Prevalence of vitamin D supplement use in Australian residential aged care facilities in November 2014.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Walker P
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5553921 | biostudies-other | 2017 Aug
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
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Project description:ObjectiveTo systematically review the prevalence of opioid prescribing, dispensing and administration in Australian residential aged care facilities (RACFs).MethodsMEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, AgeLine, Web of Science Core Collection, InformIT and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (inception to September 2021) were searched for studies reporting opioid prevalence in Australian RACFs. Regular and as-required (i.e. pro re nata, PRN) opioid uses were considered. Screening, data extraction and quality assessment were performed independently by two review authors.ResultsTwenty-three studies (n = 286,141 residents) reported opioid prevalence, of which 16 provided overall regular or PRN prescribing, dispensing or administration data. Five studies reported 28%-34% of residents were prescribed regular opioids over assessment periods ranging from one week to one month. Five studies reported 11%-42% of residents were prescribed PRN opioids over assessment periods ranging from one week to 30 months. Three studies reported 27%-50% of residents were dispensed an opioid over 12 months. Five studies reported 21%-29% were administered both regular and PRN opioids over 24 hours. Two studies reported 22%-42% of residents were administered PRN opioids over 1 week to 12 months. Two studies reported 6%-13% of residents were using doses >100 mg oral morphine equivalents/day.ConclusionsUp to half of the residents were dispensed opioids over 12 months. The prevalence of opioid prescribing, dispensing and administration was highly variable, suggesting the potential value of opioid quality indicators and analgesic stewardship interventions to ensure opioid appropriateness.
| S-EPMC10083958 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe aged care system in Australia is under pressure. Residential aged care facilities (RACFs) and general practitioners (GPs) have difficulty providing the care needed by their residents, particularly after hours. Many residents are given ambulance support and transferred to hospital emergency departments (EDs) for care that could be provided at RACFs. The MyEmergencyDoctor (MED) service was commissioned in a 12-month program (February 2020-February 2021) using ED physicians to provide afterhours telehealth care in six RACFs.MethodsUsing the NASSS framework, we synthesised descriptive analyses of statistical data from the MED service, RACFs and the ambulance service and a thematic analysis of interview data collected from GPs, RACF and MED service staff, and family members of residents.ResultsMost calls to MED (179/209) were resolved with in-house treatment thereby reducing ambulance usage and hospital admissions. Interviews further revealed that MED enabled timely care for residents who were unwell but did not need hospital transfer. Technology, training, and rapid access to MED assisted RACF staff and complemented usual GP care. MED potentially reduced GP burnout. Refresher training was considered important especially in RACFs with high staff turnover, as was greater afterhours access to medications.ConclusionsThe afterhours telehealth model provided in-house care and reduced ambulance transfers, and GPs and RACF staff generally felt supported. The service was easy to use and fostered good communications with GPs and RACF staff. Some GPs preferred to provide their own care, commenting on the need for a good understanding of patient and family needs and of the local context. Other stakeholders suggested this model could be extended to palliative care settings and to normal business hours when GPs were unavailable. The reduced ambulance and hospital use suggested benefits to wider health systems, however policies and funding that remunerate GPs, support community-based care and provide additional staffing in RACFs are needed to sustain afterhours telehealth in RACFs. Use of the NASSS (non-adoption, abandonment, scale-up, spread, and sustainability) Framework provided a valuable explanatory lens for our analyses.
| S-EPMC10652444 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Osteoporotic fractures impose substantial morbidity and mortality among older adults. Undertreatment is an ongoing concern; treatment rates declined following reports of adverse effects of guideline-recommended bisphosphonates, but new antiresorptives have since become available. Our goal was to identify contemporary trends in osteoporosis treatment guideline adherence in a high fracture-risk population. We conducted a secondary data analysis using electronic health record data of adults aged ⩾65 years from 68 residential aged care facilities in Australia during 2014-2017 (n = 9094). Using medication administration data, we identified antiresorptive (bisphosphonates and denosumab) and vitamin D supplement use among residents with osteoporosis. Regression was used to evaluate temporal trends, and resident and facility characteristics associated with antiresorptive use and vitamin D use. In 2014, 34% of women and 42% of men with osteoporosis used antiresorptives; this decreased 8 percentage points by 2017. Antiresorptive use was higher among those with a history of fracture and lower in the last year of life. Denosumab use increased but did not substitute for the continued decline in bisphosphonate use. Vitamin D was consistently used by more than 60% of residents and was higher among those with fracture history. Greater attention to the treatment of osteoporosis treatment rates among this high fracture-risk population is warranted.
| S-EPMC6547170 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Animal-assisted interventions (AAI) have been occurring in Australian Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACF) for more than 40 years and may relieve loneliness and improve quality of life. The presence of animals in RACF poses an inherent risk to residents and the animals involved. Little is known about the policies and guidelines for including animals in the Australian RACF. We anticipated that most RACFs would have some policies, but they may lack the detail necessary to keep humans and animals safe. Using an adapted survey, we surveyed and interviewed a small but representative sample of Australian RACF managers. The results demonstrated that RACF did have animal policies; however, the content regarding the need for hand washing, infection prevention, and animal welfare was lacking. Including unregulated family pets in RACF was an unexpected additional risk factor identified during data analysis. There is a need for national guidelines tied to the national aged care policy, which includes training and educational resources for RACF and AAI providers.
| S-EPMC9774757 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundInfection surveillance is a vital part of infection prevention and control activities for the aged care sector. In Australia there are two currently available infection and antimicrobial use surveillance programs for residential aged care facilities. These programs are not mandated nor available to all facilities. Development of a new surveillance program will provide standardised surveillance for all facilities in Australia.MethodsThis study aimed to assess barriers and enablers to participation in the two existing infection and antimicrobial use surveillance programs, to improve development and implementation of a new program. A mixed-methods study was performed. Aged Care staff involved in infection surveillance were invited to participate in focus groups and complete an online survey comprising 17 items. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using the COM-B framework.ResultsTwenty-nine staff took part in the focus groups and two hundred took part in the survey. Barriers to participating in aged care infection surveillance programs were the time needed to collect and enter data, competing priority tasks, limited understanding of surveillance from some staff, difficulty engaging clinicians, and staff fatigue after the COVID-19 pandemic. Factors that enabled participation were previous experience with surveillance, and sharing responsibilities, educational materials and using data for benchmarking and to improve practice.ConclusionStreamlined and simple data entry methods will reduce the burden of surveillance on staff. Education materials will be vital for the implementation of a new surveillance program. These materials must be tailored to different aged care workers, specific to the aged care context and provide guidance on how to use surveillance results to improve practice.
| S-EPMC10625226 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This analysis estimates the whole-of-system direct costs for people living with dementia in residential care by using a broad health and social care provision perspective and compares it to people without dementia living in residential care.Data were collected from 541 individuals living permanently in 17 care facilities across Australia. The annual cost of health and residential care was determined by using individual resource use data and reported by the dementia status of the individuals.The average annual whole-of-system cost for people living with dementia in residential care was approximately AU$88 000 (US$ 67 100) per person in 2016. The cost of residential care constituted 93% of the total costs. The direct health care costs were comprised mainly of hospital admissions (48%), pharmaceuticals (31%) and out-of-hospital attendances (15%). While total costs were not significantly different between those with and without dementia, the cost of residential care was significantly higher and the cost of health care was significantly lower for people living with dementia.This study provides the first estimate of the whole-of-system costs of providing health and residential care for people living with dementia in residential aged care in Australia using individual level health and social care data. This predominantly bottom-up cost estimate indicates the high cost associated with caring for people with dementia living permanently in residential care, which is underestimated when limited cost perspectives or top-down, population costing approaches are taken.
| S-EPMC6032872 | biostudies-other
Project description:BackgroundResidential aged-care facilities in Australia emerged as the high-risk setting the COVID-19 outbreaks due to community transmission. The vulnerable aged-care residents of these facilities suffered due to low hospital transfers and high mortality and morbidity rates. This study aimed to monitor and report the burden of COVID-19 in residential aged-care facilities across Australia and the impact of hospital transfer policies on resident hospitalisation during the first year of the pandemic.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study by collecting data from weekly aged-care outbreak reports published by open sources and official government sources between 1st March and 20th November 2020. A comprehensive line list of outbreaks was created using open-source data. The line list included the name of the facility, location, COVID-19 cases among residents, & staff, resident hospitalisations, mode of transmission, number of resident deaths, and state policies involving resident hospitalisation. We also searched the websites of these facilities to collect data on their COVID-19 policies for the residents, staff, and visitors. Statistical analyses were performed on the data obtained.Results126 aged-care COVID-19 outbreaks were identified in Australia during the study period. The incidence rate of COVID-19 infections among aged-care residents in Australia was (1118.5 per 100,000 resident population) which is 10 times higher than the general population (107.6 per 100,000 population). The hospitalisation rate for aged-care residents in Australia was 0.93 per 100,000 population. The hospitalisation rate of aged-care residents in Victoria was 3.14 per 100,000 population despite having the highest COVID-19 cases. Excluding South Australia, all states followed ad-hoc case-by-case hospital transfer policies for aged-care residents.ConclusionThis study documented a higher risk of COVID-19 infection for aged-care residents and workers but found low hospitalisation rates among residents across Australia. The hospitalisation rates in Victoria were higher than the national average but low when considering the COVID-19 infection rates in the state. The hospitalisation rates could have been impacted due to the state hospital transfer policies at that time. Immediate transfer of infected residents to hospitals may improve their survival and reduce the risk of infection to the other residents, as healthcare settings have more advanced infection control measures and are well-equipped with trained staff and resources.
| S-EPMC10463348 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe provision of residential aged care is underpinned by information, and is reliant upon systems that adequately capture and effectively utilise and communicate this information. The aim of this study was to explicate and quantify the volume and method by which information is collected, exchanged within facilities and with external providers, and retrieved from facility information systems and hospitals.MethodsA survey of staff (n = 119), including managers, health informatics officers (HIOs), quality improvement staff, registered nurses (RNs), enrolled nurses (ENs)/endorsed enrolled nurses (EENs) and assistants in nursing (AINs) was carried out in four residential aged care facilities in New South Wales and Victoria, Australia. Sites varied in size and displayed a range of information technology (IT) capabilities. The survey investigated how and by whom information is collected, retrieved and exchanged, and the frequency and amount of time devoted to these tasks. Descriptive analysis was performed using SPSS, and open responses to questions were coded into key themes.ResultsStaff completed a median of six forms each, taking a median of 30 min per shift. 68.8% of staff reported transferring information from paper to a computer system, which took a median of 30 min per shift. Handover and face-to-face communication was the most frequently used form of information exchange within facilities. There was a large amount of faxing and telephone communication between facility staff and General Practitioners and community pharmacists, with staff reporting sending a median of 2 faxes to pharmacy and 1.5 faxes to General Practitioners, and initiating 2 telephone calls to pharmacies and 1.5 calls to General Practitioners per shift. Only 38.5% of respondents reported that they always had information available at the point-of-care and only 35.4% of respondents reported that they always had access to hospital stay information of residents after hospital discharge.ConclusionsThis survey identified a high volume of information exchange activities, as well as inefficient procedures, such as the transfer of information from paper to computer systems and the reliance upon faxes for communication with external providers. These findings contribute to evidence for the need for interoperable IT systems to allow more efficient and reliable information exchange between facilities and external providers.
| S-EPMC3463451 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveGout, a common form of arthritis, can be controlled successfully with pharmacotherapy and is thus an ideal model for examining chronic disease management. Our aim was to examine treatment of gout evaluated in accordance with general management guidelines for gout as applied to Australian residential aged care facilities.MethodsElectronic health record data linked with aged care clinical notes and electronic medication administration information (11 548 residents in 68 residential aged care facilities, >65 years of age) were interrogated to identify people with gout, other chronic conditions and gout medication use. The outcomes examined were the proportion receiving urate-lowering therapy (ULT; preventative medication) and/or colchicine/non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) (to treat gout flares), the number of ULT and colchicine/NSAID treatment episodes (periods of continuous days of medication use) and the duration of these treatment episodes.ResultsThe cohort included 1179 residents with gout, of whom 62% used a ULT, with a median of one episode of use for a very short duration [median = 4 days, median of use in total (i.e. repeated use) = 52 days]. Among residents with gout, 9% also used colchicine or an NSAID. Female residents were less likely to receive ULT and for shorter periods.ConclusionNearly one-third of residents with gout did not receive ULT. In those receiving ULT, recurrent short courses were common. Overall, management of gout in aged care residents appears to be suboptimal, largely owing to intermittent and short exposure to ULT, and with female residents at greater risk of poor gout management.
| S-EPMC9710438 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Dysphagia is common in people living with dementia and associated with increased risk of aspiration pneumonia, dehydration, malnutrition, and death. Treatment options are limited and the use of texture-modified food and fluids (TMF) is a widespread clinical practice. This review aimed to evaluate the evidence for TMF in dementia.A literature search using terms "dysphagia," "texture-modified food and fluids," "dementia," and "aged care" was performed by using three electronic databases from 1990 to March 2017. Studies were assessed for suitability, then reviewed with data extracted, and grouped by categories of outcome measures.A total of 3,722 publications were identified, and 22 studies met the inclusion criteria. Studies were heterogeneous in design and methodology. There were no publications examining dementia exclusively; however, many subjects with dementia were included in studies of residential aged care facilities. TMF reduced the risk of aspiration seen on videofluoroscopy but not clinical aspiration and pneumonia. TMF was associated with lower daily energy and fluid intake and variable adherence.There is a lack of evidence for people living with dementia and in residential care facilities that TMF improves clinical outcomes such as aspiration pneumonia, nutrition, hydration, morbidity, and mortality. Adverse effects including poorer energy and fluid intake were identified.
| S-EPMC5546786 | biostudies-other