Geriatric Nursing Commons^™

Improving Mental Healthcare For Older Adults: Community Based Screening For Social And Emotional Loneliness And Major Depressive Disorder, Eunice Kowalczyk

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Abstract

Purpose: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a devastating mental health disorder affecting older adults that is often misdiagnosed or untreated due to a lack of screening and the stigma that MDD symptoms are a normal and expected part of aging. The goal of this quality improvement (QI) project was to implement a community-based screening intervention to identify community-dwelling older adults at risk for or suffering from MDD, and facilitate further evaluation and care.

Methods: Participants were community dwelling older adults, age 56 and older, in Massachusetts. Two screening tools were administered in two sites that screened for social and …

Timely Transitioning To Hospice: A Needs Assessment With A Pace Program To Improve End Of Life Care, Kristina Kelley

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Hospice care has been proven to improve patient outcomes at the end of life. However, patients frequently die without receiving hospice benefits. The challenge of transitioning patients from care with a life prolonging intent to a comfort focused approach can partly be attributed to poor prognostication or misconceptions about hospice. A Program for All Inclusive Care of Elders (PACE) in Massachusetts identified transitioning to hospice as an area for improvement. Purpose: To perform a needs assessment to gain understanding of the barriers to effective transitions to hospice and to provide education aimed at addressing those barriers. Methods: Subjects included …