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Integration of Palliative Care and Infection Management at the End of Life in U.S. Nursing Homes.

ABSTRACT: CONTEXT:Infections in nursing home (NH) residents are often terminal illnesses. Integration of palliative care (PC) and infection management (IM) is a new concept that can help reduce burdensome treatments and improve quality of care for NH residents at the end of life. OBJECTIVES:To develop measures of integration, describe the integration in U.S. NHs, and examine predictors of integration. METHODS:A nationally representative sample of NHs was surveyed. An instrument to measure integration was tested using factor analyses. Descriptive analyses of each integration factor were conducted, construct validity was examined using correlations between the integration factors and validated measures of PC and IM, and multivariable linear regression models were developed to identify NH characteristics associated with integration. RESULTS:A total of 892 NH surveys were returned (49% response rate), 859 with complete data. Three integration factors were identified: patient involvement in care planning (Involvement), formalized advance care planning (Advance Care Planning), and routine practices of integration (Routine Practices). The highest level of integration in NHs was reported for Involvement (mean (?) = 73.2, standard error [SE] = 1.57), with lower rates for Advance Care Planning and Routine Practices (respectively, ? = 34.1, SE = 1.05; ? = 31.4, SE = 1.48). Each integration measure was weakly, positively associated with the PC and IM measures (r ? 0.25, P ? 0.01). There were few associations between NH characteristics and integration. CONCLUSION:Integration is a distinct concept that is associated with, but different from, PC and IM. Results serve as a baseline assessment of integration in NHs. Continued refinement of the integration instrument is recommended, as is studying if higher integration leads to better resident outcomes.

SUBMITTER: Stone PW

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6708746 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Integration of Palliative Care and Infection Management at the End of Life in U.S. Nursing Homes.

Stone Patricia W PW Agarwal Mansi M Ye Feifei F Sorbero Mark M Miller Susan C SC Dick Andrew W AW

Journal of pain and symptom management 20190610 3

<h4>Context</h4>Infections in nursing home (NH) residents are often terminal illnesses. Integration of palliative care (PC) and infection management (IM) is a new concept that can help reduce burdensome treatments and improve quality of care for NH residents at the end of life.<h4>Objectives</h4>To develop measures of integration, describe the integration in U.S. NHs, and examine predictors of integration.<h4>Methods</h4>A nationally representative sample of NHs was surveyed. An instrument to me ...[more]

PMID: 31195078

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Project description:BackgroundNursing homes are likely to become increasingly important as end-of-life care facilities. Previous studies indicate that individuals residing in these facilities have a high prevalence of end-of-life symptoms and a significant need for palliative care. The aim of this study was to develop an end-of-life care program for nursing homes in Spain based on previous models yet adapted to the specific context and the needs of staff in nursing homes in the country.MethodsA descriptive study of a complex intervention procedure was developed. The study consisted of three phases. The first phase was a prospective study assessing self-efficacy in palliative care (using the SEPC scale) and attitudes towards end-of-life care (using the FATCOD-B scale) among nursing home staff before and after the completion of a basic palliative care training program. In the second phase, objectives were selected using the Delphi consensus technique, where nursing home and primary care professionals assessed the relevance, feasibility, and level of attainment of 42 quality standards. In phase 3, interventions were selected for these objectives through two focus group sessions involving nursing home, primary care, and palliative care professionals.ResultsAs a result of the training, an improvement in self-efficacy and attitudes towards end-of-life care was observed. In phase 2, 14 standards were selected and grouped into 5 objectives: to conduct a comprehensive assessment and develop a personalized care plan adapted to the palliative needs detected; to provide information in a clear and accessible way; to request and record advance care directives; to provide early care with respect to loss and grief; to refer patients to a specialized palliative care unit if appropriate, depending on the complexity of the palliative care required. Based on these objectives, the participants in the focus group sessions designed the 22 interventions that make up the program.ConclusionsThe objectives and interventions of the NUHELP program constitute an end-of-life care program which can be implemented in nursing homes to improve the quality of end-of-life care in these facilities by modifying their clinical practice, organization, and relationship with the health system as well as serving as an example of an effective health intervention program.

Project description:BACKGROUND:The goals of palliative care are to relieve suffering and promote quality of life. Palliative care for older persons has been less prioritised than palliative care for younger people with cancer, which may lead to unnecessary suffering and decreased quality of life at the final stage of life. AIM:To evaluate whether a palliative care intervention had any influence on the perceived quality of life of older persons (?65 years). METHODS:This study was conducted as a complex intervention performed with an experimental crossover design. The intervention was implemented in 20 nursing homes, with a six-month intervention period in each nursing home. Twenty-three older persons (?65 years) in the intervention group and 29 in the control group were interviewed using the WHOQOL-BREF and WHOQOL-OLD questionnaires at both baseline and follow-up. The collected data were analysed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test to compare paired data between baseline and follow-up. RESULTS:In the intervention group, no statistically significant increases in quality of life were found. This result contrasted with the control group, which revealed statistically significant declines in quality of life at both the dimension and item levels. Accordingly, this study showed a trend of decreased health after nine months in both the intervention and control groups. CONCLUSION:It is reasonable to believe that quality of life decreases with age as part of the natural course of the ageing process. However, it seems that the palliative care approach of the intervention prevented unnecessary quality of life decline by supporting sensory abilities, autonomy and social participation among older persons in nursing homes. From the ageing perspective, it may not be realistic to strive for an increased quality of life in older people living in nursing homes; maybe the goal should be to delay or prevent reduced quality of life. Based on this perspective, the intervention prevented decline in quality of life in nursing home residents. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE:The high number of deaths shows the importance to identify palliative care needs in older persons at an early stage to prevent or delay deterioration of quality of life.

Project description:BACKGROUND: A 'blended' (e-learning and facilitated workshops) training course for Group C staff (i.e. staff with relatively infrequent contact with end of life care) has been delivered across several English counties with the aim of improving end of life care in nursing and residential care homes. This paper evaluates the impact of the course on participants' understandings of and confidence in delivering end of life care in one nursing home, while also considering barriers to change in practice. METHODS: A mixed-methods case study approach, incorporating pre- and post-course questionnaires (SHA East of England End of Life Care Education Programme 'ABC' Project Work Force C or Non Nurse Workforce B Pre and Post Course Questionnaire; E-Learning in End of Life Care Study Pre and Post Course Questionnaire), documentary analysis, semi-structured interviews, and observation of course workshops. Participants were 20 members of staff at a nursing home in a city in the East of England, including 14 Health Care Assistants (carers) and 6 others (administrative, activities, hosting, and catering staff). The questionnaires and interviews assessed understandings of and confidence towards end of life care delivery. RESULTS: Improvements in participants' confidence in delivering end of life care were observed, particularly in the core competency areas of symptom management, communication, and advance care planning. A shift towards more detailed and more holistic understandings of end of life care was in evidence; some participants also championed end of life care in the home as a result of the course. Several barriers to changes in practice were encountered, including uneven participation, the absence of mechanisms for disseminating new insights and knowledge within the home, and a widespread perception that nurses' professional dominance in the home made sustainable change difficult to enact. CONCLUSIONS: While blended e-learning courses have the potential to generate positive change in participants' understandings of and confidence about End of Life Care, organizational and inter-professional obstacles must be overcome in order to translate these changes into improved end of life care delivery in nursing (and residential) homes.

Project description:BackgroundOf the Swedish people with advanced dementia, the majority die in nursing homes. Unresolved pain can occur in people with a terminal illness such as dementia. However, pain management in people with advanced dementia is often suboptimal and inadequate, with fewer palliative care interventions than offered to cancer patients. Although they are largely responsible for the care of these people, few studies have addressed the experiences of registered nurses in this respect. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe the experiences of nurses in caring for people with advanced dementia and pain at the end of life.MethodsThe study had a descriptive explorative design. Individual qualitative, semi-structured interviews were carried out with 13 nurses from 12 nursing homes in Sweden. The results were analysed using thematic content analysis.ResultsThe nurses described communicative, relational and organisational challenges. One major issue involved difficulties communicating with the person with advanced dementia, resulting in uncertain pain assessment. Other difficulties involved the differentiation of pain from anxiety, the balance of benefits and risks with morphine administration, and the creation of good relationships with healthcare personnel and the persons' relatives. Relatives can greatly affect the assessment and management of pain, both because of their ability to interpret pain behaviour and by questioning the care given. Good pain management was facilitated by good communication and relationships with healthcare staff and relatives, extensive professional nursing experience, and already knowing the person with advanced dementia.ConclusionsThis study highlights the need for nursing homes to employ specialist nurses who have been trained in the appropriate knowledge and skills to deal with the challenges of end-of-life care for people with advanced dementia and pain. Additionally, there should be resources and strategies available for providing information to family members and for involving them in the decision-making process, as they are often unfamiliar with the multitude of considerations involved in decisions such as whether to administer morphine or not.

Dataset Information

Integration of Palliative Care and Infection Management at the End of Life in U.S. Nursing Homes.

Publications

Integration of Palliative Care and Infection Management at the End of Life in U.S. Nursing Homes.

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