Empowering assisted living front-line care staffs to better care for alzheimer’s and dementia residents

Gurnik, Marie; Hollis-Sawyer, Lisa

doi:10.1007/s12126-003-1017-5

Cited by 12 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Therefore, a critically important target for improving care is to invest in the people who provide it. There is empirical evidence that attitudes towards residents with cognitive impairment and skills for taking care of them can be improved through staff training (Gurnik and Hollis-Sawyer 2003; McKenzie and Peragine 2003). For both short-stay and long-tem care residents, person-centred care will likely be better in facilities that value training, especially training in dementia care (Zimmerman et al 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparison of cognitive functioning in long-term care and short-stay nursing home residents

Mansbach¹,

Mace²,

Clark³

et al. 2015

Ageing and Society

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It can be challenging to provide person-centred care for individuals with cognitive impairment if they are unable to communicate their needs to facility providers clearly. The high base rates of dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in US nursing homes is well documented; however, our understanding of the unique prevalence of cognitive levels in long-term care and short-stay residents is limited. Our aim is to determine whether there are significant differences in specific cognitive levels between these two groups. Long-term care and short-stay residents (N = 579) were randomly selected from 18 Maryland, US skilled nursing facilities; 345 met inclusion criteria for participation (mean age 79.41) and completed a cognitive test (Brief Cognitive Assessment Tool (BCAT)). Based on BCAT scores, 78.9 per cent of the long-term care residents had dementia compared to 61.4 per cent for short-stay residents. The proportions of MCI, mild, and moderate to severe dementia were significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.00). The odds of residents having moderate to severe dementia were 2.76 times greater for long-term care compared to short-stay residents. BCAT total and factor scores were significantly different between long-term care and short-stay nursing home residents (p < 0.001). We discuss the implications of these empirical findings in terms of facilitating person-centred care in nursing homes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparison of cognitive functioning in long-term care and short-stay nursing home residents

Mansbach¹,

Mace²,

Clark³

et al. 2015

Ageing and Society

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“…Given how many states impose few requirements to maintain a safe environment for residents with dementia, the horrific stories about AL residents who wander seem more plausible. In the absence of consistent staffing requirements across states, it becomes more clear why the results of a national survey revealed that less than half of AL staff could differentiate between the symptoms of dementia from the characteristics of normal aging, let alone communicate effectively with residents experiencing dementia (Gurnik & Hollis-Sawyer, 2003;Zimmerman et al, 2014). Similarly, the variation in state chemical restraint policies may provide insight into the large number of residents with dementia experiencing harmful outcomes corresponding with inappropriate prescribing (Hyde, Perez, & Forester, 2007).…”

Section: The State Of State Al Policiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Policies to Protect Persons With Dementia in Assisted Living: Déjà Vu All Over Again?

2015

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Continued growth in the number of individuals with dementia residing in assisted living (AL) raises concerns about their safety and protection. In this Forum, we review current AL practices relevant to residents with dementia and present a rationale for examining the government role in protecting these individuals within this context. Since public oversight of AL is currently a state prerogative, we assess states' regulatory activity across 3 domains closely related to safety and protection of persons with dementia: environmental features, staffing, and use of chemical restraints. We then step back to consider the state policymaking environment and assess the feasibility of developing a minimum standard of regulations from one state to the next. This Forum concludes with a historical comparison between the contemporary AL market and the nursing home care market prior to the Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987, and we discuss how an increased amount of federal interest could improve existing state efforts to protect persons with dementia residing in AL.

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“…Research on resident-staff relationships demonstrates that organizational characteristics of LTC settings affect resident-staff interaction. Both in nursing homes and in AL, residents report more positive staff interactions in facilities that promote better working conditions for staff (Ball et al, 2000;Barry, Brannon, & Mor, 2005;Bowers, Esmond, & Jacobson, 2000;Eaton, 2000;Gurnik & Hollis-Sawyer, 2003;Sikorska-Simmons, 2006). Because AL residents' relationships with staff often grow closer and more intimate over time (Ball et al, 2000), low rates of staff turnover encourage stronger bonds between residents and staff.…”

Section: Coresident and Staff Relationships In Almentioning

confidence: 99%

Advantage and Choice: Social Relationships and Staff Assistance in Assisted Living

Burge

Street

2009

The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences an

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Controlling for resident and facility characteristics, being able to pay privately enhances resident satisfaction with staff assistance and having control over the move to AL is positively associated with perceptions of staff relationships and assistance. Maintaining contact with pre-AL friends predicts quality of coresident relationships, as does family contact. Regular contact with family buffers some of the disadvantages associated with CI for perceptions of staff relationships but not perceptions of staff assistance. Discussion. Individual advantage and choice influence the quality of staff relationships and assistance for AL residents but matter little for coresident relationships. External social relationships buffer some of the risks associated with CI for perceptions of staff relationships but not perceived quality of staff assistance. Findings highlight outcomes associated with CI, including predictable risks that disadvantaged elders face in particular types of AL settings, differential advantages others enjoy that influence positive perceptions of staff relationships and staff assistance, and the enduring importance of supportive social relationships.

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Empowering assisted living front-line care staffs to better care for alzheimer’s and dementia residents

Cited by 12 publications

References 9 publications

A comparison of cognitive functioning in long-term care and short-stay nursing home residents

A comparison of cognitive functioning in long-term care and short-stay nursing home residents

Policies to Protect Persons With Dementia in Assisted Living: Déjà Vu All Over Again?

Advantage and Choice: Social Relationships and Staff Assistance in Assisted Living

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