Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Fall Risk Factors Among Hospitalized Older Adults With Alzheimer’S Disease And Related Dementias, Jean Bettencourtt Sconza

Doctoral Dissertations

Falls are a common and devastating complication of hospital admission for older adults. Falls are especially significant for those with Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias (ADRD) as they are at high risk to fall and to suffer injuries from falling. Despite the large body of research on falls in hospitals, less is known about fall risk factors among patients with ADRD. The purpose of this retrospective case-control study was to determine which risk factors are predictors of falls among hospitalized older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) by comparing those who fell with those who did not fall. …

Disrupted Sleep And Associated Factors In Australian Dementia Caregivers: A Cross-Sectional Study, Aisling Smyth, Lisa Whitehead, Eimear Quigley, Caroline Vafeas, Laura Emery

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

BACKGROUND: Sleep disturbance is an issue reported by caregivers. Waking at night is a feature of dementia and by proxy, sleep disturbance among caregivers is reported to be high. Little is known about the characteristics of dementia caregivers' sleep and the factors that may influence sleep disruption. The purpose of this study was to investigate the sleep characteristics and disturbances of Australian caregivers of a person living with dementia. In addition, it evaluated the psychological wellbeing of caregivers by evaluating associations between mood and sleep in this population. METHODS: This study used a cross-sectional, descriptive, correlation design. Participants were recruited …

Massage Therapy For Agitation In Dementia Benchmark, Ashley Salyer

MSN Capstone Projects

Dementia is a progressive disease that eventually results in cognitive and functional decline as well as behavioral and psychological symptoms. Age is a significant risk factor for dementia and due to an increase in longevity, the number of people with dementia is rising. Expanding research on dementia and management interventions should be a priority due to the nature of the disease, its impact on healthcare, and its emotional effect on both the individual and family. Over prescription of medication for behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia has been identified as problem in long-term care facilities. The current practice at many …

Involuntary Treatment In Dementia Care At Home: Results From The Netherlands And Belgium, Angela M. H. J. Mengelers, Vincent R. A. Moermans, Michel H. C. Bleijlevens, Hilde Verbeek, Elizabeth Capezuti, Frans Tan, Koen Milisen, Jan P. H. Hamers

Publications and Research

Aims and objectives: To gain insight into the request, use and associated factors of involuntary treatment in people with dementia (PwD) receiving professional home care in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Background: Most of the PwD remain living at home as long as possible. Due to complex care needs, this can result in an increased risk for care provided against the wishes of the client and/or to which the client resists, referred to as involuntary treatment.

Design: Secondary data analyses of two cross-sectional surveys.

Methods: Dementia case managers and district nurses filled in a questionnaire for each PwD in their …

What's My Age Again? Dementia And The Impact On An Aging Population, Joanna Vest

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

A literature review of the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) database was performed to investigate the risk factors and pathophysiology of dementia in adults. Results were screened for English language and date of publication, with inclusion criteria of years 2015-2020. The search revealed several sub-types of dementia, as well as research into modifiable risk factors. Dementia arises mainly from accumulation of proteins in neurons, dysfunction of the blood brain barrier, vascular degeneration and hypoperfusion of tissues in the brain, and atrophy of brain tissue. Risk factors associated with cognitive decline include hypertension, obesity, insulin resistance, high …

Screening For Delirium In The Emergency Department, Melissa Minks

Dissertations

Abstract

Delirium is a problem for many older adults who are acutely ill. Delirium often comes on suddenly, can be severe, and is often difficult to diagnose, especially in the presence of dementia. Missed delirium has a mortality rate of 30.8% and costs millions. What is the purpose of this study?

Methods The 4A’s Test screening instrument was implemented and evaluated in the Emergency Department of a rural Midwestern hospital from May 1, 2019 through August 31, 2019.

Results There were 122 participants in the study with 61 in each cohort. In 2018, three (5%) were diagnosed with delirium without …

Alzheimer’S Disease, Brandi Herman

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Alzheimer’s disease is a cause of dementia that affects older adults worldwide. There is a greater understanding of the disease but the cause remains unknown. Alzheimer’s disease affects the brain ultimately leading to cognitive decline. Although there are modifiable risk factors that could potentially decrease the risk of Alzheimer’s there is no definitive treatment. As numbers increase of Alzheimer’s patients in the United States, updated research and clinical trials are needed to find a cure. Education on managing Alzheimer’s patients along with treating their symptoms is essential.

Risk And Protective Factors Of Dementia Among Adults With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review Protocol, Karen A. Lawrence, Theresia M. Pachner, Molly M. Long, Stephanie Henderson, Donna L. Schuman, Brenda L. Plassman

Social Work Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with an increased risk of dementia. Individual epidemiological studies have controlled for several confounders of the relationship between PTSD and increased dementia risk, yet particular risk factors underlying this relationship have not been determined. This systematic review protocol aims to identify risk and protective factors of dementia among adults with PTSD.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will conduct an electronic search of the databases: PubMed, CINAHL, PsychINFO, The Cochrane Library, Scopus and ProQuest Dissertation and Theses Global. After screening the studies, quantitative synthesis will be performed, if possible. Otherwise, a narrative synthesis will be …

Barriers To Patient-Centered Care For Dementia Clients In The Long-Term Living Setting, Shaina Gaba

Nursing | Senior Theses

When caring for people with severe dementia, the concept of the person being central is increasingly advocated in clinical practice. Person-centered care acknowledges autonomy in all facets of care. Recent studies examine behavioral changes in individuals with dementia and how health care teams address these alterations. Health care providers are vital for effective holistic management. Therefore, this review focuses on the current knowledge regarding care goals, practices, and perceptions of the client battling with cognitive decline. A literature review ascertains that clients with dementia respond to interventions and have decreased negative health outcomes, when providers ensure values and needs are …

Dementia: Types, What They Are And How They Differ, Jessica N. Schnetzer

Honors Thesis

Dementia: types, what they are and how they differ centers on the known and unknown complexities of dementia. Dementia is a very complex cognitive disease that consumes the brain, an organ of which we know very little about. Even so, this common disorder is actively being researched and is the topic of special interest of this thesis research. Described are Alzheimer’s disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Frontotemporal dementia, Huntington’s disease, Korsakoff’s syndrome, Lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s dementia, and Vascular dementia, focusing on what they are, their specific risks, diagnosis, treatment, and their differing progressions. Guidance of this study provided by thesis director …

An Actigraphy-Based Validation Study Of The Sleep Disorder Inventory In The Nursing Home, Gunnhild J. Hjetland, Inger Hilde Nordhus, Ståle Pallesen, Jeffrey Cummings, Rochelle E. Tractenberg, Eirunn Thun, Eirin Kolberg, Elisabeth Flo

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Disrupted sleep is common among nursing home patients with dementia and is associated with increased agitation, depression, and cognitive impairment. Detecting and treating sleep problems in this population are therefore of great importance, albeit challenging. Systematic observation and objective recordings of sleep are time-consuming and resource intensive and self-report is often unreliable. Commonly used proxy-rated scales contain few sleep items, which affects the reliability of the raters' reports. The present study aimed to adapt the proxy-rated Sleep Disorder Inventory (SDI) to a nursing home context and validate it against actigraphy. Methods: Cross-sectional study of 69 nursing home patients, 68% …

Non-Pharmacological Interventions For Residents With Dementia, Jared Bielanski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The use of antipsychotic medications in persons with dementia has been shown to increase mortality in long-term care (LTC) patients. National guidelines recommend the use of nonpharmacological interventions when possible for LTC residents with dementia. Nurses who work in a local LTC facility are not regularly trained in effective nonpharmacological interventions and lack the knowledge to provide care for patients with dementia. To provide safe and effective alternative interventions to antipsychotic medication use, nurses and direct care staff must have current, evidence-based education available to them about alternative practices. The purpose of this staff education project, guided by Calista Roy’s …

Engaging Patients With Dementia In The Acute Care Setting: A Quality Improvement Initiative For Staff, Andrea Lee

DNP Scholarly Projects

Caring for dementia patients in the acute care setting can be challenging. Staff is trained to manage the acute illness and the symptoms of dementia can impact that care. Training for the care and management of the patient with dementia is not routinely provided for the acute care setting. According to the Alzheimer’s Association (2018), 5.7 million people are living with Alzheimer’s Dementia with the numbers projected to continue to rise. Training in the management of symptoms can alleviate stress and complications for not only the patient but staff members as well. The goal of this project is to educate …

Students’ Knowledge Of Alzheimer’S Disease, D'Anna Helms

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

Preparing nursing students to care for the ever-growing aging population with memory impairment is vital. This research study aimed to determine the prevalence of knowledge of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) among Baccalaureate nursing students. A descriptive correlational design was used to determine the prevalence of AD knowledge among juniors in an Adult I course and seniors in a Mental Health nursing course. A cross-sectional design was used to collect data using the Alzheimer’s Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS). A convenience sample of 63 student cohorts completed the survey. Results indicated that students were aware that AD is a form of dementia; however, …

Development Of Practice Guidelines Based On Need-Driven Dementia-Compromised Behavior Model, Amy Marie Nolan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

People with dementia, who experience cognitive decline, memory loss, and reasoning difficulties, often exhibit compromised behaviors such as agitation or aggressive behavior that impact negatively upon the person’s quality of life and increase safety risks. The purpose of this project was to develop an evidence-based clinical practice guideline (CPG) to improve the use of effective evidence-based interventions by staff in a skilled long-term care nursing facility to manage the compromised behavior of residents with dementia. The Need-Driven Behavioral Model, which suggests that compromised behaviors occur when patient attempts to accomplish a goal or express a need, provided the framework CPG …