Geriatric Nursing Commons^™

Older Adults’ Response To Adverse Opioid Related Events: A Secondary Analysis, Sarah R. Coughlin

Honors Scholar Theses

Background: Many older adults suffer from chronic pain, a disease treated with opioids. Older adults are also highly susceptible to opioid ADEs. Research addressing older adults’ self-management of opioid ADEs is lacking.

Objectives: This study compared the opioid ADE profile found by the present research to those previously reported in the literature for older adults. It also described how older adults respond to opioid ADEs and the resulting outcomes.

Method: The study utilized a secondary analysis design to examine 15 opioid ADE cases from a pilot study that described older adults’ responses to analgesic ADEs.

Results: Neurological ADEs, including dizziness …

Connecticut's Elderly Population: An In-Depth Analysis Of Current And Future Trends In Elder Care, With A Focus On Dementia And Cognitive Decline, Emily J. Snodgrass

Honors Scholar Theses

The aging population in Connecticut currently represents ~15% of the state’s population but is anticipated to rapidly increase over the next 20 years. My thesis is an examination of the types of interventions and programs currently available for elderly persons with memory impairment and cognitive decline, as well as the challenges associated with caring for a larger elderly population. Data collected from interviews with CT healthcare and research professionals representative of the diverse specialties of aging together with an analysis of current research literature are used to demonstrate the importance of continued research and expansion of appropriate and accessible services …

Results And Lessons Learned From A Nurse Practitioner-Guided Dementia Care Intervention For Primary Care Patients And Their Family Caregivers, Richard H. Fortinsky, Colleen Delaney, Ofer Harel, Karen Pasquale, Elena Schjavland, John Lynch, Alison Kleppinger, Suzanne Crumb

Articles - Patient Care

Older adults with dementia care needs often visit primary care physicians (PCPs), but PCP dementia care limitations are widely documented. This study tested the value of employing a nurse practitioner (NP) with geropsychiatric expertise to augment PCP care for newly and recently diagnosed patients and family caregivers. Twenty-one dyads received the NP intervention; 10 dyads were controls. Outcomes included patient neuropsychiatric symptom and quality of life changes, and caregiver depression, burden, and self-efficacy changes. Intervention acceptability by patients, caregivers, and PCPs was determined. No outcome differences were found; however, the NP intervention was deemed highly satisfactory by all stakeholders. Patients …