Supporting personhood was identified as a critical key concept underpinning quality residential aged care, from the perspective of both people with cognitive impairment and their family members. This highlights the important contribution that the psychological and social characteristics of care make to providing a good quality residential care experience from the perspective of consumers with dementia.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of two approaches: multicomponent interventions that focus on working with the carer and dyadic interventions that work with both the carer and the person with dementia. Method: A systematic review involving a search of Medline, EMBASE, and PsycINFO in October 2015 was performed. Randomized controlled trials involving carers of people with dementia and comparing multicomponent interventions with usual care were included. Results: Pooling of all studies demonstrated that multicomponent interventions can reduce depressive symptoms, improve quality of life, reduce carer impact, and reduce behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia as well as caregiver upset with these symptoms. We were unable to find a significant difference in the effects of dyadic interventions in comparison with carer focused interventions for these outcomes. Discussion: Although effect sizes associated with intervention are small, multicomponent interventions are relatively inexpensive to deliver, acceptable, and widely applicable.

BackgroundThe potential harms of some medications may outweigh their potential benefits (inappropriate medication use). Despite recommendations to avoid the use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) in older adults, the prevalence of PIM use is high in different settings including residential aged care. However, it remains unclear what the costs of these medications are in this setting. The main objective of this study was to determine the costs of PIMs in older adults living in residential care. A secondary objective was to examine if there was a difference in costs of PIMs in a home-like model of residential care compared to an Australian standard model of care.MethodsParticipants included 541 participants from the Investigation Services Provided in the Residential Environment for Dementia (INSPIRED) Study. The INSPIRED study is a cross-sectional study of 17 residential aged care facilities in Australia. 12 month medication costs were determined for the participants and PIMs were identified using the 2015 updated Beers Criteria for older adults.ResultsOf all of the medications dispensed in 1 year, 15.9% were PIMs and 81.4% of the participants had been exposed to a PIM. Log-linear models showed exposure to a PIM was associated with higher total medication costs (Adjusted β = 0.307, 95% CI 0.235 to 0.379, p < 0.001). The mean proportion (±SD) of medication costs that were spent on PIMs in 1 year was 17.5% (±17.8) (AUD$410.89 ± 479.45 per participant exposed to a PIM). The largest PIM costs arose from proton-pump inhibitors (34.4%), antipsychotics (21.0%) and benzodiazepines (18.7%). The odds of incurring costs from PIMs were 52% lower for those residing in a home-like model of care compared to a standard model of care.ConclusionsThe use of PIMs for older adults in residential care facilities is high and these medications represent a substantial cost which has the potential to be lowered. Further research should investigate whether medication reviews in this population could lead to potential cost savings and improvement in clinical outcomes. Adopting a home-like model of residential care may be associated with reduced prevalence and costs of PIMs.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12877-018-0704-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Frailty in older people is associated with a vulnerability to adverse events. While ageing is associated with a loss of physiological reserves identifying those with the syndrome of frailty has the potential to assist clinicians tailor treatments to those at risk of future decline into disability with increased risk of complications, morbidity and mortality. Sarcopenia is a key component of the frailty syndrome and on its own puts older people at risk of fragility fractures however the clinical syndrome of frailty affects musculoskeletal and non musculoskeletal systems. Hip fractures are becoming a prototype condition in the study of frailty. Following a hip fracture many of the interventions are focused on limiting mobility disability and restoring independence with activities of daily living but there are multiple factors to be addressed including osteoporosis, sarcopenia, delirium, weight loss. Established techniques of geriatric evaluation and management allow systematic assessment and intervention on multiple components by multidisciplinary teams and deliver the best outcomes. Using the concept of frailty to identify older people with musculoskeletal problems as at risk of a poor outcome assists in treatment planning and is likely to become more important as effective pharmacological treatments for sarcopenia emerge. This review will focus on the concept of frailty and its relationship with functional decline, as well as describing its causes, prevalence, risk factors and potential clinical applications and treatment strategies. Key wordsFragility fracture, frailty, functional decline, screening, older adult, exercise therapy, dietary therapy Word count 9,401 words (word limit=9,400)

Further consideration of how to incorporate individualised dietary care is needed to fully implement person-centred care and support the quality of life of those receiving nursing home care.

Background: Inappropriate polypharmacy may negatively impact quality of life of residents in aged care facilities, but it remains unclear which medications may influence this reduced quality of life.Objective: The objective was to examine whether the Drug Burden Index (DBI) and potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs), were associated with quality of life in older adults living in residential care with a high prevalence of cognitive impairment and dementia.Methods: Cross-sectional analyses of 541individuals recruited from 17 residential aged care facilities in Australia in the Investigating Services Provided in the Residential Environment for Dementia (INSPIRED) study. Quality of life was measured using the EQ-5D-5L (a measure of generic quality of life) and the DEMQOL (a measure developed for use in dementia) completed by the participant or a proxy.Results: In the 100 days prior to recruitment, 83.1% of the participants received at least one anticholinergic or sedative medication included in the DBI and 82.7% received at least one PIM according to the Beers Criteria. Multi-level linear models showed there was a significant association between higher DBI and lower quality of life according to the EQ-5D-5L (β (SE): -0.034 (0.012), p=0.006) after adjustment for potential confounding factors. Increasing numbers of PIMs were also associated with lower EQ-5D-5L scores (-0.030 (0.010), p=0.003) and DEMQOL-Self-Report-Utility scores (-0.020 (0.009), p=0.029). Exposure to both DBI-associated medications and PIMs was associated with lower DEMQOL-SelfReport-Utility scores (-0.034 (0.017), p=0.049).Conclusion: Exposure to anticholinergic and sedative medications and PIMs occurred in over three-quarters of a population of older adults in residential care and was associated with a lower quality of life.  This study provides evidence to support that there is a need for greater adherence to recommendations for appropriate medication use in residential aged care.

A comprehensive 6-month programme of therapy from dietitians and physical therapists could be provided at a relatively low additional cost in this group of frail older adults, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio indicates likely cost-effectiveness, although there was a very high level of uncertainty in the findings.

Clustered domestic models of residential care are associated with better quality of life and fewer hospitalisations for residents, without increasing whole of system costs.