J Gerontol Nurs
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Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Discharge planning for elderly patients.
The complex chronic health problems and functional limitations common in the elderly population place them at risk for complicated hospitalizations and discharge planning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a discharge planning protocol in identifying elderly patients' home care needs. The sample in this quasiexperimental study consisted of 507 hospitalized patients age 65 years or older. ⋯ This information about the home care of elderly patients after hospitalization supports the need for comprehensive functional assessment as part of discharge planning. This study also suggests that the nurse/social worker team can provide effective screening and discharge planning coordination of home care. Physician involvement and effective communication networks must be in place.
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1. Legalization of physician-assisted suicide poses serious challenges to the Code for Nurses of the ANA, particularly in the areas of self-determination and autonomy versus sanctity of life. 2. ⋯ No demographic variables realized statistical significance toward attitudes on the legalization of physician-assisted suicide or its legalization as applied to the elderly. 4. While supported conceptually, the actual practice of physician-assisted suicide was not supported by many who were in favor of legalization of physician-assisted suicide.
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Comparative Study
Filial piety. A cross-cultural comparison and its implications for the well-being of older parents.
The purpose of this article is to compare and contrast the concept of filial piety in Chinese culture and American culture and to discuss the relationship between expectations of filial piety and the well-being of older adults. In both cultures, filial piety is a socially approved virtue and contains attributes of respecting, caring for, and loving the parents. ⋯ Nonetheless, there is no single intervention that could fit all clients from one culture. Nurses need to examine to what extent clients value their culture of origin.
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To determine the effects of preexisting levels of loneliness and social support on cognitive decline during hospitalization, 145 elderly subjects 65 to 92 years old without impaired cognition were tested for levels of loneliness, social support, and cognitive status on admission to an acute care hospital. Five days later, cognitive status was again measured in the remaining 86 patients. ⋯ In those with high loneliness scores on admission, cognitive status had improved significantly 5 days later. High social support was correlated with high cognitive status on admission and significant cognitive decline during hospitalization.