Delirium is more common and associated with worse outcomes in Parkinson's disease compared to older adult controls: results of two prospective longitudinal cohort studies

BACKGROUND

Inpatient prevalence of Parkinson's disease (PD) delirium varies widely across the literature. Delirium in general older populations is associated with adverse outcomes, such as increased mortality, dementia, and institutionalisation. However, to date there are no comprehensive prospective studies in PD delirium. This study aimed to determine delirium prevalence in hospitalised PD participants and the association with adverse outcomes, compared to a control group of older adults without PD.

METHODS

Participants were hospitalised inpatients from the 'Defining Delirium and its Impact in Parkinson's Disease' and the 'Delirium and Cognitive Impact in Dementia' studies comprising 121 PD participants and 199 older adult controls. Delirium was diagnosed prospectively using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition criteria. Outcomes were determined by medical note reviews and/or home visits 12 months post hospital discharge.

RESULTS

Delirium was identified in 66.9% of PD participants compared to 38.7% of controls (p < 0.001). In PD participants only, delirium was associated with a significantly higher risk of mortality (HR = 3.3 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.3-8.6), p = 0.014) and institutionalisation (OR = 10.7 (95% CI = 2.1-54.6), p = 0.004) 12 months post-discharge, compared to older adult controls. However, delirium was associated with an increased risk of developing dementia 12 months post-discharge in both PD participants (OR = 6.1 (95% CI = 1.3-29.5), p = 0.024) and in controls (OR = 13.4 (95% CI = 2.5-72.6), p = 0.003).

CONCLUSION

Delirium is common in hospitalised PD patients, affecting two thirds of patients, and is associated with increased mortality, institutionalisation, and dementia. Further research is essential to understand how to accurately identify, prevent and manage delirium in people with PD who are in hospital.

Incidence and risk factors of institutionalisation in Parkinson's disease and atypical parkinsonism

INTRODUCTION

The basic epidemiology of institutionalisation (the need for long-term care in an institution) in parkinsonism is unclear. We aimed to identify the incidence of, and risk factors for, institutionalisation in Parkinson's disease (PD) and atypical parkinsonism (AP).

METHODS

We analysed data from a prospective population-based incidence cohort of parkinsonism in North-East Scotland (the PINE study). 556 newly-diagnosed participants (PD, N = 200; AP, N = 98; controls, N = 258), recruited between 2002 and 2009, were prospectively followed life-long with data collection on place of residence. We determined the incidence and baseline predictors of institutionalisation using Cox regression.

RESULTS

The median follow-up time was 9.3, 4.4, and 10.8 years in PD, AP, and controls respectively. 70 (35 %) PD, 53 (54 %) AP, and 43 (16 %) controls became institutionalised. The incidence rates of institutionalisation in PD, AP, and controls were 5.1, 20.8, and 1.8 per 100 person-years respectively. The median time to institutionalisation was 11.8 years in PD and 3.5 years in AP. Multivariable Cox regression showed that AP (HR versus PD = 3.05 [95 % CI 1.90,4.91]), increasing age (HR for 10-year increase = 1.82 [95 % CI 1.40,2.36]), poorer cognition (HR for MMSE<24 versus MMSE>27 = 2.62 [95 % CI 1.45, 4.73]), more-severe parkinsonian impairment (UPDRS part 3) (HR for 10-point increase = 1.25 [95 % CI 1.05, 1.48]) were independently associated with higher hazards of institutionalisation. Sex, co-morbidity, smoking history, and living alone were not associated with institutionalisation.

CONCLUSION

Institutionalisation is much more frequent in parkinsonism, particularly in AP, than in controls. AP, older age, severe parkinsonian impairment, and poorer cognition were independent baseline predictors of institutionalisation.

Effectiveness of community hospital post-acute care on mortality, re-admission, institutionalization, and activation of a home care programme in Emilia-Romagna region, Italy

BACKGROUND

In Italy, there is scant evidence on the impact of Community Hospitals (CHs) on clinical outcomes.

AIMS

To assess the effectiveness of CHs versus long-term care hospital or inpatient rehabilitation facilities on mortality, re-admission, institutionalization, and activation of a home care programme in the Emilia-Romagna Region (ERR-Italy) after acute hospitalisation.

METHODS

We implemented a cohort study drawing upon the ERR Administrative Healthcare Database System and including hospital episodes of ERR residents subject ≥ 65 years, discharged from a public or private hospital with a medical diagnosis to a CH or to usual care between 2017 and 2019. To control for confounding, we applied a propensity score matching.

RESULTS

Patients transferred to CHs had a significantly lower risk of dying but an increased risk of being readmitted to community or acute hospital within 30/90 days from discharge. The hazard of institutionalisation within 30/90 days was significantly lower in the whole population of the CH exposed group but not among patients with cardiac or respiratory chronic diseases or diabetes. The activation of a home care program within 90 days was slightly higher for those who were transferred to a CH.

DISCUSSION

The findings of our study show mixed effects on outcomes of patients transferred to CHs compared to those who followed the post-acute usual care and should be taken with cautious as could be affected by the so-called 'confounding by indication'.

CONCLUSIONS

The study contributes to the intermediate care available evidence from a region with a well-established care provision through CHs.

Sustaining Knowledge Translation Practices: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis

BACKGROUND

The health policy and systems research literature increasingly observes that knowledge translation (KT) practices are difficult to sustain. An important issue is that it remains unclear what sustainability of KT practices means and how it can be improved. The aim of this study was thus to identify and explain those processes, activities, and efforts in the literature that facilitate the sustaining of KT practices in health policy-making processes.

METHODS

We used a critical interpretive synthesis (CIS) to review the health policy and systems research and Science and Technology Studies (STS) literature. The STS literature was included as to enrich the review with constructivist social scientific perspectives on sustainability and KT. The CIS methodology allowed for creating new theory by critically combining both literatures. We searched the literature by using PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and qualitative sampling. Searches were guided by pre-set eligibility criteria and all entries were iteratively analysed using thematic synthesis.

RESULTS

Eighty documents were included. Our synthesis suggests a shift from sustainability as an end-goal towards sustaining as actors' relatively mundane work aimed at making and keeping KT practices productive. This 'sustaining work' is an interplay of three processes: (i) translating, (ii) contexting, and (iii) institutionalising. Translating refers to activities aimed at constructing and extending networks. Contexting emphasises the activities needed to create contexts that support KT practices. Institutionalising addresses how actors create, maintain, and disrupt institutions with the aim of sustaining KT practices.

CONCLUSION

The 'sustaining work' perspective of our CIS emphasises KT actors' ongoing work directed at sustaining KT practices. We suggest that this perspective can guide empirical study of sustaining work and that these empirical insights, combined with this CIS, can inform training programmes for KT actors, and thereby improve the sustainability of KT practices.

Institutionalisation Is a Vital Element for Fairness of Priority Setting in the Package Design if the Target is Universal Health Coverage Comment on "Evidence-Informed Deliberative Processes for Health Benefits Package Design - Part II: A Practical Guide"

The evidence-informed deliberative processes (EDPs) guide provides a practical framework for fair priority setting of the health benefits package (HBP) that countries can reasonably use. The steps presented in the EDPs are applicable for prioritising health services in designing HBP and are consistent with practical experience in countries. However, institutionalisation must be considered an element of fairness in the priority-setting process if the aim is to reach broader goals of a health system, such as universal health coverage (UHC). Otherwise, the EDPs for priority setting might not be integrated into the formal health system or impactful, resulting in a waste of time and resources, which is unfair. Institutionalisation means formalising the desired change as an embedded and integrated system so that the change lasts over time. For the institutionalisation of EPDs, four stages are suggested, which are (1) establishing a supportive legal framework, (2) designating governance and institutional structure, (3) stipulating the EDPs processes and (4) individual and institutional capacity building.

The Ethics and Politics of Academic Knowledge Production: Thoughts on the Future of Business Ethics

To commemorate 40 years since the founding of the Journal of Business Ethics, the editors in chief of the journal have invited the editors to provide commentaries on the future of business ethics. This essay comprises a selection of commentaries aimed at creating dialogue around the theme The Ethics and Politics of Academic Knowledge Production. Questions of who produces knowledge about what, and how that knowledge is produced, are inherent to editing and publishing academic journals. At the Journal of Business Ethics, we understand the ethical responsibility of academic knowledge production as going far beyond conventions around the integrity of the research content and research processes. We are deeply aware that access to resources, knowledge of the rules of the game, and being able to set those rules, are systematically and unequally distributed. One could ask the question "for whom is knowledge now ethical'"? (See the Burrell commentary.) We have a responsibility to address these inequalities and open up our journal to lesser heard voices, ideas, and ways of being. Our six commentators pursue this through various aspects of the ethics and politics of academic knowledge production. Working with MacIntyre's scheme of practices and institutions, Andrew West provides commentary on the internal good of business ethics learning and education. Inviting us to step out of the cave, Christopher Michaelson urges a clear-eyed, unblinking focus on the purposes and audiences of business ethics scholarship. As developmental editor, Scott Taylor uncovers some of the politics of peer review with the aim of nurturing of unconventional research. Mike Hyman presents his idiosyncratic view of marketing ethics. In the penultimate commentary, Julie Nelson attributes difficulties in the academic positioning of the Business Ethics field to the hegemony of a masculine-centric model of the firm. And finally, Gibson Burrell provides a powerful provocation to go undercover as researcher-investigators in a parallel ethics of the research process.

The Association between Sarcopenia as a Comorbid Disease and Incidence of Institutionalisation and Mortality in Geriatric Rehabilitation Inpatients: REStORing health of acutely unwell adulTs (RESORT)

INTRODUCTION

Sarcopenia is associated with poor health outcomes and highly prevalent in individuals with age-related diseases. This study aimed to determine whether sarcopenia as a comorbid disease is associated with the incidence of institutionalisation and mortality in geriatric rehabilitation inpatients.

METHODS

REStORing health of acutely unwell adulTs (RESORT) includes geriatric rehabilitation patients assessed for sarcopenia (the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People [EWGSOP, 2010], EWGSOP2 [2018], and the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia [AWGS 2019]), multimorbidity, disease severity, and specific diseases (Charlson Comorbidity Index and Cumulative Illness Rating Scale) at admission. The incidence of institutionalisation and mortality was recorded 3 months after discharge. Logistic regressions were adjusted for age and sex with "low morbidity and no sarcopenia" as the reference group.

RESULTS

In 549 included patients (median age was 82.2 [77.4-87.7] years, 58.3% female), sarcopenia prevalence was 37.9, 18.6, and 26.1% according to EWGSOP, EWGSOP2, and AWGS 2019, respectively. Sarcopenia as a comorbid disease with high multimorbidity, dementia, diabetes mellitus, and renal impairment had higher odds of institutionalisation incidence. Sarcopenia as a comorbid disease with high multimorbidity, high disease severity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, osteoporosis, and renal impairment had higher odds of mortality.

CONCLUSION

Sarcopenia as a comorbid disease is associated with a higher incidence of institutionalisation and mortality in geriatric rehabilitation inpatients. This highlights the need for in-hospital sarcopenia diagnostics and interventions.

Check-list and questionnaire datasets on diversity in Spain's higher education

Universities around the world, and particularly Spanish universities, are involved in the process of implementing diversity policies and practices, although productivity rankings have not yet considered inclusion indicators in their quality approaches. The current paper, which is a result of a national research project (No. EDU2017–82,862-R), describes two rich datasets on the issue of diversity in Spain's universities. Data were obtained by using a check-list and a questionnaire, collected in samples of 81 and 33 institutions, respectively. In particular, the paper provides extended descriptive data on institutionalisation of diversity indicators corresponding to philosophy and policy, and practices, that have been analysed in the article entitled ‘Exploring the Status of Diversity in Policies and Practices of Spanish Universities. An Asymmetric Dual Model’ [1]. It also reports descriptive statistics for indicators and areas by type of university (public vs. private). In addition, it shows graphical comparative data on standard scores of policies and practices vs. productivity indicators (global and partial U-Ranking indexes). Researchers, policy makers and practitioners could benefit from datasets, as they provide information on a good number of indicators reflecting strengths and weaknesses in university policies and practices in the field of diversity.

[Mortality and use of healthcare resources in elderly patients in Seville: Differences between institutionalised patients and those included in a home care program]

OBJECTIVES

Society is ageing, and as a consequence, the population with increased frailty and comorbidity is growing. The aim is to analyse the mortality and its potential factors, as well as the use of healthcare resources in elderly patients, and to study the differences between institutionalised patients and those included in a home care program.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An observational, longitudinal and prospective cohort study was conducted in Seville during 2016. The study subjects consisted of 1314 elderly patients (1061 institutionalised and 253 at home). The variables studied included mortality and its potential factors, and the use of healthcare resources.

RESULTS

No differences were found in mortality between institutionalised and home care program patients (RR=1.044; 95% CI; 0.74-1.46; P=.799). The leading cause of death was circulatory diseases followed by respiratory diseases. Among the factors explaining the mortality, it is important to highlight: age, dependency and admissions in the hospital or the emergency department. The patient's functional independence is associated with a higher survival rate. Differences were found between both groups in the number of calls to the Critical Care and Emergency Services (P=.022) or the primary care doctor (P<.001) and in the hospital admissions (P<.001), the first 2differences being higher in home care program patients, and the latter in institutionalised patients.

CONCLUSIONS

There are no differences between groups either in the mortality or in the cause of death. Age, functional dependency and admissions in the hospital are factors which explain the mortality. The use of healthcare resources is higher in patients at home.

A scoping review of the uses and institutionalisation of knowledge for health policy in low- and middle-income countries

There is growing interest in how different forms of knowledge can strengthen policy-making in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) health systems. Additionally, health policy and systems researchers are increasingly aware of the need to design effective institutions for supporting knowledge utilisation in LMICs. To address these interwoven agendas, this scoping review uses the Arskey and O’Malley framework to review the literature on knowledge utilisation in LMIC health systems, using eight public health and social science databases. Articles that described the process for how knowledge was used in policy-making, specified the type of knowledge used, identified actors involved (individual, organisation or professional), and were set in specific LMICs were included. A total of 53 articles, from 1999 to 2016 and representing 56 countries, were identified. The majority of articles in this review presented knowledge utilisation as utilisation of research findings, and to a lesser extent routine health system data, survey data and technical advice. Most of the articles centered on domestic public sector employees and their interactions with civil society representatives, international stakeholders or academics in utilising epistemic knowledge for policy-making in LMICs. Furthermore, nearly all of the articles identified normative dimensions of institutionalisation. While there is some evidence of how different uses and institutionalisation of knowledge can strengthen health systems, the evidence on how these processes can ultimately improve health outcomes remains unclear. Further research on the ways in which knowledge can be effectively utilised and institutionalised is needed to advance the collective understanding of health systems strengthening and enhance evidence-informed policy formulation.

The sustainability of public health interventions in schools: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

The sustainability of school-based health interventions after external funds and/or other resources end has been relatively unexplored in comparison to health care. If effective interventions discontinue, new practices cannot reach wider student populations and investment in implementation is wasted. This review asked: What evidence exists about the sustainability of school-based public health interventions? Do schools sustain public health interventions once start-up funds end? What are the barriers and facilitators affecting the sustainability of public health interventions in schools in high-income countries?

METHODS

Seven bibliographic databases and 15 websites were searched. References and citations of included studies were searched, and experts and authors were contacted to identify relevant studies. We included reports published from 1996 onwards. References were screened on title/abstract, and those included were screened on full report. We conducted data extraction and appraisal using an existing tool. Extracted data were qualitatively synthesised for common themes, using May's General Theory of Implementation (2013) as a conceptual framework.

RESULTS

Of the 9677 unique references identified through database searching and other search strategies, 24 studies of 18 interventions were included in the review. No interventions were sustained in their entirety; all had some components that were sustained by some schools or staff, bar one that was completely discontinued. No discernible relationship was found between evidence of effectiveness and sustainability. Key facilitators included commitment/support from senior leaders, staff observing a positive impact on students' engagement and wellbeing, and staff confidence in delivering health promotion and belief in its value. Important contextual barriers emerged: the norm of prioritising educational outcomes under time and resource constraints, insufficient funding/resources, staff turnover and a lack of ongoing training. Adaptation of the intervention to existing routines and changing contexts appeared to be part of the sustainability process.

CONCLUSIONS

Existing evidence suggests that sustainability depends upon schools developing and retaining senior leaders and staff that are knowledgeable, skilled and motivated to continue delivering health promotion through ever-changing circumstances. Evidence of effectiveness did not appear to be an influential factor. However, methodologically stronger primary research, informed by theory, is needed.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The review was registered on PROSPERO: CRD42017076320, Sep. 2017.

Dementia, home care and institutionalisation from hospitals in older people

This study examines the relationship between dementia and institutionalisation directly after hospital discharges in older people and explores potential mediators of the association. Our analyses are based on linked Scottish administrative health and social care data, including 79,983 hospital stays for 43,753 patients aged 65 or over. Our results show that dementia patients are more likely to be discharged to care institutions compared with non-dementia patients (odds ratio = 17). Further analyses reveal that this can be partially explained by the fact that dementia patients are more likely to have injury-related admissions and long hospital stays. This indirect effect accounts for around 6% of the total effect. We also investigate the effect of receiving home care, finding no evidence that it influences the likelihood of institutionalisation from hospitals in older people.

Determinants of time to institutionalisation and related healthcare and societal costs in a community-based cohort of patients with Alzheimer's disease dementia

OBJECTIVES

To examine the costs of caring for community-dwelling patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia in relation to the time to institutionalisation.

METHODS

GERAS was a prospective, non-interventional cohort study in community-dwelling patients with AD dementia and their caregivers in three European countries. Using identified factors associated with time to institutionalisation, models were developed to estimate the time to institutionalisation for all patients. Estimates of monthly total societal costs, patient healthcare costs and total patient costs (healthcare and social care together) prior to institutionalisation were developed as a function of the time to institutionalisation.

RESULTS

Of the 1495 patients assessed at baseline, 307 (20.5%) were institutionalised over 36 months. Disease severity at baseline [based on Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores] was associated with risk of being institutionalised during follow up (p < 0.001). Having a non-spousal informal caregiver was associated with a faster time to institutionalisation (944 fewer days versus having a spousal caregiver), as was each one-point worsening in baseline score of MMSE, instrumental activities of daily living and behavioural disturbance (67, 50 and 30 fewer days, respectively). Total societal costs, total patient costs and, to a lesser extent, patient healthcare-only costs were associated with time to institutionalisation. In the 5 years pre-institutionalisation, monthly total societal costs increased by more than £1000 (€1166 equivalent for 2010) from £1900 to £3160 and monthly total patient costs almost doubled from £770 to £1529.

CONCLUSIONS

Total societal costs and total patient costs rise steeply as community-dwelling patients with AD dementia approach institutionalisation.

The politics of institutionalizing preventive health

Prevention is an attractive idea to policymakers in theory, particularly in health where the burden of spending and care is increasingly taken up by complex and chronic conditions associated with lifestyle choices. However, prevention in general, and preventive health in particular, has proven hard to implement in practice. In this paper, we look to one tangible legacy of the recent rise of the prevention agenda: agencies with responsibility for preventive health policy. We ask how this form of institutionalizing preventive health happens in practice, and what consequences it has for the advancement of the prevention agenda. We draw on qualitative data to compare the trajectories of newly formed agencies in Australia, New Zealand and England. We find that building and maintaining legitimacy for such agencies may come at the expense of quick progress or radical action in service of the prevention agenda.

The ageing and de-institutionalisation of death-Evidence from England and Wales

Increasingly, age of death is postponed until very old age, and care of those who are dying is challenged by medical co-morbidities and the presence of dementia. Although most people would prefer to die at home, currently in England and Wales only about 20 per cent of those aged 65 years and over die at home, and this proportion falls to about 10 per cent among those aged over 85 years. To explore recent and likely future trends in age and place of death, mortality statistics from 2006 to 2013 were analysed and projected to 2050 using age- and gender-specific rates. Results confirmed recent increasing age at death and indicated a trend for increasing proportions of older people to die at home. Projections indicated large increases in home-based deaths, particularly for men aged 65 and over. Consistent with people's wishes, there may be a partial return to the view that dying at home is a normal experience. Resource allocations are likely to need to shift to support people dying at home and their formal and informal carers.

Social care: an essential aspect of mental health rehabilitation services

This study is aimed at the importance of social care in rehabilitation. A brief overview of the social care theme is used as the methodology. There is a tension in mental health care between biological and psychological treatments that focus on deficits at the individual level (symptoms, disabilities) and social interventions that try to address local inequalities and barriers in order to improve access for service users to ordinary housing, employment and leisure opportunities. The history of mental health care tells us that social care is often underfunded and too easily dismissed as not the business of health care. But too much emphasis on a health model of individual deficits is a slippery slope to institutionalisation by way of therapeutic nihilism. Rehabilitation services follow the biopsychosocial model but with a shift in emphasis, recognising the vital role played by social interventions in improving the functional outcomes that matter to service users including access to housing, occupation, leisure facilities and the support of family and friends. In conclusion, rehabilitation is framed within a model of personal recovery in which the target of intervention is to boost hope and help the individual find a meaning to life, living well regardless of enduring symptoms.

What happens for informal caregivers during transition to increased levels of care for the person with dementia? A systematic review protocol

BACKGROUND

Dementia is a globally prevalent disease that requires ongoing and increasing levels of care, often provided in the first instance by informal caregivers. Supporting transitions in informal caregiving in dementia is a pertinent issue for caregivers, care providers and governments. There is no existing systematic review that seeks to identify and map the body of literature regarding the review question: 'What happens for informal caregivers during transition to increased levels of care for the person with dementia?'

METHODS/DESIGN

ASSIA, CINAHL+, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, SCIE, Social Service Abstracts and Web of Science will be systematically searched. Specialist dementia research libraries will be contacted. Reviews identified as relevant during the search process, their reference lists, and reference lists of accepted papers will be hand-searched. Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies that seek to represent the experiences of, or examine the impact upon, informal caregivers during transition to increased formal care for the person with dementia will be eligible for inclusion. Synthesis will be segregated into qualitative and quantitative papers. Findings will be summarised, and the review will be prepared for publication.

DISCUSSION

The review will seek to identify potentially vulnerable groups in need of support and as such, inform the practice of those offering support. It will also inform future research by highlighting areas in which current literature is insubstantial.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42017067248.

Donor-funded project's sustainability assessment: a qualitative case study of a results-based financing pilot in Koulikoro region, Mali

BACKGROUND

Results-based financing (RBF) is emerging as a new alternative to finance health systems in many African countries. In Mali, a pilot project was conducted to improve demand and supply of health services through financing performance in targeted services. No study has explored the sustainability process of such a project in Africa. This study's objectives were to understand the project's sustainability process and to assess its level of sustainability.

METHODS

Sustainability was examined through its different determinants, phases, levels and contexts. These were explored using qualitative interviews to discern, via critical events, stakeholders' ideas regarding the project's sustainability. Data collection sites were chosen with the participation of different stakeholders, based on a variety of criteria (rural/urban settings, level of participation, RBF participants still present, etc.). Forty-nine stakeholders were then interviewed in six community health centres and two referral health centres (from 11/12/15 to 08/03/16), including health practitioners, administrators, and those involved in implementing and conceptualizing the program (government and NGOs). A theme analysis was done with the software © QDA Miner according to the study's conceptual framework.

RESULTS

The results of this project show a weak level of sustainability due to many factors. While some gains could be sustained (ex.: investments in long-term resources, high compatibility of values and codes, adapted design to the implementations contexts, etc.) other intended benefits could not (ex.: end of investments, lack of shared cultural artefacts around RBF, loss of different tasks and procedures, need of more ownership of the project by the local stakeholders). A lack of sustainability planning was observed, and few critical events were associated to phases of sustainability.

CONCLUSIONS

While this RBF project aimed at increasing health agents' motivation through different mechanisms (supervision, investments, incentives, etc.), these results raise questions on what types of motivation could be more stable and what could be the place of local stakeholders in the project; all this with the aim of more sustained and efficient results.

[Programs to combat loneliness in the institutionalised elderly: A review of the scientific literature]

Loneliness is a problem that affects a very high percentage of older people, and can lead to physical and/or mental illness. This article aims to present a systematic review of programs to combat loneliness directed towards the institutionalised elderly. Experimental and quasi-experimental articles published between 2000 and 2016 were included in the review. An analysis was carried out on the quality of the methodological evidence of each of the articles. The programs analysed included animal-assisted, contacts with families through videoconferencing, gardening and/or horticulture workshops, reminiscence therapies, humour therapies, and cognitive interventions. The results show that intervention programs are effective to reduce the feeling of loneliness. The methodological limitations of the studies are discussed and future research is recommended.

Does use of long-term care differ between occupational classes among the oldest old? Vitality 90 + Study

Long-term care (LTC) use increases with ageing due to an age-related increase in disability. Both the levels of disability and social resources vary among socioeconomic groups. The association of socioeconomic status with LTC use is largely unexplored for the oldest old. This study examined how occupational class is associated with LTC use among nonagenarians in the context of universal care coverage. A population-based prospective cohort study with 2862 participants who answered the Vitality 90 + Study surveys in 2001, 2003, 2007, or 2010 in Tampere, Finland, was combined with national register data on LTC use. LTC use in total and separately for publicly and privately provided LTC facilities was assessed in a cross-sectional setting and during the 34-month follow-up by using logistic regression and competing-risks regression methods. Functional status, multimorbidity, family relations, and help at home were controlled. In total or public LTC use, only a few differences between occupational classes were found at baseline. However, upper non-manuals used more private LTC than lower non-manuals (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.35-0.85), skilled manuals (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.26-0.62), or housewives (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.22-0.74). There were no statistically significant differences in entering any kind of LTC after adjustments for all independent variables. During the study period, the share of privately provided care out of all LTC increased and the upper non-manuals no more used private care more than other groups. This study underlines the importance of following the structural changes in LTC provision to guarantee that the need for LTC is met equally for all socioeconomic groups.

The factors affecting the institutionalisation of two policy units in Burkina Faso's health system: a case study

Background

This paper is one of three linked studies that attempts to understand the process of institutionalisation of policy units within Burkina Faso’s health system. It examines the relationships between the existence of an institutional framework, data production capacity and other resource availability in the institutionalisation of policy units in health systems. It therefore contributes to our understanding of the dynamics linking the key drivers and indicators of institutionalisation. Additionally, it examines how factors within the managerial setting, including workplace environment, and budgetary and human resource availability, may influence the institutionalisation process.

Methods

The study used an explanatory qualitative case study approach, examining two policy units in Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Health, the first of which had been institutionalised successfully and the other less so. Data were collected from key policymakers, including 13 connected with the first policy unit and 10 with the second, plus two funders. We also conducted a documentary analysis of the National Program for Health Development, two mid-term strategic plans, 230 action plans, eight Ministry of Health state budgets, eight Ministry of Health annual statistics reports, 16 policy unit budgets and published literature.

Results

The framework within which the government gave the policy unit its mandate and policy focus had the strongest effect on the institutionalisation process. Institutionalisation depended on political will, in both the host government and any donors, and the priority given to the policy unit’s focus. It was also affected by the leadership of the policy unit managers. These factors were influenced by human resource capacity, and our findings suggest that, for successful institutionalisation in Burkina Faso’s health system, policy units need to be given sufficient human resources to achieve their objectives.

Conclusion

Policy units’ institutionalisation in Burkina Faso’s health system depend on the leadership of the unit managers to implement relevant activities, mobilise funding, and recruit and maintain enough human resources, as well as the mandate given by the government.

New institutionalisation following acute hospital admission: a retrospective cohort study

Background

institutionalisation following acute hospital admission is common and yet poorly described, with policy documents advising against this transition.

Objective

to characterise the individuals admitted to a care home on discharge from an acute hospital admission and to describe their assessment.

Design and setting

a retrospective cohort study of people admitted to a single large Scottish teaching hospital.

Subjects

100 individuals admitted to the acute hospital from home and discharged to a care home.

Methods

a single researcher extracted data from ward-based case notes.

Results

people discharged to care homes were predominantly female (62%), widowed (52%) older adults (mean 83.6 years) who lived alone (67%). About 95% had a diagnosed cognitive disorder or evidence of cognitive impairment. One-third of cases of delirium were unrecognised. Hospital stays were long (median 78.5 days; range 14-231 days) and transfers between settings were common. Family request, dementia, mobility, falls risk and behavioural concerns were the commonest reasons for the decision to admit to a care home. About 55% were in the acute hospital when the decision for a care home was made and 44% of that group were discharged directly from the acute hospital.

Conclusions

care home admission from hospital is common and yet there are no established standards to support best practice. Decisions should involve the whole multidisciplinary team in partnership with patients and families. Documentation of assessment in the case notes is variable. We advocate the development of interdisciplinary standards to support the assessment of this vulnerable and complex group of patients.

A critical review of the long-term disability outcomes following hip fracture

BACKGROUND

Hip fractures are an increasingly common consequence of falls in older people that are associated with a high risk of death and reduced function. This review aims to quantify the impact of hip fracture on older people's abilities and quality of life over the long term.

METHODS

Studies were identified through PubMed and Scopus searches and contact with experts. Cohort studies of hip fracture patients reporting outcomes 3 months post-fracture or longer were included for review. Outcomes of mobility, participation in domestic and community activities, health, accommodation or quality of life were categorised according to the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning and synthesised narratively. Risk of bias was assessed according to four items from the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight studies from 42 publications were included for review. Most followed a clearly defined sample from the time of fracture. Hip fracture survivors experienced significantly worse mobility, independence in function, health, quality of life and higher rates of institutionalisation than age matched controls. The bulk of recovery of walking ability and activities for daily living occurred within 6 months after fracture. Between 40 and 60 % of study participants recovered their pre-fracture level of mobility and ability to perform instrumental activities of daily living, while 40-70 % regained their level of independence for basic activities of daily living. For people independent in self-care pre-fracture, 20-60 % required assistance for various tasks 1 and 2 years after fracture. Fewer people living in residential care recovered their level of function than those living in the community. In Western nations, 10-20 % of hip fracture patients are institutionalised following fracture. Few studies reported impact on participation in domestic, community, social and civic life.

CONCLUSIONS

Hip fracture has a substantial impact on older peoples' medium- to longer-term abilities, function, quality of life and accommodation. These studies indicate the range of current outcomes rather than potential improvements with different interventional approaches. Future studies should measure impact on life participation and determine the proportion of people that regain their pre-fracture level of functioning to investigate strategies for improving these important outcomes.

[Effectiveness of training interventions aimed at reducing physical restraints in institutionalised older people: A systematic review]

There is some controversy about the use of physical restraints in institutionalised elderly people. The aim of this review is to analyse studies that evaluated the effectiveness of training interventions targeting interdisciplinary teams aimed at preventing, reducing or eliminating the use of physical restraints in nursing homes. A systematic search was performed in the Cochrane Library, PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and Web of Science to find clinical trials, published in English or in Spanish, that examined training sessions for interdisciplinary teams aimed at preventing, minimising or eliminating the use of physical restrains in institutionalised people over 65 years. Ten papers fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The findings show conflicting results on the effectiveness of training sessions. Furthermore, they lack sufficient empirical evidence to be able to assert that training sessions brought about a reduction in the use of physical restraints. More studies are needed that analyse the effectiveness of these interventions to prevent or eliminate the use of physical restraints in these institutions.

Quality of relationships as predictors of outcomes in people with dementia: a systematic review protocol

INTRODUCTION

Serious adverse outcomes for people with dementia include institutionalisation, hospitalisation, death, development of behavioural and psychiatric symptoms, and reduced quality of life. The quality of the relationship between the person with dementia and their informal/family carer is thought to affect the risk of these outcomes. However, little is known about which aspects of relationship quality are important, or how they affect outcomes for people with dementia.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This will be a systematic review of the literature. Electronic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, PsycInfo, the Cochrane Database, ALOIS and OpenGrey will be searched from inception. 2 independent reviewers will screen results for eligibility with standardised criteria. Data will be extracted for relevant studies, and information on the associations between relationship quality and dementia outcomes will be synthesised. Meta-analysis will be performed if possible to calculate pooled effect sizes. Narrative synthesis will be performed if study heterogeneity rules out meta-analysis.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical review is not necessary as this review summarises data from previous studies. Results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publication. Results will also be disseminated to a patient and public involvement group and an expert panel for their views on the findings and implications for future work.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42015020518.

The institutional response to mental disorder in Ireland: censuses of Irish asylums, psychiatric hospitals and units 1844-2014

Before the eighteenth century, there was limited response to the problem of psychiatric illness in Ireland as in many other countries. The asylums of the 1820s and 1830s were no sooner opened than they were overcrowded. A second wave of asylum building commenced in the second half of the nineteenth century continuing up to the early twentieth century. In 1966, the Report of the Commission on Mental Illness noted that the rate of psychiatric beds in Ireland per 1,000 was one of the highest in the world. The report called for a change in the policy of caring for the mentally ill in psychiatric hospitals to more community-based settings and in psychiatric units located in general hospital settings, along with a call for more research into mental illness. The result of the latter was the establishment of the first census of psychiatric patients resident in psychiatric hospitals. Thus began fifty years of census reporting and the subsequent establishment of the National Psychiatric Inpatient Reporting System (NPIRS).

Towards institutionalised regionalism: the role of institutions and prospects for institutionalisation in ASEAN

This paper provides concrete understanding of the role of institutions and prospects for institutionalisation in ASEAN. It highlights the significant roles of institutions in the integrating Southeast Asia and demonstrates three main areas of institutional deficiency in the association. However, although ASEAN institutions meet the expectations, by and large, in terms of serving the national governments and upholding the association’s norms, along with theoretical explanation, this paper argues that ASEAN should focus on strengthening its existing institutional structure by providing them with a mandate and sufficient financial and human resources in order to support its administration and growing activities. Finally, the paper suggests a revision of the current financial contribution system, a seeking of alternative sources of income and some institutional inventions such as a research wing and a mechanism that can get non-state actors involved in the process.

Care utilisation in the last years of life in Sweden: the effects of gender and marital status differ by type of care

The effects of gender and marital status on care utilisation in the last years of life are highly correlated. This study analysed whether gender differences in use of eldercare (home help services or institutional care) or hospital care in the last 5 years of life, and the place of death, could be attributed to differences in marital status and thereby to potential access to informal care. A longitudinal Swedish study provided register data on 567 participants (aged 83 +) who died between 1995 and 2004. A higher proportion of unmarried than married people used home help services; this was true of both men and women. The likelihood of receiving home help was lower for those living with their spouse (OR = 0.38) and for those with children (OR = 0.60). In the 2 years preceding death, the proportion receiving home help services decreased and the proportion in institutional care increased. Women were significantly more likely to die in institutional care (OR = 1.88) than men. Although men were less likely to live in institutional care than women and more likely to be inpatients in the 3 months preceding death, after controlling for residence in institutional care, neither gender nor marital status was statistically significant when included in the same model. In summary, the determining factor for home help utilisation seemed to be access to informal care, whereas gender differences in health status could explain women's higher probability of dying in institutional care.

Care utilisation in the last years of life in relation to age and time to death: results from a Swedish urban population of the oldest old

The majority of older people experience progressive disability at the end of their lives and require long-term care as a result. This study analysed patterns of care utilisation during the 5 years prior to death, particularly the effects of age and time to death in relation to the use of public elder care (i.e. home help services and institutional care) and hospital care. A longitudinal study provided data on care utilisation among participants (aged 83+) who died between 1995 and 2004 (n = 567). Almost everyone received some kind of care in the last 5 years, 91% in the last year and 88% in the last 3 months preceding death. The number of days of elder care outnumbered the number of days in hospital by ten to one. Increasing chronological age was important for receipt of home help, whereas time to death was important for admission to hospital; there was a sharp increase in the proportion treated in hospital in the last 9 months before death. The proportion residing in institutional care facilities with around-the-clock care increased steadily with a sharper gradient 6 months before death. Both age and time to death had an effect on use of institutional care, but time to death had twice the effect of increasing age. In conclusion, age and time to death have different effects depending on the type of care studied, and individual-based longitudinal data gives a very different picture of care utilisation among the oldest old compared to cross-sectional data.