Journal of the American Medical Directors Association
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Multicenter Study
Hospice family members' perceptions of and experiences with end-of-life care in the nursing home.
Even though more than 25% of Americans die in nursing homes, end-of-life care has consistently been found to be less than adequate in this setting. Even for those residents on hospice, end-of-life care has been found to be problematic. This study had 2 research questions; (1) How do family members of hospice nursing home residents differ in their anxiety, depression, quality of life, social networks, perceptions of pain medication, and health compared with family members of community dwelling hospice patients? (2) What are family members' perceptions of and experiences with end-of-life care in the nursing home setting? ⋯ These interviews identify a multitude of barriers to quality end-of-life care in the nursing home setting, and demonstrate that support for family members is an essential part of quality end-of-life care for residents. This study suggests that nursing homes should embrace the opportunity to demonstrate the value of family participation in the care-planning process.
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To describe Chinese nursing home residents' knowledge of advance directive (AD) and end-of-life care preferences and to explore the predictors of their preference for AD. ⋯ Most nursing home residents did not know about AD, and nearly one-third showed positive attitudes toward it. AD should be promoted in mainland China. Education of residents, the proxy decision maker, and nursing home staff on AD is very important. Necessary policy support, legislation, or practice guidelines about AD should be made with flexibility to respect nursing home residents' rights in mainland China.
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Although acute kidney injury (AKI) is well studied in the acute care setting, investigation of AKI in the nursing home (NH) setting is virtually nonexistent. The goal of this study was to determine the incidence of drug-associated AKI using the RIFLE (Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss of kidney function, or End-Stage kidney disease) criteria in NH residents. ⋯ Drug-associated AKI was a common cause of potential adverse drug events. The vast majority of cases were related to the use of diuretics, ACEIs/ARBs, and antibiotics. Future studies are needed to better understand patient, provider, and facility risk factors, as well as strategies to enhance the detection and management of drug-associated AKI in the NH.
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Observational Study
Risk analysis for second hip fracture in patients after hip fracture surgery: a nationwide population-based study.
The current treatment program for fragility hip fractures (HFx) emphasizes a combination of early surgery, rehabilitation, and tertiary prevention strategy for osteoporosis; however, the effect is unclear and little information is available on the risk factors predicting the occurrence of a second hip fracture (SHFx). The aim of this study was to explore the incidence, risk factors, and subsequent mortality of SHFx in patients after their first hip fracture surgery (HFxS). ⋯ We concluded that the occurrence of an SHFx and subsequent mortality in patients after HFxS is rather high. An understanding of the risk factors predicting the occurrence of an SHFx provides a valuable basis to improve health care for geriatric populations.