Info Long-Term Care

TeamSTEPPS 2.0 for Long-Term Care

noreply@blogger.com (Nik Lysecki) — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 20:06:00 +0000

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ) TeamSTEPPS 2.0 for Long-Term Care curriculum reflects updates to the original TeamSTEPPS in Long-Term Care curriculum, which was released to the public in 2012. Since then, AHRQ released TeamSTEPPS 2.0, an update to the original curriculum that focuses on hospital-based teams. As a result, AHRQ has sponsored the development of an updated curriculum for use in the long-term care setting. The updated Long-Term Care curriculum (“2.0”) includes changes such as:

An updated Course Management Guide to provide information about the course and about preparing for and providing instruction.
An updated Evidence Base for each skill-based module.
The addition of an advance organizer to each module to provide an overview of each module’s content, activities, and instructional materials.
The relocation of the Communication module to earlier in the curriculum to better align with the emphasis on preventing communication errors within teams and the fact that most of the tools and strategies are conducted through communication.
The addition of the Measurement module to provide instruction and resources to support the assessment of the effectiveness of implementation efforts.
Improvements to the usability and flow of materials, including addressing redundancies, clearly labeling resources, and adding page numbers to the Instructor Manual.

To view the updated curriculum, click here: http://bit.ly/2A13e0m

Views and Experiences with End-of-Life Medical Care in Japan, Italy, the United States, and Brazil: A Cross-Country Survey

noreply@blogger.com (Nik Lysecki) — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 15:45:00 +0000

In partnership with The Economist, the Kaiser Family Foundation conducted a cross-country survey of adults in Japan, Italy, the United States, and Brazil about people’s views and experiences related to aging and end-of-life medical care. These four countries are each at a different stage of population aging. On one end of the spectrum, Japan is the world’s oldest country (27 percent are ages 65 and older) and has the longest life expectancy along with a shrinking overall population . Italy is not far behind, with a population that is 21 percent elderly, the largest proportion among European nations . The United States is in the middle of the aging trajectory, with the share of the population ages 65 and older expected to grow from about 15 percent in 2015 to 24 percent by 2060 . At the other end of the spectrum, Brazil has a relatively young population today, but due to recent changes in mortality and fertility, the share of the population that is elderly is expected to double (from 7 percent to 14 percent) by 2031. These four countries also reflect different cultural and institutional considerations when it comes to preparing and providing care for those near the end of life, and both the demographic and cultural differences are reflected in the survey results reported here.

This report summarizes the overall survey results with comparisons across the four countries, and includes sections highlighting particular findings in Japan, Italy, and Brazil.

To access the report, click here: http://kaiserf.am/2B5ojUS

Heating for people with dementia

noreply@blogger.com (Nik Lysecki) — Wed, 15 Nov 2017 20:03:00 +0000

We worry more often about being cold, rather than too hot, but both are serious for people with dementia. Heat can lead to dehydration, confusion, lethargy, constipation and urine infections that make people with dementia very unwell. Older bodies don’t adjust well to heat and cold, and dementia means the person may not notice, or be unable to tell you that they are too hot or too cold or to do anything about it.

To access the Dementia Centre’s factsheet on heating and dementia, click here: http://bit.ly/2yJDRfB

Legal Discovery and QAPI: A Tale of Two Risks

noreply@blogger.com (Nik Lysecki) — Wed, 08 Nov 2017 17:24:00 +0000

A shift from quality assessment and assurance (QAA) to quality assurance and performance improvement (QAPI) is becoming a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regulatory reality for providers in the aging services continuum, affecting both home health and nursing centers. This new regulatory focus calls for a renewed discussion about how aging services providers may appropriately invoke privilege from discovery to protect quality improvement "work product" from disclosure in litigation.

The processes and goals of QAPI and litigation discovery create a juxtaposition of two very real but seemingly opposing provider risks: harm to the organization if "problems" are discovered and QAPI information is used against the provider in litigation, versus harm to the organization from failure to act to prevent reoccurring incidents with common root causes.

ECRI Institute's new white paper, "Legal Discovery and QAPI: A Tale of Two Risks," includes a systems thinking approach to help address organizational problems and solutions in relation to the realities in which they exist.

To request this paper, click here: http://bit.ly/2hSmEdu

Much Too Young

noreply@blogger.com (Nik Lysecki) — Wed, 01 Nov 2017 14:33:00 +0000

What does it mean to be a young adult who becomes a caregiver for an ailing parent? “Much Too Young” is a documentary that is a powerful and unflinching look at four families struggling to cope with an unexpected role reversal, and the complications that come with caring for a parent who has been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

Too view the documentary, click here: http://bit.ly/2iSHrRB

SEDAP-II -- Canada in the 21st Century: Moving Towards an Older Society

noreply@blogger.com (Nik Lysecki) — Mon, 30 Oct 2017 21:05:00 +0000

SEDAP was a multi-disciplinary research program funded primarily by SSHRC and centered at McMaster University. It involved 46 academics from fourteen universities in Canada and 3 abroad and ran from Jan 3, 2005 to Apr 1, 2011. The research program included extensive analysis of important and newly available survey data, with international comparisons to allow the Canadian situation to be seen in a broader context.

To access the research papers that came out of SEDAP, click here: http://socserv.mcmaster.ca/sedap

Preventing Aging Unequally

noreply@blogger.com (Nik Lysecki) — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 14:22:00 +0000

The below report examines how the two global mega-trends of population aging and rising inequalities have been developing and interacting, both within and across generations. Taking a life-course perspective, the report shows how inequalities in education, health, employment and earnings compound, resulting in large differences in lifetime earnings across different groups. It suggests a policy agenda to prevent, mitigate and cope with inequalities along the life course drawing on good practices in OECD countries and emerging economies.

To access the report, click here: http://bit.ly/2i35Ek4

Getting Ready: For a New Generation of Active Seniors

noreply@blogger.com (Nik Lysecki) — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 18:46:00 +0000

Demographic changes are now a challenge in Canada as well as in several other countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In Canada, there are now more people aged 65 and over than children aged 14 and under. In the coming decades, this demographic reality will put greater pressure on the country’s health care system and public finances, and will affect the labour market through an aging workforce. However, it will not be felt with the same intensity or in the same way in all regions of the country. Federal, provincial, territorial and Indigenous governments will have to work together and put measures in place to address the challenges facing Canadian society.

In April 2016, the Senate authorized the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance to examine and report on the financial implications and regional considerations of Canada’s aging population. Up to May 30, 2017, this committee held five meetings and heard from 14 experts from across the country. Below is a link to the first interim report, which presents the committee’s observations and recommendations following its study.

To access the report, click here: http://bit.ly/2yA2MVy

Long-Term Services & Supports State Scorecard

noreply@blogger.com (Nik Lysecki) — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 14:59:00 +0000

The Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) State Scorecard—a compilation of state data and analysis—showcases measures of state performance for creating a high-quality system of care in order to drive progress toward improvement in services for older adults and people with physical disabilities, and their family caregivers. The focus is on state-level data because the United States does not have a single national system to address LTSS needs.

The Scorecard provides comparable state data to: Benchmark performance, measure progress, identify areas for improvement, and improve lives.

To view the LTSS State Scorecard, click here: http://bit.ly/2yafGKm

The Role of the Arts and Culture in Social Care

noreply@blogger.com (Nik Lysecki) — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 20:47:00 +0000

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing (APPGAHW) has undertaken a major Inquiry into the role of the arts in health and wellbeing, with which the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) has been involved. The Inquiry yielded a substantial report – Creative Health: The Arts for Health and Wellbeing – providing strong evidence that creative and cultural activities can have a positive impact on people’s health and wellbeing. Taking up the findings of the Inquiry, the below briefing sets out some of the ways in which the arts and culture can help in social care.

To access the briefing click here: http://bit.ly/2wy8xiK

WHO palliative care fact sheet

noreply@blogger.com (Nik Lysecki) — Fri, 29 Sep 2017 16:40:00 +0000

"Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients (adults and children) and their families who are facing problems associated with life-threatening illness. It prevents and relieves suffering through the early identification, correct assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, whether physical, psychosocial or spiritual...

"Palliative care is explicitly recognised under the human right to health. It should be provided through person-centred and integrated health services that pay special attention to the specific needs and preferences of individuals."

View the WHO's Palliative Care Fact sheet here:
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs402/en

Inspiring care home residents to be creative

noreply@blogger.com (Nik Lysecki) — Wed, 27 Sep 2017 18:45:00 +0000

Involving people who live in care homes in the creative arts can delight, inspire and even bring health benefits. This resource offers care teams, including activity providers, many practical ideas on how to get started.

Written in association with the National Activity Providers Association (NAPA), this guidance will show you how to encourage participation in the arts, helping all your residents to live the life they choose – with fun, laughter and creativity.

You can access the resource here: http://bit.ly/2wVAGoj

Advancing Collective Priorities

noreply@blogger.com (Nik Lysecki) — Fri, 22 Sep 2017 19:33:00 +0000

The Canadian Cancer Action Network, in partnership with Carers Canada and the Canadian Home Care Association, recently launched the 2017 report, Advancing Collective Priorities: A Canadian Carer Strategy.

Over 8 million carers (also referred to as family caregivers) impact the lives of Canadians every day. Providing care and support to loved ones, family members and friends, they contribute over $25 billion in unpaid care every year. This report was developed in order to showcase the policies, practices and resources in place to recognize and support carers/family caregivers across Canada.

To view the report click here: http://bit.ly/2xoFCiB

New app to help improve environments for people with dementia

noreply@blogger.com (Nik Lysecki) — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 18:53:00 +0000

Working in collaboration with construction experts Space Group, the design team at Dementia Services Development Centre is creating the first app of its kind in the world to digitally assess how suitable a residence, care facility or other environment is for older people and those living with dementia.

The dementia database, called IRIDIS, will make a simple assessment of a person’s home and recommend changes that can be made to the building.

The app will be available to download tomorrow, Thursday 21 September, on International Alzheimer’s Day.

For more information on the app, click here: http://bit.ly/2xhOo1H

Seniors in Transition Web Tools

noreply@blogger.com (Nik Lysecki) — Wed, 13 Sep 2017 19:30:00 +0000

The population of seniors accessing home care and residential care in Canada is expected to grow in the coming years. The continuing care sector will face increasing demands and expectations.

The web tools available on the webpage linked to below, from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, and the accompanying analysis, can help you better understand the seniors population in Canada’s publicly funded continuing care system.

You can access these web tools here: http://bit.ly/2fiVZVY

Multimorbidity in Canada

noreply@blogger.com (Nik Lysecki) — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 15:19:00 +0000

Many people have more than one chronic health problem. These diseases add up, and the combined effect is more important than the effect of any one problem alone. Using data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), this webinar from Dr. Philip St. John examines the relationship between disease combinations and if they are more common in older people, or in people with lower income and education.

Dr. St. John is an associate professor and head of geriatric medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Manitoba. He is an affiliate of the Centre on Aging at the University of Manitoba, and is the co-lead investigator of the CLSA Manitoba site. His research interests include rural health and epidemiology of cognitive impairment and depression.

To view this webinar, click here: http://bit.ly/2w3jXeN

Advice for older adults on staying cool in hot weather

noreply@blogger.com (Nik Lysecki) — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 19:00:00 +0000

With summer here and the temperatures rising, it is important to understand the health risks that excessive heat can bring and know the signs of heat-related illnesses. Older adults and people with chronic medical conditions are particularly susceptible to hyperthermia and other heat-related illnesses. The National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, offers advice to help combat the dangers of hot weather.

To view the NIA’s information on hyperthermia in the elderly, click here: http://bit.ly/2i5sL0y

Palliative Care Matters: Fostering Change in Canadian Health Care

noreply@blogger.com (Nik Lysecki) — Wed, 09 Aug 2017 16:25:00 +0000

Palliative Care Matters (PCM) was launched in June 2016 to ensure all Canadians with life-limiting illness have timely access to high-quality, coordinated, and integrated palliative care. The main objectives of the initiative are to foster a conversation between the public, researchers, and health system leaders about what Canadians need and expect in relation to palliative and end-of-life care; and to develop a pan-Canadian consensus statement and recommendations on how Canada can move forward to improve access to quality palliative care.

Palliative Care Matters: Fostering Change in Canadian Health Care synthesizes the key themes and aspirations of the recommendations, and provides insights on the mechanisms and strategies that could be adopted to realize those aspirations. The report also identifies potential next steps.

You can access this document here: http://bit.ly/2vPzSjS

Canada’s National Dementia Strategy

noreply@blogger.com (Nik Lysecki) — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 16:18:00 +0000

On June 22, Canada became the 30^th country to launch a national dementia strategy. The passing of Bill C-233, An Act respecting a national strategy for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, means the Government of Canada will address the overwhelming scale, impact and cost of dementia.

The Act not only brings Canada in line with many other countries around the world who have made dementia a priority, but also commits our government to action with definitive timelines, targets, reporting structures and measurable outcomes.

To view the Act and/or learn more about it, click here: http://bit.ly/2tZpgtg

Jointly – The Care Coordination App

noreply@blogger.com (Nik Lysecki) — Wed, 19 Jul 2017 19:01:00 +0000

Designed by Carers UK in consultation with actual caregivers, Jointly is a mobile and online app that brings together key features in a single tool, making caring easier, less stressful and more organized. Some of the features included are:

One central place to store and share important information about the person you are looking after
Simple, intuitive group communication to keep everyone informed and better connected
Shared calendar, task lists and medication manager to help coordinate responsibilities and organize what needs to be done
Works across different devices: smartphones, tablet, home computer/laptop

To learn more about Jointly and/or download the app, click here: http://bit.ly/2u8YSyC

How Much Long-Term Care do Adult Children Provide?

noreply@blogger.com (Nik Lysecki) — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 18:59:00 +0000

As people age and their health starts to deteriorate, their need for help in daily life increases. Cost concerns and personal preferences lead many people to turn to informal care from family members, particularly children. While formal care has a clear monetary cost, the burdens of informal care are harder to pin down. This brief, by Gal Wettstein and Alice Zulkarnain of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, uses the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to estimate how many adult children provide care to their parents and the extent of their caregiving burden.

The brief’s first section presents data on the need for care among the elderly and on how much care is provided by adult children. The second section synthesizes recent research on the burden of care provision borne by adult children. The final section concludes that while only a moderate share of adult children provide care for their parents, those who do so contribute a lot of time and effort.

To view the brief, click here: http://bit.ly/2t4Cfhx

Future Care for Canadian Seniors: A Primer on Nursing Supply and Demand

noreply@blogger.com (Nik Lysecki) — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 16:18:00 +0000

Given the increase in Canadian seniors who will need continuing care supports over the next 30 years, growth in demand for nursing will far outstrip general labour force growth and therefore require changes to the health system and nursing practices.

This briefing, prepared for the Conference Board of Canada, addresses this issue and offers recommendations to address it.

You can access the briefing here: http://bit.ly/2tkECw5

Engaging Patients in Patient Safety – a Canadian Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Nik Lysecki) — Wed, 21 Jun 2017 15:19:00 +0000

In the past decade, evidence has shown that when healthcare providers work closely with patients and their families in program and service design and delivery, the healthcare system becomes safer and patients have better experiences and health outcomes.

Beginning in 2016, the Canadian Patient Safety Institute brought together patients, government and organizations responsible for improving patient safety and quality at the national or provincial level on an Action Team to help develop the guide “Engaging Patients in Patient Safety”.

This extensive resource, based on evidence and leading practices, helps patients and families, patient partners, providers and leaders work together more effectively to improve patient safety.

Working collaboratively, we can more proactively identify risks, better support those involved in an incident and help prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. Together we can shape safe, high-quality care delivery, co-design safer care systems and continuously improve to keep patients safe.

To access this resource, click here: http://bit.ly/2tNGmuq

Geriatric Lecture Series

noreply@blogger.com (Nik Lysecki) — Wed, 14 Jun 2017 14:17:00 +0000

The Geriatric Lecture Series, sponsored by the Iowa Geriatric Education Center and the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, is presented online as a series of monthly lectures. Each lecture can be viewed for one month and is accessible exclusively during the month it is scheduled.

The series is devoted to topics in clinical geriatrics designed to teach important principles in the management of older adults.

Because of grant funding by the Bureau of Health Workforce of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, registration to view the Geriatric Lecture Series is being offered at no cost to all to participants for this year only.

Click here to register for and view the Geriatric Lecture Series: http://bit.ly/2ssxLRb

Treatment in a Geriatric Day Hospital improve individualized outcome measures using Goal Attainment Scaling

noreply@blogger.com (Nik Lysecki) — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 15:02:00 +0000

Evidence regarding outcomes in the Geriatric Day Hospital (GDH) model of care has been largely inconclusive, possibly due to measurement issues. A prospective cohort study which took place in Halifax, Nova Scotia, aimed to determine whether treatment in a GDH could improve individualized outcome measures using goal attainment scaling (GAS) and whether improvements were maintained 6-months post-discharge.
The study demonstrated short- and long-term effectiveness of GDH in helping patients achieve individualized outcome measures using GAS.
To access this study, click here: http://bit.ly/2rUWwEu