes were significantly associated with higher leadership ratings. This study highlights the five most important leadership behaviours that characterize those nursing home managers rated highest in terms of leadership. Managers in privately run nursing homes and managers with social work backgrounds were associated with higher leadership ratings. Further work is needed to explore these behaviours and factors predictive of higher leadership ratings. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. Ethics policies on euthanasia in nursing homes: a survey in Flanders, Belgium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lemiengre, Joke; Dierckx de Casterlé, Bernadette; Verbeke, Geert; Van Craen, Katleen; Schotsmans, Paul; Gastmans, Chris

    2008-01-01

    In many European countries there is a public debate about the acceptability and regulation of euthanasia. In 2002, Belgium became the second country after the Netherlands to enact a law on euthanasia. Although euthanasia rarely occurs, the complexity of the clinical-ethical decision making surrounding euthanasia requests and the need for adequate support reported by caregivers, means that healthcare institutions increasingly need to consider how to responsibly handle euthanasia requests. The development of written ethics policies on euthanasia may be important to guarantee and maintain the quality of care for patients requesting euthanasia. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, development, position, and communication of written ethics policies on euthanasia in Flemish nursing homes. Data were obtained through a cross-sectional mail survey of general directors of all Catholic nursing homes in Flanders, Belgium. Of the 737 nursing homes invited to participate, 612 (83%) completed the questionnaire. Of these, only 15% had a written ethics policy on euthanasia. Presence of an ethics committee and membership of an umbrella organization were independent predictors of whether a nursing home had such a written ethics policy. The Act on Euthanasia and euthanasia guidelines advanced by professional organizations were the most frequent reasons (76% and 56%, respectively) and reference sources (92% and 64%, respectively) for developing ethics policies on euthanasia. Development of ethics policies occurred within a multidisciplinary context. In general, Flemish nursing homes applied the Act on Euthanasia restrictively by introducing palliative procedures in addition to legal due care criteria. The policy was communicated to the consulting general practitioner and nurses in 74% and 89% of nursing homes, respectively. Although the overall prevalence of ethics policies on euthanasia was low in Flemish nursing homes, institution administrators displayed growing

  8. The experiences on dignity from the perspective of the elderly in nursing homes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Høy, Bente

    2016-01-01

    The aim of the study was to explore nursing home residents’ practice experiences on dignity in caring situations and everyday life in order to illuminate the significance for a life in dignity. Elderly living in nursing homes are vulnerable which appeal to nursing care ethics and emphasise....... From the literature we have knowledge of how dignity is violated among persons who are sick, weak and helpless; however, the knowledge is limited on how dignity is maintained among vulnerable elderly in nursing homes. A hermeneutic approach was used to interpret the material, which was gathered during...... semi-structured interviews with elderly living in six nursing homes in Scandinavian. A total of 28 interviews were transcribed. The findings will be presented at the conference....

  9. Sexual Abuse of Older Nursing Home Residents: A Literature Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wenche Malmedal

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Despite an increasing literature related to elder abuse, sexual abuse of older persons in general and of vulnerable adults living in nursing homes in particular is still sparsely described. The purpose of this study was to assess the state of knowledge on the subject of sexual abuse against older nursing home residents through a literature review. Systematic searches in reference databases including Cinahl, Medline, OVID Nursing Database, ISI Web of Science, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, and SveMed + were conducted. Through several phases of selection of the articles, using strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, six articles were chosen for a deeper examination. Findings from the review show that sexual abuse occurs in nursing homes and that both older women and men are victims of sexual abuse. Perpetrators appear mainly to be staff and other residents and mainly to be men, but also women abuse both older men and older women. Findings from the literature review show that there is a need for knowledge and further research on the topic of sexual abuse against older residents in nursing homes. Furthermore, there is a need for good policies and reporting systems, as an important step in seriously addressing sexual abuse against older persons.

  10. Nurse-patient interaction is a resource for hope, meaning in life and self-transcendence in nursing home patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haugan, Gørill

    2014-03-01

    Spiritual dimensions such as hope, meaning in life and self-transcendence have been found to be predictors of successful ageing, life satisfaction and well-being in older individuals. Connectedness and communicating with others have been seen to facilitate hope, meaning in life and self-transcendence among nursing home patients. This study aimed to investigate the associations between hope, meaning in life, self-transcendence and nurse-patient interaction in a nursing home population. A cross-sectional design was employed, collecting data in 44 different Norwegian nursing homes (NHs) from 250 patients who met the inclusion criteria. Approval by all regulatory institutions dealing with research issues in Norway and the Management Unit at the 44 NHs was obtained. A sample of 202 cognitively intact nursing home patients responded to the Herth Hope Index, the Purpose in Life test, the Self-Transcendence Scale and the Nurse-Patient Interaction Scale. A structural equation model (SEM) of the hypothesized relationships between the constructs was tested. The SEM model fit well with the present data. Significant direct relationships of nurse-patient interaction on hope, meaning in life and self-transcendence were displayed. Meaning and the interconnectedness dimension of hope appeared to be particularly dynamic resources, revealing significant influences on all the constructs in the SEM model tested. Nurse-patient interaction influences hope, meaning in life and self-transcendence in cognitively intact nursing home patients and might be an important resource in relation to patients' health and global well-being. Thus, care providers are above all fundamental for nursing home patients. Advancing caregivers' interacting and communicating skills might facilitate patients' health and global well-being and inspire professional caregivers as they perform their daily care practices. More research of the effectiveness of such strategies is greatly needed. The SEM model tested

  11. Family members' expectations regarding nurses' competence in care homes: a qualitative interview study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiljunen, Outi; Kankkunen, Päivi; Partanen, Pirjo; Välimäki, Tarja

    2017-11-22

    Structural and cultural changes in the care of older people have influenced nursing practice, creating a need to identify current competency requirements for nurses working in care homes. Family members have an important role in ensuring the well-being of older people living in care homes, and family members' can provide valuable information about competence requirements. To explore the expectations of the care home residents' family members regarding the competence of nurses in care homes for older people. A qualitative descriptive design was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 care home residents' family members between March and September 2016. Participants were recruited with help from regional associations and member associations of The Central Association of Carers in Finland and from regional associations of The Alzheimer's Society of Finland. The snowball technique was also used. The data were analysed using inductive content analysis. Ethics committee approval was obtained from the university committee on research ethics, and written informed consent was obtained from participants. The care home residents' family members expected that nurses would be able to interact with and treat people respectfully. Reflective collaboration between the nurse and a family member was also emphasised. Family members expected nurses to provide high-quality basic care and nursing and support residents' well-being individually and holistically. Family members' expectations reflect the need for ethical and interactional competence in the care home. In addition, evidence-based practice competencies are required to provide high-quality care. Nurses' ability to provide person-centred, individual and holistic care is vital to ensure care home residents' well-being. © 2017 Nordic College of Caring Science.

  12. Polypharmacy and Renal Failure in Nursing Home Residents: Results of the Inappropriate Medication in Patients with Renal Insufficiency in Nursing Homes (IMREN) Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dörks, Michael; Herget-Rosenthal, Stefan; Schmiemann, Guido; Hoffmann, Falk

    2016-01-01

    Polypharmacy has become an emerging public health issue in recent years, since use of multiple medications or polypharmacy is beneficial for many conditions, but may also have negative effects like adverse drug reactions. The risk further increases in patients with chronic renal failure, a comorbidity very frequent in nursing home residents. Since more than 50% of all drugs were renally excreted, dose adjustments in patients with renal failure are required. To assess polypharmacy in German nursing homes, in particular in residents with renal failure. Multi-center cross-sectional study in 21 nursing homes in Bremen and Lower Saxony/Germany. Baseline data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Multivariable logistic regression model and 95% confidence intervals were used to study the association of renal failure and polypharmacy. Of all 852 residents, the analysis comprised those 685 with at least one serum creatinine value so that the estimated creatinine clearance could be calculated. Of those, 436 (63.6%) had a severe or moderate renal failure, defined as estimated creatinine clearance renal failure (estimated creatinine clearance renal failure are common in German nursing home residents and an association of both could be found. Further studies are needed to assess the appropriateness of polypharmacy in these patients.

  13. Nurse employment contracts in Chinese hospitals: impact of inequitable benefit structures on nurse and patient satisfaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shang, Jingjing; You, Liming; Ma, Chenjuan; Altares, Danielle; Sloane, Douglas M; Aiken, Linda H

    2014-01-13

    Ongoing economic and health system reforms in China have transformed nurse employment in Chinese hospitals. Employment of 'bianzhi' nurses, a type of position with state-guaranteed lifetime employment that has been customary since 1949, is decreasing while there is an increase in the contract-based nurse employment with limited job security and reduced benefits. The consequences of inequities between the two types of nurses in terms of wages and job-related benefits are unknown. This study examined current rates of contract-based nurse employment and the effects of the new nurse contract employment strategy on nurse and patient outcomes in Chinese hospitals. This cross-sectional study used geographically representative survey data collected from 2008 to 2010 from 181 hospitals in six provinces, two municipalities, and one autonomous region in China. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between contract-based nurse utilization, dissatisfaction among contract-based nurses, nurse intentions to leave their positions, and patient satisfaction, controlling for nurse, patient, and hospital characteristics. Hospital-level utilization of contract-based nurses varies greatly from 0 to 91%, with an average of 51%. Contract-based nurses were significantly more dissatisfied with their remuneration and benefits than 'bianzhi' nurses who have more job security (P benefits were more likely to intend to leave their current positions (P benefits among contract-based nurses were rated lower and less likely to be recommended by patients (P benefits between contract-based nurses and 'bianzhi' nurses may adversely affect both nurse and patient satisfaction in hospitals. Our study provides empirical support for the 'equal pay for equal work' policy emphasized by the China Ministry of Health's recent regulations, and calls for efforts in Chinese hospitals to eliminate the disparities between 'bianzhi' and contract-based nurses.

  14. Assessing Quality of Care and Elder Abuse in Nursing Homes via Google Reviews.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mowery, Jared; Andrei, Amanda; Le, Elizabeth; Jian, Jing; Ward, Megan

    2016-01-01

    It is challenging to assess the quality of care and detect elder abuse in nursing homes, since patients may be incapable of reporting quality issues or abuse themselves, and resources for sending inspectors are limited. This study correlates Google reviews of nursing homes with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) inspection results in the Nursing Home Compare (NHC) data set, to quantify the extent to which the reviews reflect the quality of care and the presence of elder abuse. A total of 16,160 reviews were collected, spanning 7,170 nursing homes. Two approaches were tested: using the average rating as an overall estimate of the quality of care at a nursing home, and using the average scores from a maximum entropy classifier trained to recognize indications of elder abuse. The classifier achieved an F-measure of 0.81, with precision 0.74 and recall 0.89. The correlation for the classifier is weak but statistically significant: = 0.13, P nursing homes can be used to detect indications of elder abuse with high precision and to assess the quality of care, but only when a sufficient number of reviews are available.

  15. [Characteristics of infection prevention and coping behavior for seasonal influenza-like illnesses and its relationship to personal characteristics among hospital nurses].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hattori, Saki; Takahashi, Mihoko

    2011-10-01

    To describe the infection prevention and coping behavior for seasonal influenza-like illnesses among hospital nurses. We conducted an anonymous questionnaire survey of 444 nurses in October 2007, who belonged to two hospitals in one city. We investigated their infection prevention behavior (handwashing, gargling, mask-use, influenza vaccination rate, humidification of the room, room ventilation, increased physical strength) and coping behavior (type of coping, elapsed time until taking appropriate action, absent days, recognition of infection source) in one season, and their characteristics (sex, age, division, family). 423 questionnaires were analyzed. Most nurses performed handwashing with soap or a disinfectant. However, only 71% and 53% of nurses regularly did this after blowing their nose or touching any hair. Many used only water. Only 58% of the nurses gargled at home. Except after handling linen, gargling was done by less than 10%. Regarding handwashing or gargling, nurses who performed these before the beginning of duties or any treatment was only in the range from 10-25% which was less than when they finished their duties or treatment. Handwashing before beginning duties was significantly associated with "living together with a family" (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] after adjusting for sex and age) (0.32[0.12-0.84]) and "living together with children who go to school" (0.49[0.24-0.995]), respectively. Gargling after any treatment and gargling at home, room humidification and ventilation were all significantly associated with "living together with babies and infants" (2.36[1.07-5.21], 1.87[1.07-3.27], 2.29[1.32-3.97] and 2.46[1.39-4.36]). Fifty-five% of the nurses regularly wore masks during work. The influenza vaccination rate was 82%. 67% of 51 nurses who had flu-like symptoms responded appropriately within 24 hours after onset. However, 25% of 51 nurses did not consult a doctor, but instead took over-the-counter medicine or rested at home. Some

  16. Patients’ experiences of being nursed by student nurses at a teaching hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ferdinand C. Mukumbang

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Background: Teaching hospitals are medical institutes at which most nursing education institutions provide their students with practical nursing experience. Although the focus of care is the patient, attention is sometimes focused more on the nursing students rather than on the patients who are undergoing care at the hands of both the nursing professionals and students. However, proper nursing care should also take into account the experiences of patients during the care process in the health facility.Objectives: The study had three objectives: to describe the experiences of patients nursed by student nurses in a teaching hospital in the Western Cape; to identify patterns in the experiences of patients receiving patient care from student nurses; and to analyse aspects of the experiences that may need further attention for the training of student nurses.Method: A descriptive phenomenological approach was used to explore the experiences of patients nursed by student nurses. Participant selection took place purposively from different wards of the identified teaching hospital, and thematic saturation was achieved at 10 participants. The data were collected through in-depth interviews and analysed using thematic content analysis.Results: Three main themes were discovered after data analysis: methods of identification of student nurses by patients; positive perceptions of student nurses by patients; and negative perceptions of student nurses by patients.Conclusion: The findings will inform the clinical supervisors and educational institutions of aspects of the nursing training of student nurses that need improvement and those that require enforcement. 

  17. Hospital Nursing Workforce Costs, Wages, Occupational Mix,and Resource Utilization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welton, John M

    2015-10-01

    The objective of the study was to better understand how hospitals use different types of RNs, LPNs, and nurse aides in proprietary (for-profit), nonprofit, and government-owned hospitals and to estimate the wages, cost, and intensity of nursing care using a national data set. This is a cross-sectional observational study of 3,129 acute care hospitals in all 50 states and District of Columbia using data from the 2008 Occupational Mix Survey administered by the Centers for Medicare &Medicaid Services (CMS). Nursing skill mix, hours, and labor costs were combined with other CMS hospital descriptive data, including type of hospital ownership, urban or rural location, hospital beds, and case-mix index. RN labor costs make up 25.5% of all hospital expenditures annually, and all nursing labor costs represent 30.1%, which is nearly a quarter trillion dollars ($216.7 billion) per year for inpatient nursing care. On average, proprietary hospitals employ 1.3 RNs per bed and 1.9 nursing personnel per bed in urban hospitals compared with 1.7 RNs per bed and 2.3 nursing personnel per bed for nonprofit and government-owned hospitals (P G .05). States with higher ratios of RN compared with LPN licenses used fewer LPNs in the inpatient setting. The findings from this study can be helpful in comparing nursing care across different types of hospitals, ownership, and geographic locations and used as a benchmark for future nursing workforce needs and costs.

  18. Suicide Risk in Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities: 2003-2011.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mezuk, Briana; Lohman, Matthew; Leslie, Marc; Powell, Virginia

    2015-07-01

    We investigated the epidemiology of suicide among adults aged 50 years and older in nursing homes and assisted living facilities and whether anticipating transitioning into long-term care (LTC) is a risk factor for suicide. Data come from the Virginia Violent Death Reporting System (2003-2011). We matched locations of suicides (n = 3453) against publicly available resource registries of nursing homes (n = 285) and assisted living facilities (n = 548). We examined individual and organizational correlates of suicide by logistic regression. We identified decedents anticipating entry into LTC through qualitative text analysis. Incidence of suicide was 14.16 per 100 000 in nursing homes and 15.66 in the community. Better performance on Nursing Home Compare quality metrics was associated with higher odds of suicide in nursing homes (odds ratio [OR] = 1.95; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.21, 3.14). Larger facility size was associated with higher suicide risk in assisted living facilities (OR = 1.01; 95% CI = 1.00, 1.01). Text narratives identified 38 decedents anticipating transitioning into LTC and 16 whose loved one recently transitioned or resided in LTC. LTC may be an important point of engagement in suicide prevention.

  19. Case-mix reimbursement for nursing home services: Simulation approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, E. Kathleen; Schlenker, Robert E.

    1986-01-01

    Nursing home reimbursement based on case mix is a matter of growing interest. Several States either use or are considering this reimbursement method. In this article, we present a method for evaluating key outcomes of such a change for Connecticut nursing homes. A simulation model is used to replicate payments under the case-mix systems used in Maryland, Ohio, and West Virginia. The findings indicate that, compared with the system presently used in Connecticut, these systems would better relate dollar payments to measure patient need, and for-profit homes would benefit relative to nonprofit homes. The Ohio methodology would impose the most additional costs, the West Virginia system would actually be somewhat less expensive in terms of direct patient care payments. PMID:10311776

  20. Case-mix reimbursement for nursing home services: simulation approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, E K; Schlenker, R E

    1986-01-01

    Nursing home reimbursement based on case mix is a matter of growing interest. Several States either use or are considering this reimbursement method. In this article, we present a method for evaluating key outcomes of such a change for Connecticut nursing homes. A simulation model is used to replicate payments under the case-mix systems used in Maryland, Ohio, and West Virginia. The findings indicate that, compared with the system presently used in Connecticut, these systems would better relate dollar payments to measure patient need, and for-profit homes would benefit relative to nonprofit homes. The Ohio methodology would impose the most additional costs, the West Virginia system would actually be somewhat less expensive in terms of direct patient care payments.

  1. Certified Nursing Assistants’ Explanatory Models of Nursing Home Resident Depression

    OpenAIRE

    Piven, Mary Lynn; Anderson, Ruth A.; Colón-Emeric, Cathleen S.; Sandelowski, Margarete

    2008-01-01

    In this study, we explored how Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) understood resident depression. Interviews with 18 CNAs, working in two nursing homes were guided by Kleinman’s Explanatory Models of Illness framework. Interview data were content analyzed and CNAs’ descriptions of depression were compared to the MDS 2.0 Mood Screen and to DSM-IV-TR Depression Criteria. CNAs identified causes, signs, and symptoms of depression, but they were unsure about the duration and normalcy of depressio...

  2. Decision Making about Hospital Arrival among Low-Risk Nulliparous Women after Spontaneous Labor Onset at Home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edmonds, Joyce K; Miley, Kathleen; Angelini, Kimberly J; Shah, Neel T

    2018-05-15

    Postponing hospital admission until the active phase of labor is a recommended strategy to safely reduce the incidence of primary cesarean births. Success of this strategy depends on women's decisions about when to transfer from home to the hospital, a process that is largely absent from research about childbirth. This study aimed to determine the decision-making criteria used by women about when to go to the hospital after the self-identification of labor onset at home. A qualitative study was conducted at an academic medical center with a sample of 21 nulliparous women who went into spontaneous labor at home and had term, singleton, and vertex-presentation births. The purposive sample consisted of women who decided to stay at home or go to the hospital in early labor. Birth narratives from in-depth interviews conducted in the postpartum period using a semistructured interview guide were subjected to content analysis. The verbatim transcriptions of the interviews were coded and categorized into a set of decision criteria. Criteria used by women in deciding to go to the hospital or stay at home in early labor included the degree of certainty with the self-identification of labor onset, ability to cope with labor pain, influence of social network members, health care provider advice, and concerns about travel to the hospital. Perception of childbirth risk and the need for reassurance about the normalcy of symptoms and fetal well-being also influenced women's decisions. Women use a common set of criteria in deciding when to arrive at the hospital during labor. Antenatal education and telephone triage interventions that incorporate the considerations of women deciding to seek or delay hospital admission in childbirth may facilitate health seeking in more advanced labor. Symptom recognition education about early labor onset and progression could reduce decisional uncertainty. © 2018 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  3. Restraint reduction in a nursing home and its impact on employee attitudes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sundel, M; Garrett, R M; Horn, R D

    1994-04-01

    To reduce physical restraint use in a nursing home and increase employee support for the restraint-reduction program. A one-group pretest-posttest design with repeated measures was used to determine changes in restraint use with participants over a 14-month interval. All individuals employed at the nursing home were surveyed at two time periods to determine their opinions on restraint use. A 265-bed private, non-profit nursing home in Dallas, Texas. A restrained cohort of 170 residents with a mean age of 84 years; 84% were female. A total of 182 employees participated in the first survey and 209 in the second. Formation of a project team that planned and supervised restraint removal. Inservice training on restraint use was conducted for all employees. Type and frequency of restraint use among the restrained cohort at four evaluation points within a 14-month interval. The frequency of restraint use in the nursing home population was also recorded. Survey measures included employee responses to a 16-item closed-end questionnaire before and after training. The mean number of restraints used with each resident in the restrained cohort decreased from 1.56 to 0.67. The number of residents on restraints in the nursing home was reduced during the course of the study (67.5% vs. 36.7%, P reduction program in a nursing home can produce positive results in terms of decreased restraint use and supportive employee attitudes. More practical alternatives to restraints need to be developed for application in the training of nursing home employees. Future studies on resident, employee, and family attitudes about restraint use are suggested.

  4. [Impact of Increased Supply of Newly Licensed Nurses on Hospital Nurse Staffing and Policy Implications].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Yunmi; You, Sunju; Kim, Jinhyun

    2017-12-01

    This study aimed to analyze the impact of increasing the supply of newly licensed nurses on improving the hospital nurse staffing grades for the period of 2009~2014. Using public administrative data, we analyzed the effect of newly licensed nurses on staffing in 1,594 hospitals using Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) ordered logistic regression, and of supply variation on improving staffing grades in 1,042 hospitals using GEE logistic regression. An increase of one newly licensed nurse per 100 beds in general units had significantly lower odds of improving staffing grades (grades 6~0 vs. 7) (odds ratio=0.95, p=.005). The supply of newly licensed nurses increased by 32% from 2009 to 2014, and proportion of hospitals whose staffing grade had improved, not changed, and worsened was 19.1%, 70.1%, and 10.8% respectively. Compared to 2009, the supply variation of newly licensed nurses in 2014 was not significantly related to the increased odds of improving staffing grades in the region (OR=1.02, p=.870). To achieve a balance in the regional supply and demand for hospital nurses, compliance with nurse staffing legislation and revisions in the nursing fee differentiation policy are needed. Rather than relying on increasing nurse supply, retention policies for new graduate nurses are required to build and sustain competent nurse workforce in the future. © 2017 Korean Society of Nursing Science

  5. The nursing team and the family member accompanying adult patients in the hospital context. An exploratory study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thayane Dias dos Santos

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Objective. To identify the actions of family members who accompany adult hospitalized patients and to describe the nursing team's role regarding that person. Methodology. In this qualitative, descriptive and exploratory research, a questionnaire was applied to 30 nursing team members at a teaching hospital located in the State of Rio de Janeiro, using open questions. To interpret the answers, thematic analysis was applied to categorize the identified qualitative variables. Results. Eighty-nine percent of the participants were female. When analyzing the information contained in the answers to the questionnaire, two types of actions were found: the actions the companion can perform for his/her relative and the actions the nursing team needs to perform. In each action, the following categories were verified: affective dimension, practical dimension, moral dimension and inclusion of the family in care. According to the nursing team, the companion plays a very important role in emotional support and help with the patient's basic hygiene, although this care should be offered under nursing orientation. Conclusion. Family companions and nursing team members work together to improve the quality of patient care, with positive reflections for their integration in hospital care, which will enhance its continuity in the home-care context.

  6. Patient safety and nursing implication: Survey in Catalan hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freixas Sala, Núria; Monistrol Ruano, Olga; Espuñes Vendrell, Jordi; Sallés Creus, Montserrat; Gallardo González, Mónica; Ramón Cantón, Carme; Bueno Domínguez, María José; Llinas Vidal, Montserrat; Campo Osaba, María Antonia

    This study aims to describe the implementation of the patient safety (PS) programs in catalan hospitals and to analyze the level of nursing involvement. Multicenter cross-sectional study. To obtain the data two questionnaires were developed; one addressed to the hospital direction and another to the nurse executive in PS. The survey was distributed during 2013 to the 65 acute care hospitals in Catalonia. The questionnaire was answered by 43 nursing directors and 40 nurse executive in PS. 93% of the hospitals responded that they had a PS Program and 81.4% used a specific scoreboard with PS indicators. The referent of the hospital in PS was a nurse in 55.8% of the centres. 92.5% had a system of notification of adverse effects with an annual average of 190.3 notifications. In 86% of the centres had a nurse involved in the PS program but only in the 16% of the centres the nurse dedication was at full-time. The nurse respondents evaluate the degree of implementation of the PBS program with a note of approved and they propound as improvement increase the staff dedicated to the PS and specific academic training in PS. The degree of implementation of programs for patient safety is high in Catalan acute hospitals, while the organizational structure is highly diverse. In more than half of the hospitals the PS referent was a nurse, confirming the nurse involvement in the PS programs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  7. Ergonomics and nursing in hospital environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogers, Bonnie; Buckheit, Kathleen; Ostendorf, Judith

    2013-10-01

    This study describes workplace conditions, the environment, and activities that may contribute to musculoskeletal injuries among nurses, as well as identifies solutions to decrease these risks and improve work-related conditions. The study used a mixed-methods design. Participants included nurses and stakeholders from five hospitals. Several focus groups were held with nurses, walk-throughs of clinical units were conducted, and stakeholder interviews with key occupational health and safety personnel were conducted in each of the five hospitals, as well as with representatives from the American Nurses Association, Veterans Health Administration hospital, and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Several key contributing factors, including the physical environment (e.g., layout and organization of work stations), work organization and culture (e.g., heavy workload, inadequate staffing, lack of education), and work activities (e.g., manual lifting of patients, lack of assistive devices), were identified. Recommendations included the need for a multifaceted and comprehensive approach to developing a sound ergonomics program. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

  8. The effects of a nursing guideline on depression in psychogeriatric nursing home residents with dementia.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verkaik, R.; Francke, A.L.; Meijel, B. van; Spreeuwenberg, P.M.M.; Ribbe, M.W.; Bensing, J.M.

    2011-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of introducing a nursing guideline on depression in residents with dementia of psychogeriatric nursing home wards. METHODS: A multi-center controlled clinical trial with randomization at ward level was used to study the effects of the guideline introduction. Nursing

  9. Trends and characteristics of home and other out-of-hospital births in the United States, 1990-2006.

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacDorman, Marian F; Menacker, Fay; Declercq, Eugene

    2010-03-03

    This report examines trends and characteristics of out-of-hospital and home births in the United States. Descriptive tabulations of data are presented and interpreted. In 2006, there were 38,568 out-of-hospital births in the United States, including 24,970 home births and 10,781 births occurring in a freestanding birthing center. After a gradual decline from 1990 to 2004, the percentage of out-of-hospital births increased by 3% from 0.87% in 2004 to 0.90% in 2005 and 2006. A similar pattern was found for home births. After a gradual decline from 1990 to 2004, the percentage of home births increased by 5% to 0.59% in 2005 and remained steady in 2006. Compared with the U.S. average, home birth rates were higher for non-Hispanic white women, married women, women aged 25 and over, and women with several previous children. Home births were less likely than hospital births to be preterm, low birthweight, or multiple deliveries. The percentage of home births was 74% higher in rural counties of less than 100,000 population than in counties with a population size of 100,000 or more. The percentage of home births also varied widely by state; in Vermont and Montana more than 2% of births in 2005-2006 were home births, compared with less than 0.2% in Louisiana and Nebraska. About 61% of home births were delivered by midwives. Among midwife-delivered home births, one-fourth (27%) were delivered by certified nurse midwives, and nearly three-fourths (73%) were delivered by other midwives. Women may choose home birth for a variety of reasons, including a desire for a low-intervention birth in a familiar environment surrounded by family and friends and cultural or religious concerns. Lack of transportation in rural areas and cost factors may also play a role.

  10. Maldistribution or scarcity of nurses? The devil is in the detail.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Both-Nwabuwe, Jitske M C; Dijkstra, Maria T M; Klink, Ab; Beersma, Bianca

    2018-03-01

    The goal of this paper was to improve our understanding of nursing shortages across the variety of health care sectors and how this may affect the agenda for addressing nursing shortages. A health care sector comprises a number of health care services for one particular type of patient care, for example, the hospital care sector. Most Western countries are shifting health care services from hospital care towards community and home care, thus increasing nursing workforce challenges in home and community care. In order to implement appropriate policy responses to nursing workforce challenges, we need to know if these challenges are caused by maldistribution of nurses and/or the scarcity of nurses in general. Focusing on the Netherlands, we reviewed articles based on data of a labour market research programme and/or data from the Dutch Employed Persons' Insurance Administration Agency. The data were analysed using a data synthesis approach. Nursing shortages are unevenly distributed across the various health care sectors. Shortages of practical nurses are caused by maldistribution, with a long-term projected surplus of practical nurses in hospitals and projected shortages in nursing/convalescent homes and home care. Shortages of first-level registered nurses are caused by general scarcity in the long term, mainly in hospitals and home care. Nursing workforce challenges are caused by a maldistribution of nurses and the scarcity of nurses in general. To implement appropriate policy responses to nursing workforce challenges, integrated health care workforce planning is necessary. Integrated workforce planning models could forecast the impact of health care transformation plans and guide national policy decisions on transitioning programmes. Effective transitioning programmes are required to address nursing shortages and to diminish maldistribution. In addition, increased recruitment and retention as well as new models of care are required to address the scarcity of

  11. Motivators for physical activity among ambulatory nursing home older residents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yuh-Min; Li, Yueh-Ping

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore self-identified motivators for regular physical activity among ambulatory nursing home older residents. A qualitative exploratory design was adopted. Purposive sampling was performed to recruit 18 older residents from two nursing homes in Taiwan. The interview transcripts were analyzed by qualitative content analysis. Five motivators of physical activity emerged from the result of analysis: eagerness for returning home, fear of becoming totally dependent, improving mood state, filling empty time, and previously cultivated habit. Research on physical activity from the perspectives of nursing home older residents has been limited. An empirically grounded understanding from this study could provide clues for promoting and supporting lifelong engagement in physical activity among older residents. The motivators reported in this study should be considered when designing physical activity programs. These motivators can be used to encourage, guide, and provide feedback to support older residents in maintaining physical activity.

  12. Complexity Science and the Dynamics of Climate and Communication: Reducing Nursing Home Turnover

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Ruth A.; Corazzini, Kirsten N.; McDaniel, Reuben R.

    2008-01-01

    Purpose Turnover in nursing homes is a widespread problem adversely affecting care quality. Using complexity theory, we tested the effect of administrative climate, communication patterns, and the interaction between the two on turnover, controlling for facility context. Design and Methods Perceptions of administrative climate and communication were collected from 3,449 employees in 164 randomly sampled nursing homes, and they were linked to secondary data on facility characteristics, resource allocation, and turnover. We used hierarchical regression to test the hypotheses. Results Climate and communication both affected turnover, but lower turnover was dependent on the interaction between climate and communication. In nursing homes with reward-based administrative climates, higher levels of communication openness and accuracy explained lower turnover of licensed vocational nurses and certified nurse assistants, relative to nursing homes with an ambiguous climate. Adequate staffing and longer tenure of the nursing director were also important predictors of turnover. Implications Although context is important, managers can also influence turnover by addressing climate and communication patterns and by encouraging stable nursing leadership. PMID:15197292

  13. Leadership, staffing and quality of care in nursing homes

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Background Leadership and staffing are recognised as important factors for quality of care. This study examines the effects of ward leaders' task- and relationship-oriented leadership styles, staffing levels, ratio of registered nurses and ratio of unlicensed staff on three independent measures of quality of care. Methods A cross-sectional survey of forty nursing home wards throughout Norway was used to collect the data. Five sources of data were utilised: self-report questionnaires to 444 employees, interviews with and questionnaires to 13 nursing home directors and 40 ward managers, telephone interviews with 378 relatives and 900 hours of field observations. Separate multi-level analyses were conducted for quality of care assessed by relatives, staff and field observations respectively. Results Task-oriented leadership style had a significant positive relationship with two of the three quality of care indexes. In contrast, relationship-oriented leadership style was not significantly related to any of the indexes. The lack of significant effect for relationship-oriented leadership style was due to a strong correlation between the two leadership styles (r = 0.78). Staffing levels and ratio of registered nurses were not significantly related to any of the quality of care indexes. The ratio of unlicensed staff, however, showed a significant negative relationship to quality as assessed by relatives and field observations, but not to quality as assessed by staff. Conclusions Leaders in nursing homes should focus on active leadership and particularly task-oriented behaviour like structure, coordination, clarifying of staff roles and monitoring of operations to increase quality of care. Furthermore, nursing homes should minimize use of unlicensed staff and address factors related to high ratios of unlicensed staff, like low staff stability. The study indicates, however, that the relationship between staffing levels, ratio of registered nurses and quality of care is

  14. Leadership, staffing and quality of care in nursing homes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Havig Anders

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Leadership and staffing are recognised as important factors for quality of care. This study examines the effects of ward leaders' task- and relationship-oriented leadership styles, staffing levels, ratio of registered nurses and ratio of unlicensed staff on three independent measures of quality of care. Methods A cross-sectional survey of forty nursing home wards throughout Norway was used to collect the data. Five sources of data were utilised: self-report questionnaires to 444 employees, interviews with and questionnaires to 13 nursing home directors and 40 ward managers, telephone interviews with 378 relatives and 900 hours of field observations. Separate multi-level analyses were conducted for quality of care assessed by relatives, staff and field observations respectively. Results Task-oriented leadership style had a significant positive relationship with two of the three quality of care indexes. In contrast, relationship-oriented leadership style was not significantly related to any of the indexes. The lack of significant effect for relationship-oriented leadership style was due to a strong correlation between the two leadership styles (r = 0.78. Staffing levels and ratio of registered nurses were not significantly related to any of the quality of care indexes. The ratio of unlicensed staff, however, showed a significant negative relationship to quality as assessed by relatives and field observations, but not to quality as assessed by staff. Conclusions Leaders in nursing homes should focus on active leadership and particularly task-oriented behaviour like structure, coordination, clarifying of staff roles and monitoring of operations to increase quality of care. Furthermore, nursing homes should minimize use of unlicensed staff and address factors related to high ratios of unlicensed staff, like low staff stability. The study indicates, however, that the relationship between staffing levels, ratio of registered nurses

  15. Justifying continuous sedation until death: a focus group study in nursing homes in Flanders, Belgium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rys, Sam; Deschepper, Reginald; Deliens, Luc; Mortier, Freddy; Bilsen, Johan

    2013-01-01

    Continuous Sedation until Death (CSD), the act of reducing or removing the consciousness of an incurably ill patient until death, has become a common practice in nursing homes in Flanders (Belgium). Quantitative research has suggested that CSD is not always properly applied. This qualitative study aims to explore and describe the circumstances under which nursing home clinicians consider CSD to be justified. Six focus groups were conducted including 10 physicians, 24 nurses, and 14 care assistants working in either Catholic or non-Catholic nursing homes of varying size. Refractory suffering, limited life expectancy and respecting patient autonomy are considered essential elements in deciding for CSD. However, multiple factors complicate the care of nursing home residents at the end of life, and often hinder clinicians from putting these elements into practice. Nursing home clinicians may benefit from more information and instruction about managing CSD in the complex care situations which typically occur in nursing homes. Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Front-line management, staffing and nurse-doctor relationships as predictors of nurse and patient outcomes. a survey of Icelandic hospital nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gunnarsdóttir, Sigrún; Clarke, Sean P; Rafferty, Anne Marie; Nutbeam, Don

    2009-07-01

    To investigate aspects of nurses' work environments linked with job outcomes and assessments of quality of care in an Icelandic hospital. Prior research suggests that poor working environments in hospitals significantly hinder retention of nurses and high quality patient care. On the other hand, hospitals with high retention rates (such as Magnet hospitals) show supportive management, professional autonomy, good inter-professional relations and nurse job satisfaction, reduced nurse burnout and improved quality of patient care. Cross-sectional survey of 695 nurses at Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavík. Nurses' work environments were measured using the nursing work index-revised (NWI-R) and examined as predictors of job satisfaction, the Maslach burnout inventory (MBI) and nurse-assessed quality of patient care using linear and logistic regression approaches. An Icelandic adaptation of the NWI-R showed a five-factor structure similar to that of Lake (2002). After controlling for nurses' personal characteristics, job satisfaction, emotional exhaustion and nurse rated quality of care were found to be independently associated with perceptions of support from unit-level managers, staffing adequacy, and nurse-doctor relations. The NWI-R measures elements of hospital nurses' work environments that predict job outcomes and nurses' ratings of the quality of patient care in Iceland. Efforts to improve and maintain nurses' relations with nurse managers and doctors, as well as their perceptions of staffing adequacy, will likely improve nurse job satisfaction and employee retention, and may improve the quality of patient care.

  17. Nursing home facilities in Malaysia (premise, shared facilities & individual accommodation: Space requirement): A literature review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nordin, Nik Muhammad Faris Bin Nik; Hasbollah, Hasif Rafidee bin; Ibrahim, Mohd Asrul Hery Bin; Marican, Nor Dalila bin; Halim, Muhd Hafzal bin Abdul; Rashid, Ahmad Faezi Bin Ab.; Yasin, Nurul Hafizah Binti Mohd

    2017-10-01

    The numbers of elderly in Malaysia are increased every year. The request towards elderly care services necessitated by the Nursing Home are in demand. However, Nursing Home in Malaysia is lack of standard of facilities in order to cater the care services for the elderly. This paper intends review the minimum standard facilities for the Nursing Homes in globally. The paper also offered insights in developing standard Nursing Home facilities in Malaysia.

  18. Bilateral effects of hospital patient-safety procedures on nurses' job satisfaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inoue, T; Karima, R; Harada, K

    2017-09-01

    The aim of this study was to examine how hospital patient-safety procedures affect the job satisfaction of hospital nurses. Additionally, we investigated the association between perceived autonomy and hospital patient-safety procedures and job satisfaction. Recently, measures for patient safety have been recognized as an essential requirement in hospitals. Hospital patient-safety procedures may enhance the job satisfaction of nurses by improving the quality of their work. However, such procedures may also decrease their job satisfaction by imposing excessive stress on nurses because they cannot make mistakes. The participants included 537 nurses at 10 private hospitals in Japan (The surveys were collected from March to July 2012). Factors related to hospital patient-safety procedures were demonstrated using factor analysis, and the associations between these factors and nurses' self-perceived autonomy and job satisfaction were examined using structural equation modelling. Five factors regarding hospital patient-safety procedures were extracted. Additionally, structural equation modelling revealed statistically significant associations between these factors and the nurses' self-perceived autonomy and job satisfaction. The findings showed that nurses' perceived autonomy of the workplace enhanced their job satisfaction and that their perceptions of hospital patient-safety procedures promoted their job satisfaction. However, some styles of chief nurses' leadership regarding patient safety restrict nurses' independent and autonomous decision-making and actions, resulting in a lowering of job satisfaction. This study demonstrated that hospital patient-safety procedures have ambiguous effects on nurses' job satisfaction. In particular, chief nurses' leadership relating to patient safety can have a positive or negative effect on nurses' job satisfaction. The findings indicated that hospital managers should demonstrate positive attitudes to improve patient safety for

  19. The costs of turnover in nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukamel, Dana B; Spector, William D; Limcangco, Rhona; Wang, Ying; Feng, Zhanlian; Mor, Vincent

    2009-10-01

    Turnover rates in nursing homes have been persistently high for decades, ranging upwards of 100%. To estimate the net costs associated with turnover of direct care staff in nursing homes. DATA AND SAMPLE: Nine hundred two nursing homes in California in 2005. Data included Medicaid cost reports, the Minimum Data Set, Medicare enrollment files, Census, and Area Resource File. We estimated total cost functions, which included in addition to exogenous outputs and wages, the facility turnover rate. Instrumental variable limited information maximum likelihood techniques were used for estimation to deal with the endogeneity of turnover and costs. The cost functions exhibited the expected behavior, with initially increasing and then decreasing returns to scale. The ordinary least square estimate did not show a significant association between costs and turnover. The instrumental variable estimate of turnover costs was negative and significant (P = 0.039). The marginal cost savings associated with a 10% point increase in turnover for an average facility was $167,063 or 2.9% of annual total costs. The net savings associated with turnover offer an explanation for the persistence of this phenomenon over the last decades, despite the many policy initiatives to reduce it. Future policy efforts need to recognize the complex relationship between turnover and costs.

  20. Coping with the Obligation Dilemma: Prototypes of Social Workers in the Nursing Home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lev, Sagit; Ayalon, Liat

    2016-07-01

    We examined the ways in which the social worker is coping with obligation dilemma in an Israeli nursing home. The research was conducted using semi-structured, in-depth interviews carried out with fifteen social workers employed in nursing homes. The interviews were analysed thematically, using constant comparisons. The three themes were concerned with the social worker's place in the nursing home, her relationship with the management and staff, and her coping with the obligation dilemma. These themes highlighted the difference between the interviewees. On the background of this difference, four prototypes of nursing home's social workers were defined: the managerial, the contented, the fighter and the frustrated. From analysing the findings, the significant place of the personal and environmental factors that influence the ways in which the social worker deals with these four themes emerges. Our findings suggest that the strengthening, empowerment and support of social workers in institutions can directly enhance the health, security, emotional well-being and quality of life of nursing home residents.