International journal of older people nursing
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Int J Older People Nurs · Mar 2017
Dying and death within the culture of long-term care facilities in Canada.
To identify the influence of the culture in Canadian long-term care facilities on the awareness of impending death and initiation of a palliative approach to care for residents aged 85 years and older. ⋯ Because strongly held long-term care cultural beliefs underlie care, more timely palliative care for long-term care residents is likely to require the development of an understanding that living and dying are not dichotomous, but rather unfold together from admission until death. Enhanced staff-to-resident ratios and staff training on palliative care will also be necessary to permit long-term care facility staff to focus beyond the currently expected day-to-day care of living residents to provide high-quality end-of-life care throughout the often protracted decline to death for residents of long-term care facilities.
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Health professionals continue to seek ways to promote positive communication and self-worth when supporting people living with dementia. The value of creative writing techniques as part of reflective practice in nursing and caring for older people with dementia needs further exploration. ⋯ Creative writing, as a tool in reflective practice, may enable health professionals and family carers to become confident and creative partners in older people's care. The added value, time and investment needed to introduce creative writing need to be articulated and acknowledged from within supervision and staffing teams.
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Int J Older People Nurs · Sep 2016
ReviewHealth education programmes to improve foot self-care practices and foot problems among older people with diabetes: a systematic review.
To assess the effectiveness of health education programmes to improve foot self-care practices and foot problems among older people with diabetes. ⋯ The findings of this study support the claim that a health education programme increases the foot self-care scores and reduces the foot problems. However, there were certain methodological concerns in the reviewed articles, indicating the need for further evaluation. In future, researchers and practitioners must implement a vigorous education programme focusing on diabetes foot self-care among the older population.
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Int J Older People Nurs · Sep 2016
Informal caregivers and detection of delirium in postacute care: a correlational study of the confusion assessment method (CAM), confusion assessment method-family assessment method (CAM-FAM) and DSM-IV criteria.
Delirium is a common, serious and potentially life-threatening syndrome affecting older adults. This syndrome continues to be under-recognised and under treated by healthcare professionals across all care settings. Older adults who develop delirium have poorer outcomes, higher mortality and higher care costs. The purposes of this study were to correlate the confusion assessment method-family assessment method and confusion assessment method in the detection of delirium in postacute care, to correlate the confusion assessment method-family assessment method and diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders text revision criteria in detection of delirium in postacute care, to determine the prevalence of delirium in postacute care elders and to describe the relationship of level of cognitive impairment and delirium in the postacute care setting. Implications for Practice Delirium is disturbing for patients and caregivers. Frequently . family members want to provide information about their loved one. The use of the CAM-FAM and CAM can give a more definitive determination of baseline status. Frequent observations using both instruments may lead to better recognition of delirium and implementation of interventions to prevent lasting sequelae. ⋯ Delirium is disturbing for patients and caregivers. Frequently. family members want to provide information about their loved one. The use of the CAM-FAM and CAM can give a more definitive determination of baseline status. Frequent observations using both instruments may lead to better recognition of delirium and implementation of interventions to prevent lasting sequelae.
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Int J Older People Nurs · Jun 2016
Palliative care case conferences in long-term care: views of family members.
This paper examines the use of structured Palliative Care Case Conferences in long-term care. The issues families bring to the Palliative Care Case Conference, their level of distress prior to the conference, the extent to which these issues are addressed by staff and family satisfaction with this process are described. ⋯ Increased communication between staff and family, in the form of a Palliative Care Case Conference, may reduce stress, anxiety and unwanted hospitalisations during the palliative phase.