J Gerontol Nurs
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End-of-life decision-making is often a difficult process and one that many elderly patients and their families will undergo. The grounded theory study of nurses, physicians, and family members (n = 20) reported in this article examined provider behaviors that facilitated the process of decision-making near the end of patients' lives. ⋯ Communication strategies included: being clear, avoiding euphemisms, spelling out the goals and expectations of treatment, using words such as "death" and "dying," and being specific when using such words as "hope" and "better." Assessment strategies included: assessing patients' physical conditions and end-of-life wishes, patients' and family members' understandings of the disease and prognosis, and their expectations and goals. An important first step for improved care is making explicit the provider's communicating and assessing strategies that facilitate end-of-life decision-making.
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Referrals for home care services initiated prior to hospital discharge may prevent or delay readmission or nursing home placement, especially for elderly individuals with multiple, chronic health problems. While multiple factors could justify the need for home follow-up after hospital discharge, little is known about those patient factors associated with clinicians' decisions to refer older adults with cardiac or pulmonary disorders. ⋯ This study examined patient factors associated with and predictive of the decision to refer for home follow-up, using a sample of older adults hospitalized with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or congestive heart failure (CHF). Study findings suggest a model that includes patients diagnosed with both COPD and CHF, who are not married, need home health aides, and have a longer than average length of hospital stay may be helpful in predicting the need for home care referrals.
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It is becoming increasingly common for nursing facilities to use Quality Indicators (QI) derived from Minimum Data Set (MDS) data for quality improvement initiatives within their facilities. It is not known how much support facilities need to effectively review QI reports, investigate problems areas, and implement practice changes to improve care. In Missouri, the University of Missouri-Columbia MDS and Nursing Home Quality Research Team has undertaken a Quality Improvement Intervention Study using a gerontological clinical nurse specialist (GCNS) to support quality improvement activities in nursing homes. Nursing facilities have responded positively to the availability of a GCNS to assist them in improving nursing facility care quality.