Systematic critical realist review of interventions designed to improve end-of-life care in care homes

Enablers and barriers to delivering person centred dementia care: Perceptions and experiences of diagnostic and therapeutic radiography practitioners

INTRODUCTION

There is a lack of evidence about the experiences of radiographers providing care to people living with dementia (PLWD). This study explored the perceptions and experiences of radiography practitioners when delivering person-centred dementia care (PCDC) in both diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy departments.

METHODS

A two-phase qualitative multi-method study was conducted. For phase 1, fifteen diagnostic and two therapeutic radiography practitioners from across the UK participated with online focus group discussions. For phase 2, four key stakeholders involved with the development of the UK Society of College of Radiographers Caring for People with Dementia practice guidelines for diagnostic and therapeutic radiography practitioners took part with individual semi-structured interviews.

RESULTS

Participants from both phases identified enablers and barriers to providing person-centred care to individuals living with dementia. Three themes were identified that were linked to (1) Time and workload pressures in delivering person-centred dementia care, (2) Workplace practice and norms, and (3) Areas for improvement in delivering person-centred dementia care.

DISCUSSION

Delivering PCDC can be challenging in practice. This is often due to workplace cultures where time and resources linked to productivity and waiting lists are the norms and impact on the delivery of PCDC. Leaders and managers of departments were thought to not always value a culture of PCDC but were seen as key influencers in supporting change and impact in delivering PCDC. Radiography practitioners were not always aware that a patient had dementia prior to their attendance in the department making it difficult to prepare ahead of appointments. Care partners were identified as having the potential to help alleviate some challenges radiographers faced. Findings also suggest a need for more education and training linked to dementia awareness. Further research is warranted in this area.

A protocol for a critical realist synthesis of school mindfulness interventions designed to promote pupils' mental wellbeing

Introduction

The review described in this protocol will be the first critical realist review of the literature reporting on the impact of school-based mindfulness interventions on the mental wellbeing of pupils. Mindfulness interventions are increasingly being introduced into schools to promote children's (and teachers') wellbeing. Findings from impact evaluations, including systematic reviews and metanalysis, suggest that school-based mindfulness interventions promote pupils' wellbeing. However, there is a need for further evidence on the underlying causal mechanisms and contexts that explain program outcomes, to provide insight into how mindfulness programs can be successfully implemented in other contexts.

Methods and analysis

A critical realist review methodology will be used to provide a causal interdisciplinary understanding of how school-based mindfulness interventions promote the mental wellbeing of pupils. This will be done through a systematic literature review and extrapolating context, agency, intervention, mechanisms, and outcome configurations. This will enable an understanding of how, in certain contexts, pupils can use the resources offered by a mindfulness intervention knowingly or unknowingly to trigger mechanisms that promote their mental wellbeing and what mechanisms in the context support, restrict or prevent change. We will then use retrodiction and retroduction to develop the most plausible interdisciplinary middle-range theory to explain the findings.

Discussion

The review findings will inform a critical realist evaluation of a mindfulness intervention in schools. The findings from the review will also enable us to inform policymakers and other stakeholders about what conditions need to be in place for mindfulness interventions to promote pupils' mental wellbeing. We will publish the findings from the review in academic and professional publications, policy briefs, workshops, conferences, and social media.PROSPERO registration number: CRD42023410484.

Understanding experiences of the radiography workforce delivering medical imaging as part of patients' end of life care: An exploratory qualitative interview study

INTRODUCTION

People nearing the end of life often require medical imaging in hospitals to manage symptoms and care, despite this little is known about the experiences of those delivering it. The aim of this study is therefore to explore the experiences of the radiography workforce delivering medical imaging as part of patients' end-of-life care.

METHOD

Qualitative design using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis. A total of 8 participants participated in the study including registered diagnostic radiographers (n = 5), imaging assistants (n = 2) and assistant practitioners (n = 1). All have been involved in the medical imaging of patients receiving end of life care in UK hospitals.

RESULTS

Findings identified an absence of end of life care policy guidance and education accessible to radiography staff, limiting their ability to provide evidenced based care for those nearing the end of life during medical imaging examinations. Findings also suggest difficulty in identifying patients receiving end of life care further hindered staffs' ability to adapt their care to provide a more person-centred approach. Lastly, the workforce felt an accumulative emotional burden following their interactions with patients nearing the end of life.

CONCLUSION

There is a clear need to develop policy and education to support the radiography workforce to ensure care is appropriately identified and adapted to those nearing the end of life. Furthermore, staff support and wellbeing needs to be considered.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Future research is required exploring the patient perspective to understand their experiences so that the education and practice provision is driven by patient need. International exploration of end of life care in medical imaging is recommended to explore whether similar challenges related to clinical practice exist in other countries.

"I didn't know it was going to be like this.": unprepared for end-of-Life care, the experiences of care aides care in long-term care

BACKGROUND

Care aides provide up to 70-90% of the direct care for residents in long-term care (LTC) and thus hold great potential in improving residents' quality of life and end-of-life (EoL) care experiences. Although the scope and necessity of the care aide role is predicted to increase in the future, there is a lack of understanding around their perceptions and experiences of delivering EoL care in LTC settings. The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of the perspectives, experiences, and working conditions of care aides delivering end-of-life care in LTC in a rural setting, within a high-income country.

METHODS

Data were collected over ten months of fieldwork at one long-term care home in western Canada; semi-structured interviews (70 h) with 31 care aides; and observation (170 h). Data were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis.

RESULTS

Two themes were identified: (i) the emotional toll that delivering this care takes on the care aids and; (ii) the need for healing and support among this workforce. Findings show that the vast majority of care aides reported feeling unprepared for the delivery of the complex care work required for good EoL care. Findings indicate that there are no adequate resources available for care aides' to support the mental and emotional aspects of their role in the delivery of EoL care in LTC. Participants shared unique stories of their own self-care traditions to support their grief, processing and emotional healing.

CONCLUSIONS

To facilitate the health and well-being of this essential workforce internationally, care aides need to have appropriate training and preparation for the complex care work required for good EoL care. It is essential that mechanisms in LTC become mandatory to support care aides' mental health and emotional well-being in this role. Implications for practice highlight the need for greater care and attention played on the part of the educational settings during their selection and acceptance process to train care aides to ensure they have previous experience and societal awareness of what care in LTC settings entails, especially regarding EoL experiences.

Optimising care and the patient experience for people living with dementia: The perceptions of radiography practitioners

INTRODUCTION

Despite abundant literature on the diagnosis of dementia, limited research has explored the lived experiences by radiography practitioners when delivering care to people living with dementia (PLWD). This study explored the perceptions and compatibility of current professional guidance by both radiography practitioners and key stakeholders involved in developing the Society and College of Radiographers clinical practice guideline document for caring for people with dementia.

METHODS

This was a two-stage qualitative multi-method study. Fifteen diagnostic and two therapeutic radiography practitioners from across the UK participated with three asynchronous online discussion forums. One core member and three members from the key stakeholder group participated with individual semi-structured interviews. Data analysis included narrative and thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Participants from both stages identified enablers and barriers to providing person-centred care (PCC) to PLWD. Three superordinate themes were identified linked to (1) Challenges in delivering person-centred care to people living with dementia, (2) The need for role specific education and training, and (3) Partnership working with carers. Challenges in delivering care included time and resource pressures. The lack of dementia specific education compounded these difficulties. Care partners were seen as an asset to providing care.

CONCLUSION

Providing PCC to meet the individual needs of PLWD can be challenging in practice. This is often due to time and resource implications. There were also issues with the identification of PLWD prior to their attendance in the department. Carers could help to alleviate some challenges. There is a need for profession specific education and dementia awareness training to support the provision of PCC to PLWD.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Dementia training needs to be specifically tailored for radiography practitioners to bridge the gap between guidelines and clinical practice rather than being generalised from other disciplines.

Australian residential aged care home staff experiences of implementing an intervention to improve palliative and end-of-life care for residents: A qualitative study

Access to high-quality and safe evidence-based palliative care (PC) is important to ensure good end-of-life care for older people in residential aged care homes (RACHs). However, many barriers to providing PC in RACHs are frequently cited. The Quality End-of-Life Care (QEoLC) Project was a multicomponent intervention that included training, evidence-based tools and tele-mentoring, aiming to equip healthcare professionals and careworkers in RACHs with knowledge, skills and confidence in providing PC to residents. This study aims to understand: (1) the experiences of healthcare professionals, careworkers, care managers, planners/implementers who participated in the implementation of the QEoLC Project; and (2) the barriers and facilitators to the implementation. Staff from two RACHs in New South Wales, Australia were recruited between September to November 2021. Semi-structured interviews and thematic data analysis were used. Fifteen participants (seven health professionals [includes one nurse, two clinical educators, three workplace trainers, one clinical manager/nurse], three careworkers and five managers) were interviewed. Most RACH participants agreed that the QEoLC Project increased their awareness of PC and provided them with the skills/confidence to openly discuss death and dying. Participants perceived that the components of the QEoLC Project had the following benefits for residents: more appropriate use of medications, initiation of timely pain management and discussions with families regarding end-of-life care preferences. Key facilitators for implementation were the role of champions, the role of the steering committee, regular clinical meetings to discuss at-risk residents and mentoring. Implementation barriers included: high staff turnover, COVID-19 pandemic, time constraints, perceived absence of executive sponsorship, lack of practical support and systems-related barriers. The findings underline the need for strong leadership, supportive organisational culture and commitment to the implementation of processes for improving the quality of end-of-life care. Furthermore, the results highlight the need for codesigning the intervention with RACHs, provision of dedicated staff/resources to support implementation, and integration of project tools with existing systems for achieving effective implementation outcomes.

“I didn’t know it was going to be like this.”: End of Life Care Experiences of Care Aides Care in Long-term Care.. [DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1881436/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

Background: Care aides provide upwards of 90% of the direct care for residents in long-term care (LTC) and thus hold great potential in improving residents’ quality of life and end-of-life (EoL) care experiences. Although the scope and necessity of the care aide role is predicted to increase in the future, there is a lack of understanding around their perceptions and experiences of delivering EoL care in LTC settings.Methods: Data were collected over ten months of fieldwork at one long-term care home in western Canada; semi-structured interviews (70 hours) with 31 care aides; and naturalistic observation (170 hours). Data were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis.Results: Three themes were identified: (i) the lack of training and preparedness for the role of EoL care; (ii) the emotional toll that delivering this care takes on the care aids and; (iii) the need for healing and support among this workforce. Findings show that the vast majority of care aides reported feeling unprepared for the delivery of the complex care work required for good EoL care. Findings indicate that there are not adequate resources available for care aides’ to support the mental and emotional aspect of their role in the delivery of EoL care in LTC. Participants shared unique stories of their own self-care traditions to support their grief, processing and emotional healing. Conclusions: The care aides’ role in LTC is of increasing importance, especially in relation to the ageing population and the delivery of EoL care. To facilitate the health and wellbeing of this essential workforce, care aides need to have appropriate training and preparation for the complex care work required for good EoL care. It is essential that mechanisms in LTC become mandatory to support care aides' mental health and emotional wellbeing in this role.

Multidisciplinary residential home intervention to improve outcomes for frail residents

BACKGROUND

Residential homes provide accommodation and assistance with personal care only and are not required to have registered nurses on site. However, their residents often have a combination of comorbidity, polypharmacy, frailty and mental-health conditions with poor access to healthcare to meet these needs. Integrated healthcare for older people is a key NHS priority in the Long-Term Plan and the Five-Year Forward View. We describe development and implementation of multi-disciplinary intervention to integrate healthcare and promote interprofessional education.

METHODS

A multi-disciplinary residential home quality improvement project in two cycles by a team comprising senior and trainee general practitioners, trainees in geriatrics, psychiatry, pharmacist and residential home senior staff. The intervention was underpinned by the framework for enhanced health in care homes including Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) and mental-health review. Each intervention session included an educational presentation by a team member consideration of each resident in a pre-evaluation multi-disciplinary discussion followed by a structured clinical assessment and discussion of proposed management.

RESULTS

Three residential homes participated with a total 34 residents receiving intervention. In one residential home, there was a 75% reduction in admissions for those reviewed and a reduction in overall admission costs. Polypharmacy was reduced by an average of 2 medications per resident across the three sites. There was a 63% increase in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation decisions and 76% increase in advance care planning discussions.

CONCLUSION

This was an effective model for multi-disciplinary trainees working with a perceived impact on physical and mental health, and valuable opportunities for sharing learning.

Family caregivers' perceptions about patients' dying and death quality influence their grief intensity

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To understand the influence of family caregivers' perceptions about patients' dying and death quality on their grief intensity.

BACKGROUND

Dying patients and their family caregivers face life-limiting illness together, and they work jointly to negotiate shared understandings and mutual adaptation to losses.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional data were collected via an online survey. The manuscript followed the STROBE report guideline.

METHODS

Family caregivers of patients who had died within 8-365 days prior were recruited. The Quality of Dying and Death Questionnaire (QDDQ) (translated into Mandarin) and the Chinese Grief Reaction Assessment Form (GRAF) were used to measure the two key variables. Multivariate linear regression was performed to explore the links between the two variables while controlling for potential confounders.

RESULTS

Data were collected from 170 bereaved Chinese caregivers, and 150 cases were involved in the analysis. The four-factor structure of the QDDQ was appropriate for Chinese participants. After controlling whether end-of-life care was provided and families' satisfaction with physicians' and nurses' services, regressions revealed that more intense grief of the bereaved caregivers was associated with better symptom control for and worse transcendence of the deceased patient. Moreover, those who believed that the deceased had fulfilled his or her family duties before death experienced less intense grief, and the participant's relationship with the deceased also made a difference.

CONCLUSION

Two aspects of patients' dying and death quality perceived by family caregivers, namely symptom control and transcendence, have opposite influences on caregivers' grief intensity.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on end of life care delivery in care homes: A mixed method systematic review

BACKGROUND

Current evidence suggests that COVID-19 is having a negative impact on the delivery of end of life care in care homes around the world. There is a need to collate current evidence to provide a comprehensive overview to assess extent of the problem.

AIM

To describe and evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on end of life care delivery in care homes.

DESIGN

Systematic review and narrative synthesis of studies reporting qualitative and quantitative data.

DATA SOURCES

The databases MEDLINE, psycINFO, SCOPUS and CINAHL were searched between December 2019 and March 2021.

RESULTS

Nine studies were included. For care home staff, challenges included significant increases in responsibility and exposure to death, both of which have taken an emotional toll. Results indicate that staff tended not to be offered adequate emotional support or afforded the time to grieve. For those receiving end of life care, results indicate that the end of life care that they tended to receive, especially in the form of advance planning, was disrupted by the pandemic.

CONCLUSION

The effect of the pandemic has been to exacerbate existing problems in the provision of end of life care in care homes for both service providers and users, making that which was previously opaque starkly visible. Future research is needed to explore the effects of the pandemic and its management on those receiving end of life care in care homes and their significant others.

A critical realist evaluation of advance care planning in care homes

AIMS

To evaluate care planning in advance of end-of-life care in care homes.

DESIGN

A qualitative study.

METHODS

Qualitative data were collected from January 2018-July 2019 (using focus groups and semi-structured interviews) from three care homes in the South West of England. The data were analysed using thematic analysis followed by Critical Realist Evaluation.

RESULTS

Participants comprised of registered nurses (N = 4), care assistants (N = 8), bereaved relatives (N = 7), and domiciliary staff (N = 3). Although the importance of advance care planning was well recognized, the emotional labour of frequently engaging in discussions about death and dying was highlighted as a problem by some care home staff. It was evident that in some cases care home staff's unmet emotional needs led them to rushing and avoiding discussions about death and dying with residents and relatives. A sparsity of mechanisms to support care home staff's emotional needs was noted across all three care homes. Furthermore, a lack of training and knowledge appeared to inhibit care home staff's ability to engage in meaningful care planning conversations with specific groups of residents such as those living with dementia. The lack of training was principally evident amongst non-registered care home staff and those with non-formal caring roles such as housekeeping.

CONCLUSION

There is a need for more focused education to support registered and non-registered care home staff to effectively engage in sensitive discussions about death and dying with residents. Furthermore, greater emotional support is necessary to help build workforce resilience and sustain change.

IMPACT

Knowledge generated from this study can be used to inform the design and development of future advance care planning interventions capable of supporting the delivery of high-quality end-of-life care in care homes.

Intervention and efficacy of advance care planning for patients in intensive care units and their families: a scoping review protocol

AIM

This scoping review aims to elucidate the effectiveness of advance care planning interventions for patients entering the intensive care unit and their families.

DESIGN

Scoping review of relevant literature from January 2000-March 2020.

METHODS

This review includes studies undertaken in intensive care units that focus on patients older than 18 years or their families. The review will be conducted in accordance with the PRISMA-P guideline. The PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, BNI, PsycINFO and ICHUSHI databases and the Cochrane Library will be searched for both published and unpublished articles. Two independent reviewers will examine the list of remaining titles and summarize and identify articles that meet the inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

It has long been taboo to consider end-of-life care when in intensive care unit. However, promoting advance care planning, even in patients who are in the intensive care unit, is important and it may help support the patient's need for autonomy.