Journal of the American Medical Directors Association
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The new Minimum Data Set 3.0 was designed to improve the assessment process by requiring nursing home (NH) staff to attempt to interview residents with scripted questions to assess subjective states such as pain, mood, and cognitive functioning. Although the case has been made that resident self-report is important, it is unknown whether facilities are doing so in practice. We examined the frequency of attempts to interview residents to elucidate the types of residents able to be interviewed about their clinical conditions and facility characteristics related to the likelihood of attempt. ⋯ This article documents the high rate of NH residents' participation in interviews about their clinical states. Furthermore, we identify types of residents for whom additional investigation into ways to achieve higher rates of participation is required and facility resources that are related to the likelihood of high rates of attempt.
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To identify risk factors for back pain leading to restricted activity (restricting back pain) in older persons. ⋯ In this prospective study, several factors were independently associated with restricting back pain, including some that may be modifiable and therefore potential targets for interventions to reduce this common and often recurrent condition in older persons.
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To explore how quality of life (QoL) and quality of care (QoC) for people with dementia (PwD) vary across 8 European countries; to explore how QoL and QoC for PwD vary across living arrangements; and to assess the association between QoL and QoC. ⋯ There is great variation in QoL and QoC scores among European countries and settings. To gain insight into the underlying causes of these differences, more knowledge is needed about the effect of different national health care systems and dementia strategies on QoL and QoC indicators. Depressive symptoms were associated with QoL, and executing longitudinal studies investigating which factors are associated with change in QoL is highly recommended.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Anticholinergic drug use and negative outcomes among the frail elderly population living in a nursing home.
Increasing evidence from experimental studies and clinical observations suggests that drugs with anticholinergic properties can cause physical and mental impairment. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between the use of drugs with anticholinergic activity and negative outcomes in older nursing home residents. ⋯ The use of medications with anticholinergic properties is common among older nursing home residents. Our results suggest that among older nursing home residents the use of anticholinergic drugs is associated with important negative outcomes, such as functional decline, falls, and delirium.
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Comparative Study
A comparison of beers and STOPP criteria in assessing potentially inappropriate medications in nursing home residents attending the emergency department.
The Beers (2012) criteria and the screening tool of older persons' potentially inappropriate prescriptions (STOPP) criteria are often used to identify potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use in elderly patients. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of PIM use in nursing home residents (NHRs) aged ≥65 years presenting to the Emergency Department (ED); to compare the Beers and STOPP criteria and to identify the potential role of PIMs in ED attendances. ⋯ These results show a high rate of PIM prescribing in this cohort. The use of criteria such as Beers and STOPP may be a useful guide for physicians coordinating the long-term care of NHRs and may have the potential to reduce attendances at ED.