Journal of the American Medical Directors Association
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
A family booklet about comfort care in advanced dementia: three-country evaluation.
To evaluate a booklet on comfort care in dementia from the perspective of family with relevant experience, and assess nursing home resident and family factors associated with evaluations. ⋯ The booklet is suitable to inform Dutch and Canadian families on comfort care in dementia, but implementation in Italy requires further consideration. The booklet may be integrated in advance care planning in long term care, and made available outside long term care settings to serve families who wish to be informed early.
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Comparative Study
Nursing home revenue source and information availability during the emergency department evaluation of nursing home residents.
Lack of access to medical information for nursing home residents during emergency department (ED) evaluation is a barrier to quality care. We hypothesized that the quantity of information available in the ED differs based on the funding source of the resident's nursing home. ⋯ Less information is available to ED providers for patients from SNFs that accept Medicaid than for residents from SNFs that do not accept Medicaid. Further study is needed to examine this information gap.
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Comparative Study
The association between pain and measures of well-being among nursing home residents.
To determine the extent to which pain is associated with well-being indices among nursing home residents. ⋯ In nursing home residents, pain is highly prevalent and affects measures of well-being. Initiatives to recognize and appropriately treat pain may lead to increased measures of well-being.
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Comparative Study
Which score most likely represents pain on the observational PAINAD pain scale for patients with dementia?
We sought to determine a cutoff score for the observational Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia (PAINAD), to adequately assess pain in clinical nursing home practice and research. ⋯ Based on the findings of multiple available data sources, we recommend that a PAINAD score of 2 or more can be used as an indicator of probable pain. A score of 1 is a sign to be attentive to possible pain. Future work may focus on cutoff scores for the presence of pain and severe pain in other frequently used pain tools, and on further development of methodology to assess cutoff scores.