Laura Cole

Dementia, dignity and quality of life: nursing practice and its dilemmas

AIMS The need for healthcare practitioners to respect the dignity of older people is widely recognised in England, where it has been given attention by politicians, professionals and health service regulators. This article aims to provide examples of how such ambitions may be used in practice development. METHODS This article reports the use of five vignettes discussed by dementia care practitioners that explored the areas of dementia diagnosis, lying, incontinence, behavioural and psychological distress, and end of life care. FINDINGS Each vignette promoted discussion of differences of perspectives about the ways to enhance the dignity of people with dementia in hospital, care home and community settings. The discussion confirmed that while dignity may be one quality indicator of good care potentially enhancing quality of life, it is not always straightforward. It may be more easily conceptualised when talking of physical care and treatment than other areas. CONCLUSION The opportunity to debate the subject and to discuss practice examples revealed differences of opinion and moral perspectives between practitioners about the use and relevance of the term dignity. These need to be acknowledged in any debates about objective and subjective definitions of quality of life.

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of admissions to women's crisis houses compared with traditional psychiatric wards: pilot patient-preference randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND Womens crisis houses have been developed in the UK as a less stigmatising and less institutional alternative to traditional psychiatric wards. AIMS To examine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of womens crisis houses by first examining the feasibility of a pilot patient-preference randomised controlled trial (PP-RCT) design (ISRCTN20804014). METHOD We used a PP-RCT study design to investigate women presenting in crisis needing informal admission. The four study arms were the patient preference arms of womens crisis house or hospital admission, and randomised arms of womens crisis house or hospital admission. RESULTS Forty-one women entered the randomised arms of the trial (crisis house n = 19, wards n = 22) and 61 entered the patient-preference arms (crisis house n = 37, ward n = 24). There was no significant difference in outcomes (symptoms, functioning, perceived coercion, stigma, unmet needs or quality of life) or costs for any of the groups (randomised or preference arms), but women who obtained their preferred intervention were more satisfied with treatment. CONCLUSIONS Although the sample sizes were too small to allow definite conclusions, the results suggest that when services are able to provide interventions preferred by patients, those patients are more likely to be satisfied with treatment. This pilot study provides some evidence that womens crisis houses are as effective as traditional psychiatric wards, and may be more cost-effective.

Conservative interventions for incontinence in people with dementia or cognitive impairment, living at home: a systematic review

BackgroundDementia is a distressing and disabling illness with worldwide estimates of increased numbers of people with the condition. Two thirds of people with dementia live at home and policies in many countries seek to support more people for longer in this setting. Incontinence both contributes to carer burden and is also a significant factor in the decision to move into care homes. A review was conducted for evidence of effectiveness for conservative interventions, which are non-pharmacological and non-surgical interventions, for the prevention or management of incontinence in community dwelling people with dementia.MethodFourteen electronic databases were searched, including MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL (from inception to 2012). Assessments of risk of bias were made. Meta-analysis was inappropriate due to the heterogeneity of the interventions and outcome measurements. A narrative analysis was undertaken.ResultsFrom 427 identified abstracts, 56 studies were examined but only three met the inclusion criteria, all more than a decade old. All three focused on urinary incontinence. Two studies were exploratory or pilot studies. All had a control arm. The interventions were of advice for the carer to implement. Two included toileting education of prompted voiding or an individualised toileting schedule. There was insufficient evidence to support or rule out effectiveness of any of these interventions. Some interventions were unacceptable for some carers. None specifically reported the perspective of the person with dementia.ConclusionsThere was insufficient evidence from any studies to recommend any strategies. There remains an urgent need for both research and also clinical guidance for health professionals tailored to community settings where the majority of people with dementia live.

The prevalence of incontinence in people with cognitive impairment or dementia living at home: A systematic review

To investigate the prevalence of urinary and fecal incontinence in people with cognitive impairment or dementia, living at home.

Ethnic variations in pathways to acute care and compulsory detention for women experiencing a mental health crisis

Background: Much recent debate on excess rates of compulsory detention and coercive routes to care has focused on young black men; evidence is less clear regarding ethnic variations among women and factors that may mediate these. Aim: To explore ethnic variations in compulsory detentions of women, and to explore the potential role of immediate pathways to admission and clinician-rated reasons for admission as mediators of these differences. Method: All women admitted to an acute psychiatric inpatient ward or a women’s crisis house in four London boroughs during a 12-week period were included. Data were collected regarding their pathways to care, clinician-rated reasons for admission, hospital stays, and social and clinical characteristics. Results: Two hundred and eighty seven (287) women from white British, white other, black Caribbean, black African and black other groups were included. Adjusting for social and clinical characteristics, all groups of black patients and white other patients were significantly more likely to have been compulsorily admitted than white British patients; white British patients were more likely than other groups to be admitted to a crisis house and more likely than all the black groups to be admitted because of perceived suicide risk. Immediate pathways to care differed: white other, black African and black other groups were less likely to have referred themselves in a crisis and more likely to have been in contact with the police. When adjustment was made for differences in pathways to care, the ethnic differences in compulsory admission were considerably reduced. Discussion: There are marked ethnic inequities not only between white British and black women, but also between white British and white other women in experiences of acute admission. Differences between groups in help-seeking behaviours in a crisis may contribute to explaining differences in rates of compulsory admission.

Admission to Women's Crisis Houses or to Psychiatric Wards: Women's Pathways to Admission

OBJECTIVE This study compared the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and pathways to admission for women admitted to womens crisis houses and to psychiatric hospitals. A womens crisis house is a residential mental health crisis facility for women who would otherwise be considered for voluntary hospital admission. METHODS A survey of all 388 female admissions to womens crisis houses and psychiatric hospitals in four boroughs of London during a 12-week period in 2006 was conducted with questionnaires administered to key workers involved in the admissions. RESULTS Pathways to admission were significantly less complex for women admitted to the crisis houses (fewer preadmission contacts with police, emergency departments, and other services). Women admitted to psychiatric wards were more likely to require supervision or observation. A multivariate analysis of data for the 245 voluntary admissions indicated that women admitted to womens crisis houses were significantly less likely to have a care coordinator (odds ratio [OR]=.528) or to have gone to an accident and emergency department (OR=.214) before admission. No other differences were found between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS Pathways to admission were somewhat different for women admitted to womens crisis houses, but few clinical or sociodemographic differences were found between the two groups. Womens crisis houses may be a viable alternative to traditional wards for voluntary patients not needing intensive supervision and observation. Research should examine whether womens crisis houses are as effective as traditional inpatient services in treating women with acute psychiatric problems.

Addressing incontinence for people with dementia living at home: a documentary analysis of local English community nursing service continence policies and clinical guidance.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES To establish whether the problems and issues experienced by people with dementia living at home and their carers were addressed in the clinical guidance for continence management for community nursing services in England. BACKGROUND Internationally, the numbers of people with dementia are rising. Managing incontinence is a significant issue as the presence of incontinence is one of the triggers for people with dementia to move their residence to a care home. People with dementia living at home and their family carers report difficulties in accessing knowledgeable professionals and acceptable continence products. DESIGN A review by documentary analysis of clinical policies and guidance from a sample of community nursing services in all Strategic Health Authority regions of England. METHODS A sample of clinical policy and guidance documents for continence assessment and management from up to four community nursing services in each of the ten Strategic Health Authority regions in England was sought. Documentary analysis was undertaken on the relevance of the documents identified for people with dementia living at home. FINDINGS Ninety-eight documents from 38 local community nursing services spread across ten Strategic Health Authority areas were obtained and analysed. Only in the documents of three services were nurses offered detailed guidance about the management of incontinence for people with dementia at home. In the documentation of only one service were people with dementia identified as a special case which warranted the provision of additional continence products. CONCLUSION Clinical guidance on continence assessment and management for community nurses in many parts of England does not address the specific needs of people with dementia living at home or their carers. RELEVANCE FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE Nurses working in community settings and those providing clinical leadership in continence care should review their clinical guidance and policies to ensure relevance for people with dementia living at home and their family carers.

Promoting continence and managing incontinence with people with dementia living at home: one more challenge for integration.

Mental health problems in old age have attracted policy attention in the UK over the past decade. An important issue is how to improve services for people who have both mental health and other problems. This article sets out some of the challenges facing planners and commissioners in developing integrated services for older adults, by using the case study of people with dementia and incontinence problems. It uses integrated service models and observations from the EVIDEM‐C study to suggest some incremental actions that would help develop the long‐term strategy for integrated services.

Systematic review of caregiver burden in spouses and partners providing informal care to wounded, injured, or sick (WIS) military personnel

Introduction For the purposes of this review, caregivers are individuals who provide care that is typically unpaid and usually takes place at home. This systematic review aims to identify burden among spouses/partners caring for wounded, injured or sick military personnel and the factors associated with caregiver burden. Methods A systematic review was undertaken using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses reporting guidelines. Five electronic databases and relevant websites were searched. Two reviewers appraised the quality of the studies and carried out data extraction. Results Ten original papers were identified, of which eight were quantitative studies and two were qualitative. These papers highlighted the potential negative impact caregiving can have on spouses/partners and also some of the positive aspects of caring that can strengthen intimate relationships. Conclusions Caring for an injured or ill military spouse or partner is a difficult task, compounded by the complexity of dealing with potentially both their physical and mental health problems. However, research has also identified some positive aspects of caring that can strengthen intimate relationships.

Psychosocial and Mental Health Problems of Older People in Postearthquake Nepal

Objective: To identify community perceptions on psychosocial and mental health problems of older people in postearthquake situation in Nepal. Method: A qualitative methodology was adopted to explore the experience and opinions of older people, social workers, school teachers, health workers, and nongovernmental organization workers on the psychosocial and mental health problems of older people in Nepal, using key informant interviews. Results: Major local vocabulary for older peoples’ psychosocial and mental health problems were “bichalan” (variation in mood and feeling), “ekohoro” (becoming single minded), “athmabiswasko kami” (low self-esteem), and “bina karan rune” (crying without any reason). The major causes attributed to older people’s problems were physical injury, disability, family conflict, and economic problems. Forgetfulness, tiredness, loss of concentration, restlessness, and isolation were observed in older people since the 2015 earthquake. Discussion: The findings suggest that earthquake had negative impact on older people’s psychosocial well-being; however, little support or treatment options have been made available to these individuals. The tailor-made community-based psychosocial and mental health programs for older people are needed.