Managing Person-Centered Dementia Care in an Assisted Living Facility: Staffing and Time Considerations

Feasibility and Acceptability of a Group Music Intervention in Memory Care Communities

Music-based interventions have been shown to reduce behavioral expressions among persons with dementia. The goal of this study was to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a group music intervention to reduce agitation. Two memory care communities were recruited to participate in this single-arm mixed-methods study. The group music intervention program included a total of 12 sessions delivered over 4 weeks. Agitation was assessed quantitatively at weeks 0, 2, and 4. Qualitative interviews of memory care staff were conducted post-intervention. Data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models and qualitative content analysis. The study sample (N = 19) had a mean age of 82.74, and 73.7% were female. The great majority of participants completed the intervention and 63.2% experienced a reduction in agitation, suggesting that the intervention is feasible and acceptable in memory care and may be efficacious. Future research should evaluate the efficacy of the intervention in a randomized controlled trial.

Pragmatic Trials in Long-Term Care: Implementation and Dissemination Challenges and Opportunities

Randomized controlled trials are considered the most rigorous research design in efficacy and effectiveness research; however, such trials present numerous challenges that limit their applicability in real-world settings. As a consequence, pragmatic trials are increasingly viewed as a research design that overcomes some of these barriers with the potential to produce findings that are more reproducible. Although pragmatic methodology in long-term care is receiving increasing attention as an approach to improve successful dissemination and implementation, pragmatic trials present complexities of their own. To address these complexities and related issues, experts with experience conducting pragmatic trials, developing nursing home policy, participating in advocacy efforts, and providing clinical care in long-term care settings participated in a virtual consensus conference funded by the National Institute on Aging in Spring 2021. Participants identified 4 cross-cutting principles key to dissemination and implementation of pragmatic trial interventions: (1) stakeholder engagement, (2) diversity and inclusion, (3) organizational strain and readiness, and (4) learn from adaptations. Participants emphasized that implementation processes must be grounded in the perspectives of the people who will ultimately be responsible for implementing the intervention once it is proven to be effective. In addition, messaging must speak to long-term care staff and all others who have a stake in its outcomes. Although our understanding of dissemination and implementation strategies remains underdeveloped, this article is designed to guide long-term care researchers and community providers who are increasingly aware of the need for pragmatism in disseminating and implementing evidence-based care interventions.

Pragmatic Trials in Long-Term Care: Challenges, Opportunities, Recommendations

Randomized controlled trials are considered the most rigorous research design in efficacy and effectiveness research; however, such trials present numerous challenges that limit their applicability in real-world settings. As a consequence, pragmatic trials are increasingly viewed as a research design that overcomes some of these barriers with the potential to produce data that are more reproducible. Although pragmatic methodology in long-term care is receiving increasing attention as an approach to improve successful dissemination and implementation, pragmatic trials present complexities of their own. To address these complexities and related issues, experts with experience conducting pragmatic trials, developing nursing home policy, participating in advocacy efforts, and providing clinical care in long-term care settings participated in a virtual consensus conference funded by the National Institute on Aging in Spring 2021. Participants recommended 4 cross-cutting principles key to dissemination and implementation of pragmatic trial interventions: (1) engage stakeholders, (2) ensure diversity and inclusion, (3) assess organizational strain and readiness, and (4) learn from adaptations. Specifically related to implementation, participants provided 2 recommendations: (1) integrate interventions into existing workflows and (2) maintain agility and responsiveness. Finally, participants had 3 recommendations specific to dissemination: (1) package the message for the audience, (2) engage diverse audiences, and (3) apply dissemination and diffusion tools. Participants emphasized that implementation processes must be grounded in the perspectives of the people who will ultimately be responsible for implementing the intervention once it is proven to be effective. In addition, messaging must speak to long-term care staff and all others who have a stake in its outcomes. Although our understanding of dissemination and implementation strategies remains underdeveloped, this article is designed to guide long-term care researchers and community providers who are increasingly aware of the need for pragmatism in disseminating and implementing evidence-based care interventions.

Pilot Study of a Digital Screen-Based Calming Device for Managing Resistance During Morning and Evening Care of Persons With Dementia

Resistance to care is among the most common behaviors exhibited by persons with dementia (PwD). Resistance to care is a barrier to safety and comfort of PwD and caregivers. Nonpharmacological interventions are recommended as first-line management. In the current study, 13 long-term care (LTC) residents aged 74 to 100 years with a history of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) were randomized to intervention (n = 7) and control (n = 6) groups. On Days 1 to 3, the intervention group received usual care plus exposure to MindfulGarden (MG), a novel digital calming device during morning and evening care, activities widely recognized as problematic for PwD and staff; the control group received usual care only. On Day 4, both groups were exposed to MG with verbal prompting. Trends in the data suggest that MG reduced BPSD and duration of care in the morning and may be a useful tool in management of resistance to routine care in PwD in LTC settings. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 47(11), 15-21.].

The Relationship Between States' Staffing Regulations And Hospitalizations Of Assisted Living Residents

Assisted living provides housing and long-term care services to more than 811,000 older adults in the United States daily and is regulated by the states. This article describes changes in the specificity of state regulations governing the staffing in assisted living settings (that is, requirements for sufficient staffing or staffing ratios or levels) between 2007 and 2018 and the association between these changes and rates of hospitalization among a national sample of assisted living residents, including a subgroup with dementia. We found that increased regulatory specificity for direct care workers (for example, a change from requiring "sufficient" direct care worker staffing to requiring a specific staffing ratio or level) was associated with a 4 percent reduction in the monthly risk for hospitalization among residents in our sample and a 6 percent reduction among the subgroup with dementia. However, an increase in regulatory specificity for licensed practical nurses was associated with a 2.5 percent increase in the monthly risk for hospitalization and a 5 percent increase among the subgroup with dementia. Given that no federal requirements exist for the number of staff members or composition of staff in assisted living, these findings can inform states' policy decisions about staffing requirements for assisted living settings.

Do assisted living facilities that offer a dementia care program differ from those that do not? A population-level cross-sectional study in Ontario, Canada

Background

Many residents of assisted living facilities live with dementia, but little is known about the characteristics of assisted living facilities that provide specialized care for older adults who live with dementia. In this study, we identify the characteristics of assisted living facilities that offer a dementia care program, compared to those that do not offer such a program.

Methods

We conducted a population-level cross-sectional study on all licensed assisted living facilities in Ontario, Canada in 2018 (n = 738). Facility-level characteristics (e.g., resident and suite capacities, etc.) and the provision of the other 12 provincially regulated care services (e.g., pharmacist and medical services, skin and wound care, etc.) attributed to assisted living facilities were examined. Multivariable Poisson regression with robust standard errors was used to model the characteristics of assisted living facilities associated with the provision of a dementia care program.

Results

There were 123 assisted living facilities that offered a dementia care program (16.7% versus 83.3% no dementia care). Nearly half of these facilities had a resident capacity exceeding 140 older adults (44.7% versus 21.6% no dementia care) and more than 115 suites (46.3% versus 20.8% no dementia care). All assisted living facilities that offered a dementia care program also offered nursing services, meals, assistance with bathing and hygiene, and administered medications. After adjustment for facility characteristics and other provincially regulated care services, the prevalence of a dementia care program was nearly three times greater in assisted living facilities that offered assistance with feeding (Prevalence Ratio [PR] 2.91, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.98 to 4.29), and almost twice as great among assisted living facilities that offered medical services (PR 1.78, 95% CI 1.00 to 3.17), compared to those that did not.

Conclusions

A dementia care program was more prevalent in assisted living facilities that housed many older adults, had many suites, and offered at least five of the other 12 regulated care services. Our findings deepen the understanding of specialized care for dementia in assisted living facilities.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12877-021-02400-w.

Association Between Dementia Care Programs in Assisted Living Facilities and Transitions to Nursing Homes in Ontario, Canada: A Population-Based Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

We investigate whether older adults who were newly diagnosed with dementia (severity unspecified) and resided in an assisted living facility that offered a dementia care program had a lower rate of transition to a nursing home, compared to those who resided in an assisted living facility without such a program.

DESIGN

Population-based retrospective cohort study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Linked, person-level health system administrative data on older adults who were newly diagnosed with dementia and resided in an assisted living facility in Ontario, Canada, from 2014 to 2019 (n = 977).

METHODS

Access to a dementia care program in an assisted living facility (n = 57) was examined. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression with robust standard errors clustered on the assisted living facility was used to model the time to transition to a nursing home from the new dementia diagnosis.

RESULTS

There were 11.8 transitions to a nursing home per 100 person-years among older adults who resided in an assisted living facility with a dementia care program, compared with 20.5 transitions to a nursing home per 100 person-years among older adults who resided in an assisted living facility without a dementia care program. After adjustment for relevant characteristics at baseline, older adults who resided in an assisted living facility with a dementia care program had a 40% lower rate of transition to a nursing home (hazard ratio 0.60, 95% confidence interval 0.44, 0.81), compared with those in an assisted living facility without such a program at any point during the follow-up period.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

The rate of transition to a nursing home was significantly lower among older adults who resided in an assisted living facility that offered a dementia care program. These findings support the expansion of dementia care programs in assisted living facilities.

Being Treated With Respect and Dignity?-Perceptions of Home Care Service Among Persons With Dementia

OBJECTIVE

Studies on the quality of home care services (HCS) offered to persons with dementia (PwDs) reveal the prevalence of unmet needs and dissatisfaction related to encounters and a lack of relationships with staff. The objective of this study was to enhance knowledge of the perceptions of PwDs regarding their treatment with dignity and respect in HCS over time.

DESIGN

A mixed longitudinal cohort study was designed to study trends in the period between 2016 and 2018 and compare the results between PwDs (cases) and persons without dementia (controls) living at home with HCS.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Persons aged 65 years and older with HCS in Sweden.

METHODS

Data from an existing yearly HCS survey by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare (NBHW) was used. The focus was on questions concerning dignity and respect. NBHW data sets on diagnoses, medications, HCS hours, and demographic information were also used. We applied GEE logistic and cumulative logit regression models to estimate effects and trends of interest after controlling for the effects of age, gender, self-rated health, and number of HCS hours.

RESULTS

Over the study period, 271,915 (PwDs = 8.1%) respondents completed the survey. The results showed that PwDs were significantly less likely (3%-10% lower odds and cumulative odds) than controls to indicate that they were satisfied in response to questions related to dignity and respect. Both groups experienced a decrease in satisfaction from 2016 to 2018. Females, individuals with poor self-rated health, and individuals granted more HCS hours were found to be more dissatisfied.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

The HCS organization needs to shift from a task-oriented system to a person-centered approach, where dignity and respect are of the utmost importance. The HCS organizations need to be developed to focus on competence in person-centered care, and leadership to support staff.

Variation in Licensed Nurse Staffing Characteristics by State Requirements in Residential Care

Research on licensed nurses in assisted living and residential care communities (RCCs) is sparse compared to that on licensed nurses in nursing homes. RCCs are state-regulated; thus, staffing requirements vary considerably. The current study analyzed variation in characteristics of licensed nurses by state-specific requirements for licensed nurses in RCCs. A significantly higher percentage of RCCs with one or more RNs (68.87%) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) or licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) (56.85%) were found among states with licensed nurse requirements compared to states with no such requirements (37.35% and 29.08%, respectively; p < 0.05). LPN/LVN hours were higher among RCCs in states with licensed nurse requirements compared to RCCs in states with no such requirements (17 minutes and 8 minutes, respectively; p < 0.05). The findings provide the first evidence of variation in characteristics of licensed nurses by state-specific requirements for licensed nurses. [Res Gerontol Nurs. 2019; 12(1):27-33.].