Technology-based non-pharmacological interventions for stress and distress in dementia care: a systematic review; and, A mixed-method multiple-baseline single-case study exploring the impact of the Tovertafel (Magic Table) on factors impacting staff burnout in an acute dementia care hospital ward

Technology-based non-pharmacological interventions are a fast-growing area of dementia care and are being applied in a variety of care settings. Due to the readily available nature of many technology-based interventions which often have high face validity and are perceived to have very minimal side effects, research can lag behind clinical applications. Current research suggests that these interventions may be beneficial people to with dementia, but the extent of their effectiveness in specific aspects of dementia care and the impact on the wider care system is still being determined. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to review the effectiveness of technology based non-pharmacological interventions on stress and distress in dementia care settings. The term ‘stress and distress’ encompasses behaviour, affect, perception or thought disturbance symptoms in dementia, such as depression, anxiety, agitation, poor sleep and high levels of distress. While there is evidence that technology-based non-pharmacological interventions can be effective in reducing for stress and distress for people with dementia, the findings of the studies included in the review are mixed, meaning that there is not yet a clear indication of which, if any interventions are most effective. These results are discussed in relation to findings from other studies, with recommendations for future research and clinical applications. Current research on technology-based non-pharmacological interventions in dementia care often fails to consider staff as a significant factor in the application of interventions. A mixed method multiple-baseline single-case study methodology was used to assess the impact of the Tovertafel, a technology-based non-pharmacological intervention, on factors related to staff burnout in an acute dementia care ward. The Tovertafel (meaning Magic Table in Dutch) is a digital projection device which provides an interactive and playful recreation activity for people with dementia. The results suggested that the majority of participants demonstrated improvement in factors related to burnout, and a meta-analysis suggested small to medium effect sizes across participants. The thematic analysis of a qualitative staff experience questionnaire established three themes: patient’s positive engagement and response to the Tovertafel; benefits to staff from using the Tovertafel; and opportunities to enhance care with no changes to the normal workload. These results suggest that the Tovertafel may have the potential to improve staff outcomes in relation to burnout factors. Potential directions for future research are discussed

Innovation to enhance health in care homes and evaluation of tools for measuring outcomes of care: rapid evidence synthesis

Background Flexible, integrated models of service delivery are being developed to meet the changing demands of an ageing population. To underpin the spread of innovative models of care across the NHS, summaries of the current research evidence are needed. This report focuses exclusively on care homes and reviews work in four specific areas, identified as key enablers for the NHS England vanguard programme. Aim To conduct a rapid synthesis of evidence relating to enhancing health in care homes across four key areas: technology, communication and engagement, workforce and evaluation. Objectives (1) To map the published literature on the uses, benefits and challenges of technology in care homes; flexible and innovative uses of the nursing and support workforce to benefit resident care; communication and engagement between care homes, communities and health-related organisations; and approaches to the evaluation of new models of care in care homes. (2) To conduct rapid, systematic syntheses of evidence to answer the following questions. Which technologies have a positive impact on resident health and well-being? How should care homes and the NHS communicate to enhance resident, family and staff outcomes and experiences? Which measurement tools have been validated for use in UK care homes? What is the evidence that staffing levels (i.e. ratio of registered nurses and support staff to residents or different levels of support staff) influence resident outcomes? Data sources Searches of MEDLINE, CINAHL, Science Citation Index, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, DARE (Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects) and Index to Theses. Grey literature was sought via Google™ (Mountain View, CA, USA) and websites relevant to each individual search. Design Mapping review and rapid, systematic evidence syntheses. Setting Care homes with and without nursing in high-income countries. Review methods Published literature was mapped to a bespoke framework, and four linked rapid critical reviews of the available evidence were undertaken using systematic methods. Data were not suitable for meta-analysis, and are presented in narrative syntheses. Results Seven hundred and sixty-one studies were mapped across the four topic areas, and 65 studies were included in systematic rapid reviews. This work identified a paucity of large, high-quality research studies, particularly from the UK. The key findings include the following. (1) Technology: some of the most promising interventions appear to be games that promote physical activity and enhance mental health and well-being. (2) Communication and engagement: structured communication tools have been shown to enhance communication with health services and resident outcomes in US studies. No robust evidence was identified on care home engagement with communities. (3) Evaluation: 6 of the 65 measurement tools identified had been validated for use in UK care homes, two of which provide general assessments of care. The methodological quality of all six tools was assessed as poor. (4) Workforce: joint working within and beyond the care home and initiatives that focus on staff taking on new but specific care tasks appear to be associated with enhanced outcomes. Evidence for staff taking on traditional nursing tasks without qualification is limited, but promising. Limitations This review was restricted to English-language publications after the year 2000. The rapid methodology has facilitated a broad review in a short time period, but the possibility of omissions and errors cannot be excluded. Conclusions This review provides limited evidential support for some of the innovations in the NHS vanguard programme, and identifies key issues and gaps for future research and evaluation. Future work Future work should provide high-quality evidence, in particular experimental studies, economic evaluations and research sensitive to the UK context. Study registration This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42016052933, CRD42016052933, CRD42016052937 and CRD42016052938. Funding The National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme

Enhancing the Quality of Care in Long-Term Care Settings

Quality of care in long-term care is a worldwide issue given the growing numbers of dependent older people. This book presents international research, 22 varied papers, exploring quality of care from several different angles. Important themes include: (1) workforce issues, such as staff training and support; job competencies, satisfaction, and intention to stay in work; staff burnout; effects of personal- and work-related factors on quality of care; (2) intervention studies: for depressive symptoms in nursing home residents; adjustment for new residents; social and psychological support; and loneliness and isolation; (3) methodology, including: developing and testing quality indicators; measuring residents' experience of quality; and assessing partnership between staff and families; and (4) older people's experiences, such as dry eyes and using ocular lubricants; associations between length of stay and end of life care; palliative care service use and comfort at end of of life; and causes of infection-related hospitalization. The book concludes with a systematic review of the current evidence base of care home research in Brazil

2019 EURēCA Abstract Book

Listing of student participant abstracts

2023- The Twenty-seventh Annual Symposium of Student Scholars

The full program book from the Twenty-seventh Annual Symposium of Student Scholars, held on April 18-21, 2023. Includes abstracts from the presentations and posters.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/sssprograms/1027/thumbnail.jp

Investigation of mobile devices usage and mobile augmented reality applications among older people

Mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones have allow users to communicate, entertainment, access information and perform productivity. However, older people are having issues to utilise mobile devices that may affect their quality of life and wellbeing. There are some potentials of mobile Augmented Reality (AR) applications to increase older users mobile usage by enhancing their experience and learning. The study aims to investigate mobile devices potential barriers and influence factors in using mobile devices. It also seeks to understand older people issues in using AR applications