Browsing by Subject "Nursing homes"
Item Age-Related Differences in Health-Related Quality of Life Among Western Canadian Nursing Home Residents(Oxford University Press, 2022) Shieu, Bianca; Schwartz, Todd; Hoben, Matthias; Toles, Mark; Beeber, Anna; Anderson, RuthNursing homes (NHs) typically focus on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among residents aged 65 and over despite approximately 7% of NH residents are younger (aged 18-64). Research suggests that the needs of younger NH residents are not being met and they may have low HRQoL. However, differences in HRQoL of younger and older NH residents may not be apparent in studies that use HRQoL measures designed for research with older NH residents. We hypothesized that the younger residents would have lower HRQoL mean scores than the older (aged ≥ 65) residents using a HRQoL measure based on the HRQoL score derived from Resident Assessment Instrument – Minimum Data Set 2.0 items. The measure uses items that emphasize physical aspects of quality of life rather than social aspects. In a sample of 21,129 residents from 94 NHs in Western Canada, we performed descriptive analyses, t-test, chi-square test, and an adjusted propensity score (PS) analysis through retrospective cohort study from years 2016 to 2017. The HRQoL index score ranged from -.351 to .996 (Mean= 0.693, SD=0.265). In the PS model, the adjusted mean score for younger was higher than for older adults with a mean difference at 0.061 (95% CI 0.031, 0.091) (p<.001). Other domains such as mental health condition of quality of life must be examined in younger NH residents because it is a crucial factor influencing their daily lives, thereby we can explore a more complete set of HRQoL domains of them and redesign care for their unique needs.Item Conditions Associated with Successful Implementation of an Advance Care Planning Intervention in Nursing Homes(Oxford University Press, 2023-12-21) Hickman, Susan; Miech, Edward; Stump, Timothy; Mack, Laramie; Tu, Wanzhu; Unroe, Kathleen; School of NursingImplementing evidence-based interventions in nursing homes is challenging in part because clinical trials requiring a controlled experimental environment are difficult to sustain. In contrast, pragmatic clinical trials develop and evaluate evidence-based interventions in the “real world” with the goal of streamlining implementation after study completion. However, there is minimal information available identifying conditions associated with successful implementation of pragmatic interventions in the nursing home setting. The “Aligning Patient Preferences - a Role Offering Alzheimer’s patients, Caregivers, and Healthcare Providers Education and Support” (APPROACHES) project is a pragmatic trial designed to test and evaluate a staff-led advance care planning (ACP) intervention for residents with ADRD in 131 nursing homes (64 intervention, 67 control) between September 1, 2021 and August 31, 2022. ACP Specialists received training on ACP facilitation and implementation of the ACP program in the facility. Twenty of 65 (31%) sites successfully implemented the APPROACHES intervention and had > 75% of residents with documented ACP conversations. Using configurational analysis, we found two solutions directly linked with successful pragmatic implementation: (1) no executive director turnover during the observation period combined with site participation in monthly intervention support calls with ACP staff at other facilities; and (2) higher rates of hospitalization (3.96 – 7.2 per 1000 resident days) combined with a low number of certified beds. Findings suggest that leadership stability and engagement with peers were essential drivers of successful implementation. Having greater improvement opportunities as well as a more manageable caseload for the ACP Specialist may also help explain successful implementation.Item Hospital Transfers: Perspectives of Nursing Home Residents and Nurses(Oxford University Press, 2022) Ahmetovic, Alma; Drucker, Claire; Huber, Lesa; Unroe, Kathleen; Hickman, Susan; School of NursingBetween 1 million and 2.2 million nursing home residents are transferred to a hospital emergency department each year. These transfers are costly, have negative health outcomes, and can increase the morbidity and mortality of residents. The purpose of this study was to examine the transfer process between the nursing home and the hospital from the perspective of nursing home residents and nurses, focusing on how decisions were made to transfer residents. Using a qualitative descriptive method, 22 participants were recruited from four nursing homes located in rural Indiana. Purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews, and conventional content analysis were used to collect and analyze narratives obtained from residents and nurses about their experiences with a recent transfer. The participants described four aspects of the transfer process: transfer decisions, transport experiences, hospital stays, and returns to the nursing home. The most common reason for transfers was an acute exacerbation of a chronic condition, and the decision to transfer was often made by a nurse. Most residents found aspects of the transfer aversive or upsetting. The return to the nursing home was typically welcomed but often challenging due to problems with mobility, medications, and cognitive changes. Participants also provided several recommendations for avoiding potentially preventable transfers including adding “in-house” diagnostic testing and treatment equipment, improving staff competencies in managing acute exacerbations, increasing staffing, improving communication among staff, and increasing staff familiarity with resident histories and preferences. The findings have several clinical and policy implications for preventing or decreasing the negative effects of hospital transfers.Item Palliative Care For Nursing Home Residents: Applying Lessons Learned From Covid-19(Oxford University Press, 2022) Unroe, Kathleen; Medicine, School of MedicineMany people receive care near or at the end of life in nursing homes, including 70% of people with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). Studies have documented unmet needs for symptom management and frequent transitions of care for nursing home residents. Despite this, access to palliative care for nursing home residents is inconsistent. The COVID-19 pandemic both highlighted and exacerbated inequities in access to care, including in US-based nursing homes, as well as globally. COVID-19 specific guidance for nursing homes at state and federal levels, while designed to protect residents, contributed to increased social isolation and functional decline. Drawing upon data from an ongoing study to advance palliative care for residents living with ADRD, this presentation will highlight promising practices and opportunities to deliver palliative care in this setting.Item Pneumonia Management in Nursing Homes: Findings from a CMS Demonstration Project(Springer, 2021) Carnahan, Jennifer L.; Shearn, Andrew J.; Lieb, Kristi M.; Unroe, Kathleen T.; Medicine, School of MedicineItem Pragmatic Trials in Long-Term Care: Research Challenges and Potential Solutions in Relation to Key Areas of Care(Elsevier, 2022-08) Resnick, Barbara; Zimmerman, Sheryl; Gaugler, Joseph; Ouslander, Joseph; Abrahamson, Kathleen; Brandt, Nicole; Colón-Emeric, Cathleen; Galik, Elizabeth; Gravenstein, Stefan; Mody, Lona; Sloane, Philip D.; Unroe, Kathleen; Verbeek, Hilde; Medicine, School of MedicineAs a method of research, pragmatic trials are recommended so as to generate results that are applicable to real-world care. This intent is especially important for the millions of older adults who receive long-term care in thousands of nursing homes and assisted living communities across the country-and many millions more around the globe. This article presents key points raised by experts participating in a conference funded by the National Institute of Aging held at the 2021 conference of the Society for Post-Acute and Long-term Care Medicine. The purpose of the conference was to convene leading clinicians, researchers, and industry partners to address special considerations of pragmatic trials in long-term care. Cross-cutting and unique challenges and solutions to conducting pragmatic trials were discussed focusing on 3 areas of clinical relevance to long-term care: (1) functional care and outcomes, (2) psychosocial care and quality of life, and (3) medical care and outcomes, with a special focus on persons with dementia. Challenges and innovative solutions were organized across the 9 domains of the revised Pragmatic-Explanatory Continuum Indicator Summary (PRECIS) Tool, and future research recommendations for pragmatic trials in long-term care were identified.Item Prioritizing Nursing Home Staff and Leadership Consistency to Improve Quality(Wiley, 2022) Carnahan, Jennifer L.; Unroe, Kathleen T.; Medicine, School of MedicineItem State Policy Responses to COVID-19 in Nursing Homes(LSE Press, 2021) Van Houtven, Courtney; Miller, Katherine; Gorges, Rebecca; Campbell, Hilary; Dawson, Walter; McHugh, John; McGarry, Brian; Gilmartin, Ryan; Boucher, Nathan; Kaufman, Brystana; Chisholm, Latarsha; Beltran, Susanny; Fashaw, Shekinah; Wang, Xiaochuan; Reneau, Olivia; Chun, Alice; Jacobs, Josephine; Abrahamson, Kathleen; Unroe, Kathleen; Bishop, Christine; Arling, Gregory; Kelly, Sheila; Werner, Rachel M.; Konetzka, R. Tamara; Norton, Edward C.; Medicine, School of MedicineContext: COVID-19 has a high case fatality rate in high-risk populations and can cause severe morbidity and high healthcare resource use. Nursing home residents are a high-risk population; they live in congregate settings, often with shared rooms, and require hands-on care. Objectives: To assess state responses to the coronavirus pandemic related to nursing homes in the first half of 2020. Methods: An in-depth examination of 12 states’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in nursing homes through June 2020, using publicly reported information such as government decrees, health department guidance, and news reports. Findings: No state emerged as a model of care. All states faced difficulty with limited availability of testing and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). State-level efforts to increase pay and benefits as a strategy to enable infected staff to quickly physically separate from residents were minimal, and other separation strategies depended on the ability to obtain test results rapidly and on state rules regarding accepting discharged COVID-19 patients into nursing homes. Visitor restrictions to reduce risk were ubiquitous, though based on a slim evidence-base. Limitations: The information used was limited to that which was publicly available. Implications: Overall, the results suggest that the states that handle the ongoing pandemic in nursing homes best will be those that find ways to make sure nursing homes have the resources to follow best practices for testing, PPE, separation, and staffing. Evidence is needed on visitor restrictions and transmission, as states and their citizens would benefit from finding safe ways to relax visitor restrictions.