Malnutrition in elder care: qualitative analysis of ethical perceptions of politicians and civil servants

New knowledge about malnutrition in elder care related to ethical responsibility was illuminated by persons holding top positions. Malnutrition was stressed as an important dimension of the elder care quality. Governing at a distance meant having trust in the staff, on the one hand, and discomfort and distrust when confronted with reports of malnutrition, on the other. Distrust was directed at caregivers, because despite the fact that education had been provided, problems reappeared. Discomfort was felt when confronted with examples of poor nutritional care and indicates that the participants experienced failure in their ethical responsibility because the quality of nutritional care was at risk

Ethical challenges related to elder care. High level decision-makers' experiences

Few empirical studies have been found that explore ethical challenges among persons in high public positions that are responsible for elder care. The aim of this paper was to illuminate the meaning of being in ethically difficult situations related to elder care as experienced by high level decision-makers. A phenomenological-hermeneutic method was used to analyse the eighteen interviews conducted with political and civil servant high level decision-makers at the municipality and county council level from two counties in Sweden. The participants worked at a planning and control as well as executive level and had both budget and quality of elder care responsibilities. Both ethical dilemmas and the meaning of being in ethically difficult situations related to elder care were revealed. No differences were seen between the politicians and the civil servants. The ethical dilemmas mostly concerned dealings with extensive care needs and working with a limited budget. The dilemmas were associated with a lack of good care and a lack of agreement concerning care such as vulnerable patients in inappropriate care settings, weaknesses in medical support, dissimilar focuses between the caring systems, justness in the distribution of care and deficient information. Being in ethically difficult situations was challenging. Associated with them were experiences of being exposed, having to be strategic and living with feelings such as aloneness and loneliness, uncertainty, lack of confirmation, the risk of being threatened or becoming a scapegoat and difficult decision avoidance. Our paper provides further insight into the ethical dilemmas and ethical challenges met by high level decision-makers', which is important since the overall responsibility for elder care that is also ethically defensible rests with them. They have power and their decisions affect many stakeholders in elder care. Our results can be used to stimulate discussions between high level decision-makers and health care professionals concerning ways of dealing with ethical issues and the necessity of structures that facilitate dealing with them. Even if the high level decision-makers have learned to live with the ethical challenges that confronted them, it was obvious that they were not free from feelings of uncertainty, frustration and loneliness. Vulnerability was revealed regarding themselves and others. Their feelings of failure indicated that they felt something was at stake for the older adults in elder care and for themselves as well, in that there was the risk that important needs would go unme

Meeting ethical and nutritional challenges in elder care : The life world and system world of staff and high level decision-makers

The overall aim of the thesis was to describe the issue of malnutrition and use it as a focal point of interest in elder care. A further aim was to illuminate how this issue could be addressed focusing on older adults' integrity and high level decision-makers' reasoning about ethically difficult situations (I-IV). Older adults, caregivers and high level decision-makers (HDMs) i.e. elected politicians and civil servants participated in the studies. Study I focused on the frequency of underweight, weight loss and related risk factors among older adults living in 24 sheltered housing units located in one county. Measurements were obtained from 719 and were repeated after one year with the 503 still participating (I). Weight changes in older adults and changes in mealtime routines and environment were followed after a three month integrity promoting intervention. The participants were living at two nursing homes, 18 from the intervention ward (I-ward) and 15 from the control ward (Cward) (II). The HDMs` views and reasoning regarding malnutrition in elder care were illuminated (III). Also highlighted were the HDMs' experiences of the meaning of being in ethically difficult situations related to elder care (IV). Participating in studies 111-IV were eighteen HDMs from the municipality or county council level. The inclusion area encompassed two counties (IIV). Methods used in the studies were: descriptive statistics and logistic regression (I), descriptive and comparative statistics as well as manifest content analysis (II), latent content analysis (III) and phenomenological hermeneutic analysis (IV). A considerable percentage of the older adults in the sheltered housing units were underweight or exhibited weight loss. After a year, significant changes were found such as declined cognitive and functional capacity, eating dependencies, and chewing and swallowing problems. Risk factors associated with underweight and weight loss were cognitive and functional decline, eating dependencies and constipation (I). After the intervention that included staff training, the meal environment and routines were changed and weight increases were seen in 13 of 18 older adults from the I-ward compared with two of 15 from the C-ward. The individual weight changes correlated significantly to changes in the intellectual functions. Increased contact with the older adults and a more pleasant atmosphere was reported (II). The HDMs cited the older adults' poor health status, caregivers' lack of knowledge and inflexible routines as possible causes for the malnutrition. They suggested the need for increased physician intervention, more education and individualised care. The HDMs placed the responsibility for the issues more with caregivers and physicians then with the local managements and themselves (III). Both ethical dilemmas and the meaning of being in ethically difficult situations related to elder care were revealed by the HDMs (IV). The dilemmas mostly concerned difficulties of dealing with extensive care needs with a limited budget. Other aspects included the lack of good care for the most vulnerable, weaknesses in medical support, dissimilar focuses between caring systems and justness in the distribution of care. Being in ethically difficult situations was associated with being exposed, having to be strategic, feelings of aloneness, loneliness and uncertainty, lack of confirmation, risk of being threatened or becoming a scapegoat and avoidance of difficult decisions (IV). Different levels in a health care system seem to be intertwined with ethical and nutritional challenges that confront and are associated with the different assumed roles. The results are reflected in the so called life world that concerns relationships, the system world that concerns routines and the governing of goals, and the tension between these two worlds. Structures that enable dialogues where ethical issues can be brought up from the different levels and between the different professionals inside the health care system seem to be important for the reduction of feelings of distrust and an improvement in elder care

Pain prevalence among residents living in nursing homes and its association with quality of life and well-being

Background: Pain is common and often more complex to assess among nursing homes residents with cognitive impairments. Thus, more research is needed of different pain assessment methods in elderly care and how these assessments outcomes are related to quality of life, as there mostly should be a negative relationship. There is a risk that pain are under diagnosed among persons with cognitive impairment. Aim: The aim was to describe and compare pain prevalence among nursing home residents (1) using different pain assessment methods (2) in relation to cognitive status and to (3) examine associations between pain and quality of life or well-being. Methods: A cross-sectional correlational design was used, participants were 213 nursing home residents and data were collected through interviews using standardised protocols. Instrument used were Katz index of ADL, Mini-Mental-State-Examination, Quality of Life in Late-Stage Dementia scale, WHO-5 well-being index, Numeric Rating Scale and Doloplus-2 scale. Results: The results showed high pain prevalence, but no significant difference based on cognitive level. Pain classification at the individual level varied somewhat when different instruments are used. The results indicated that use of a single-item proxy-measure for pain tends to show higher pain prevalence and was not statistically significant related to quality of life. The relationship with quality of life was statistically significant when self-rated pain instruments or multi-component observation were used. Conclusions: The study shows that it is difficult to estimate pain in residents living at nursing homes and that it continues to be a challenge to solve. Self-rated pain should be used primarily to assess pain, and a multi-component observation scale for pain should be used when residents are cognitively impaired. Both self-rated pain and multi-component observation also support the well-known link between pain and quality of life. Single-item proxy assessments should only be used in exceptional cases

Referrals to Emergency Departments- The Processes and Factors That Influence Decision-Making among Community Nurses A. Kihlgren et al. Keywords

Abstract The aim of the study was to describe the basis on which municipal care registered nurses (RN) make decisions and their experiences when referring older persons from nursing homes to emergency departments (EDs). RNs in the community are to ensure that older adults receive good care quality in nursing home. This study used a descriptive design with a qualitative content analysis. The analysis of the data from the 13 interviews revealed one theme "Shared responsibilities in the best interests of the older person reduce feelings of insufficiency". The content was formulated, which revealed the RNs' feelings, reasoning and factors influencing them and their actions in the decision-making situation, before the patients were referred to an emergency department. Complex illnesses, non-adapted organizations, considerations about what was good and right in order to meet the older person's needs, taking account of her/his life-world, health, well-being and best interests were reported. Co-worker competencies and open dialogues in the "inner circle" were crucial for the nurses' confidence in the decision. Hesitation to refer was associated with previous negative reactions from ED professionals. The RN sometimes express that they lacked medical knowledge and were uncertain how to judge the acute illness or changes. Access to the "outer circle", i.e. physicians and hospital colleagues, was necessary to counteract feelings of insecurity about referrals. When difficult decisions have to be made, not only medical facts but also relationships are of importance. To strengthen the RNs' and staff members' competence by means of education seems to be important for avoiding unnecessary referrals. Guidelines and work routine need to be more transparent and referrals due to the lack of resources are not only wasteful but can worsen the older persons' health

Referrals to Emergency Departments- The Processes and Factors That Influence Decision-Making among Community Nurses A. Kihlgren et al. Keywords

Abstract The aim of the study was to describe the basis on which municipal care registered nurses (RN) make decisions and their experiences when referring older persons from nursing homes to emergency departments (EDs). RNS' in the community are to ensure that older adults receive good care quality in nursing home. This study used a descriptive design with a qualitative content analysis. The analysis of the data from the 13 interviews revealed one theme "Shared responsibilities in the best interests of the older person reduce feelings of insufficiency". The content was formulated, which revealed the RNs' feelings, reasoning and factors influencing them and their actions in the decision-making situation, before the patients were referred to an emergency department. Complex illnesses, non-adapted organizations, considerations about what was good and right in order to meet the older person's needs, taking account of her/his life-world, health, well-being and best interests were reported. Co-worker competencies and open dialogues in the "inner circle" were crucial for the nurses' confidence in the decision. Hesitation to refer was associated with previous negative reactions from ED professionals. The RN sometimes express that they lacked medical knowledge and were uncertain how to judge the acute illness or changes. Access to the "outer circle", i.e. physicians and hospital colleagues, was necessary to counteract feelings of insecurity about referrals. When difficult decisions have to be made, not only medical facts but also relationships are of importance. To strengthen the RNs' and staff members' competence by means of education seems to be important for avoiding unnecessary referrals. Guidelines and work routine need to be more transparent and referrals due to the lack of resources are not only wasteful but can worsen the older persons' health

Referrals to Emergency Departments: The Process and Factors That Influence Decision-Making among Community Nurses

The aim of the study was to describe the basis on which municipal care registered nurses (RN) make decisions and their experiences when referring older persons from nursing homes to emergency departments (EDs). RNs in the community are to ensure that older adults receive good care quality in nursing home. This study used a descriptive design with a qualitative content analysis. The analysis of the data from the 13 interviews revealed one theme “Shared responsibilities in the best interests of the older person reduce feelings of insufficiency”. The content was formulated, which revealed the RNs’ feelings, reasoning and factors influencing them and their actions in the decision-making situation, before the patients were referred to an emergency department. Complex illnesses, non-adapted organizations, considerations about what was good and right in order to meet the older person’s needs, taking account of her/his life-world, health, well-being and best interests were reported. Co-worker competencies and open dialogues in the “inner circle” were crucial for the nurses’ confidence in the decision. Hesitation to refer was associated with previous negative reactions from ED professionals. The RN sometimes express that they lacked medical knowledge and were uncertain how to judge the acute illness or changes. Access to the “outer circle”, i.e. physicians and hospital colleagues, was necessary to counteract feelings of insecurity about referrals. When difficult decisions have to be made, not only medical facts but also relationships are of importance. To strengthen the RNs’ and staff members’ competence by means of education seems to be important for avoiding unnecessary referrals. Guidelines and work routine need to be more transparent and referrals due to the lack of resources are not only wasteful but can worsen the older persons’ health.Article ID: 45320. The authors wish to express their gratitude to the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs and the Swedish Association of Local Authorities in Gävleborg for grants.</p