Geriatric Nursing Commons^™

Keep The Beat With Heart Failure Education: A Quality Improvement Project, Brenda L. Peterson

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Problem: Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is the number one diagnosis-related group (DRG) for people 65 years of age and older in the United States. This disease group is complicated and debilitating, requiring frequent hospitalizations with high mortality rates. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has identified CHF as an area for improvement in hospitals.

Context: This was a quality improvement project for an integrated medical center in the Central Valley, California with over 19,000 HF patients. In 2018, for patients 65 years and older, HF is the third-most admitted DRG …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Formal Dementia Care Training Program: Abilities Care Experts™, Carmen Joaquin, Michelle D'Amato, April Perez, Louiza Alexandria Villarina, Sophie E. Miller

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Overview: Abilities Care Experts™ (ACE™) is an educational training program for nursing staff who care for individuals with dementia in skilled nursing facilities (SNF). The objective of the program is to provide the nursing staff with knowledge, and methods to engage residents’ remaining abilities in order to maximize occupational participation using a stage-specific dementia care approach. ACE™ training has yet to be evaluated for effectiveness in a controlled study design.

Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the ACE™ training.

Design: The study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional, quasi-experimental design.

Participants: A total of 29 CNAs, 13 ACE™ trained …

Identification Of Risk Factors Associated With Falls In The Long Term Care Setting, Jacqueline L. Patel, Dnp, Ms, Anp-Bc

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Falls threaten the safety of older adults in long term care (LTC).

Objectives: To assess environmental, clinical and pharmacological causes of falls as well as compare Fall Risk Assessment Score, Brief Interview of Mental Status (BIMS) score, Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scores, age and gender of residents with one fall, recurrent falls, and no falls.

Methods: Using a descriptive-comparative design, we included a convenience sample of 290 adults ≥50 years old at our LTC facility. Fall and recurrent fall groups were matched to those with no falls. We assessed environmental, clinical and pharmacological variables, Fall Risk Assessment Scores, …

Adult Day Service Providers: Untapped Potential For Care Coordination, Nicole Ruggiano, Ellen L. Brown, Karen L. Fortuna

Nursing & Health Sciences Research Journal

Adult Day Services (ADS) have become increasingly available for community-dwelling older adults who are often experiencing multiple chronic conditions and/or dementia. ADS providers spend a significant amount of time with their clients and offer the opportunity for a wealth of clinical information that can be used by primary care providers and specialists for decision-making about patient care. There are also opportunities for hospitals to coordinate care transitions with ADS providers by involving them with discharge planning with appropriate patients who require post-hospital care. However, ADS providers are often viewed as social service providers, and there is little known about the …