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P4‐311: The efficacy of interdisciplinary dementia service rounds: Addressing behavioral challenges and quality of life
Author(s) -
Sutherland Elizabeth S.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2008.05.2381
Subject(s) - dementia , worry , quality of life (healthcare) , gerontology , loneliness , feeling , anxiety , population , medicine , psychology , nursing , disease , psychiatry , social psychology , environmental health , pathology
Background: The United States is a rapidly aging population. It is estimated that by the year 2020, the world’s population over the age of 60 will reach 1 billion and individuals 85 and older represent the fastest growing segment. Current figures estimate that approximately 4.5% of adults aged 65 and older reside in nursing homes, although this varies considerably with age. Approximately 3 out of 10 older adults are predicted to spend at least some portion of their lives in a nursing home. Methods: The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of an interdisciplinary dementia service team rounding weekly to minimize the frequency of behavioral challenges and increase the quality of life of the nursing home residents diagnosed with mild to moderate dementia. Five individuals, comprised as the target group and control group, participated in all aspects of the study. The instruments used to assess behavioral challenges and quality of life included the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD), The Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Nursing Home Version (NPI-NH), and the Dementia Quality of Life (DQOL). The intervention consisted of an Interdisciplinary Dementia Service Team (IDST) assigned to physically round on each study participant for a total of 25 weeks. A single-case experimental design was used to evaluate the data to compare the effects of different conditions on performance. Results: Findings were consistent with expectation for the CERAD in which the control group reported significantly more feelings of anxiety, worry, tension, and/or fear than the target group across time. The control group also reported marginally significantly periods of feeling sad, blue, or depressed than the target group across time. Using the NPI-NH, contrary to expectations, qualitatively there were no significant differences that emerged between groups using this measure. With the DQOL, also contrary to expectations, the control group reported marginally significantly more enjoyment from events such as observing wildlife (i.e., animals or birds) than did the target group. Conclusions: The results offered partial support for the notion to incorporate service rounds on a regular basis. Limitations in sample size suggest for future research.