International journal of older people nursing
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Int J Older People Nurs · Mar 2014
Activity restriction vs. self-direction: hospitalised older adults' response to fear of falling.
Functional decline is a common complication in hospitalised older adults, associated with low mobility and physical activity. Fear of falling may contribute to limited mobility and physical activity, and loss of physical function. An understanding of this relationship, as well as contributing factors, may inform the development of safe, function-promoting interventions. ⋯ Interventions to prevent falls and activities to promote functional mobility are ideally developed in tandem, with attention paid to the physical and social environment. Preventing hospital-acquired disability may require a shift in organisational values around safety, from a soley protective approach to one that reflects an enabling philosophy emphasising independence and self-direction. Such a paradigm shift would demonstrate a valuing not only of the absence of falls but also the preservation and restoration of function.
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Int J Older People Nurs · Mar 2014
Validation method training: nurses' experiences and ratings of work climate.
Training nursing staff in communication skills can impact on the quality of care for residents with dementia and contributes to nurses' job satisfaction. Changing attitudes and practices takes time and energy and can affect the entire nursing staff, not just the nurses directly involved in a training programme. Therefore, it seems important to study nurses' experiences of a training programme and any influence of the programme on work climate among the entire nursing staff. ⋯ Training in the validation method could develop nurses' communication skills and improve their handling of complex care situations.
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Int J Older People Nurs · Mar 2014
How much do residential aged care staff members know about the nutritional needs of residents?
Undernutrition, weight loss and dehydration are major clinical issues for people with dementia in residential care, with excessive weight loss contributing to increased risk of frailty, immobility, illness and premature morbidity. This paper discusses a nutritional knowledge and attitudes survey conducted as part of a larger project focused on improving nutritional intake of people with dementia within a residential care facility in Brisbane, Australia. ⋯ The residential facility staff surveyed demonstrated low levels of nutrition knowledge, which reflects findings from the international literature. This has implications for the provision of responsive care to residents of these facilities and should be explored further.
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Int J Older People Nurs · Mar 2014
People with dementia and the hospital environment: the view of patients and family carers.
A metropolitan geriatric evaluation and management (GEM) facility in Australia was undergoing expansion, and consideration for the needs of individuals with dementia and their family carers was identified as important in planning the new facility. Existing literature revealed that people in hospital value privacy, minimal noise, family amenities and homeliness, but these findings did not consider the perspectives of the person with dementia specifically. ⋯ Consumer opinions about hospital design/environment should be considered as an important source of data. Privacy and personal space for people with dementia and their family carers, a connection with the outside environment , and the needs of carers and visitors are all important considerations when designing healthcare environments.