Silke F. Metzelthin

The psychometric properties of three self-report screening instruments for identifying frail older people in the community.

BackgroundFrailty is highly prevalent in older people. Its serious adverse consequences, such as disability, are considered to be a public health problem. Therefore, disability prevention in community-dwelling frail older people is considered to be a priority for research and clinical practice in geriatric care. With regard to disability prevention, valid screening instruments are needed to identify frail older people in time. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the psychometric properties of three screening instruments: the Groningen Frailty Indicator (GFI), the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) and the Sherbrooke Postal Questionnaire (SPQ). For validation purposes the Groningen Activity Restriction Scale (GARS) was added.MethodsA questionnaire was sent to 687 community-dwelling older people (≥ 70 years). Agreement between instruments, internal consistency, and construct validity of instruments were evaluated and compared.ResultsThe response rate was 77%. Prevalence estimates of frailty ranged from 40% to 59%. The highest agreement was found between the GFI and the TFI (Cohens kappa = 0.74). Cronbachs alpha for the GFI, the TFI and the SPQ was 0.73, 0.79 and 0.26, respectively. Scores on the three instruments correlated significantly with each other (GFI - TFI, r = 0.87; GFI - SPQ, r = 0.47; TFI - SPQ, r = 0.42) and with the GARS (GFI - GARS, r = 0.57; TFI - GARS, r = 0.61; SPQ - GARS, r = 0.46). The GFI and the TFI scores were, as expected, significantly related to age, sex, education and income.ConclusionsThe GFI and the TFI showed high internal consistency and construct validity in contrast to the SPQ. Based on these findings it is not yet possible to conclude whether the GFI or the TFI should be preferred; data on the predictive values of both instruments are needed. The SPQ seems less appropriate for postal screening of frailty among community-dwelling older people.

Effectiveness of interdisciplinary primary care approach to reduce disability in community dwelling frail older people: cluster randomised controlled trial.

Objective To evaluate whether an interdisciplinary primary care approach for community dwelling frail older people is more effective than usual care in reducing disability and preventing (further) functional decline. Design Cluster randomised controlled trial. Setting 12 general practices in the south of the Netherlands Participants 346 frail older people (score ≥5 on Groningen Frailty Indicator) were included; 270 (78%) completed the study. Interventions General practices were randomised to the intervention or control group. Practices in the control group delivered care as usual. Practices in the intervention group implemented the “Prevention of Care” (PoC) approach, in which frail older people received a multidimensional assessment and interdisciplinary care based on a tailor made treatment plan and regular evaluation and follow-up. Main outcome measures The primary outcome was disability, assessed at 24 months by means of the Groningen Activity Restriction Scale. Secondary outcomes were depressive symptomatology, social support interactions, fear of falling, and social participation. Outcomes were measured at baseline and at 6, 12, and 24 months’ follow-up. Results 193 older people in the intervention group (six practices) received the PoC approach; 153 older people in the control group (six practices) received care as usual. Follow-up rates for patients were 91% (n=316) at six months, 86% (n=298) at 12 months, and 78% (n=270) at 24 months. Mixed model multilevel analyses showed no significant differences between the two groups with regard to disability (primary outcome) and secondary outcomes. Pre-planned subgroup analyses confirmed these results. Conclusions This study found no evidence for the effectiveness of the PoC approach. The study contributes to the emerging body of evidence that community based care in frail older people is a challenging task. More research in this field is needed. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN31954692.

Interventions to prevent disability in frail community-dwelling older persons: an overview

This narrative review was conducted to provide an overview of the variety of interventions aimed at disability prevention in community-dwelling frail older persons and to summarize promising elements. The search strategy and selection process found 48 papers that met the inclusion criteria. The 49 interventions described in these 48 papers were categorized into ‘comprehensive geriatric assessment’, ‘physical exercise’, ‘nutrition’, ‘technology’, and ‘other interventions’. There is a large diversity within and between the groups of interventions in terms of content, disciplines involved, duration, intensity, and setting. For 18 of the 49 interventions, significant positive effects for disability were reported for the experimental group. Promising features of interventions seem to be: multidisciplinary and multifactorial, individualized assessment and intervention, case management, long-term follow-up, physical exercise component (for moderate physically frail older persons), and the use of technology. Future intervention studies could combine these elements and consider the addition of new elements.

Reducing disability in community-dwelling frail older people: cost-effectiveness study alongside a cluster randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND although proactive primary care, including early detection and treatment of community-dwelling frail older people, is a part of the national healthcare policy in several countries, little is known about its cost-effectiveness. OBJECTIVE to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a proactive primary care approach in community-dwelling frail older people. DESIGN AND SETTING embedded in a cluster randomised trial among 12 Dutch general practitioner practices, an economic evaluation was performed from a societal perspective with a time horizon of 24 months. METHOD frail older people in the intervention group received an in-home assessment and interdisciplinary care based on a tailor-made treatment plan and regular evaluation and follow-up. Practices in the control group delivered usual care. The primary outcome for the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analysis was disability and health-related quality of life, respectively. RESULTS multilevel analyses among 346 frail older people showed no significant differences between the groups regarding disability and health-related quality of life at 24 months. People in the intervention group used, as expected, more primary care services, but there was no decline in more expensive hospital and long-term care. Total costs over 24 months tended to be higher in the intervention group than in the control group (€26,503 versus €20,550, P = 0.08). CONCLUSIONS the intervention under study led to an increase in healthcare utilisation and related costs without providing any beneficial effects. This study adds to the scarce amount of evidence of the cost-effectiveness of proactive primary care in community-dwelling frail older people. TRIAL REGISTRATION Current Controlled Trials, ISRCTN 31954692.

A disability prevention programme for community-dwelling frail older persons

This series of articles for rehabilitation in practice aims to cover a knowledge element of the rehabilitation medicine curriculum. Nevertheless they are intended to be of interest to a multidisciplinary audience. The competency addressed in this article is ‘The trainee consistent demonstrates a knowledge of how evidence based methods and strategies can be incorporated in an integral and multidisciplinary programme for community-dwelling frail elderly.’ Abstract Objective: To describe and justify a primary care interdisciplinary programme for community-dwelling frail older people aimed to prevent disability. Background: Disability is a negative outcome of frailty among older persons. Policy reports and research studies emphasize the need for programmes to reduce disability progression. Between 2008 and 2010 we developed such a programme. Development: Following the Intervention Mapping protocol, a research team and a multidisciplinary professional developed the programme. Literature reviews and an expert meeting led to identification of basic elements, theory-based methods and practical tools. The programme: The general practitioner and the practice nurse comprise the core team that can be extended by other professionals such as occupational and physical therapist. The programme includes six steps: (1) screening, (2) assessment, (3) analysis and preliminary action plan, (4) agreement on an action plan, (5) execution of the action plan (toolbox parts) and (6) evaluation and follow-up. The main features are: identifying risks for developing disability and targeting risk factors using professional standards and the 5A Behavioural Change Model to support self management, and identifying problems in performing activities and enhancing meaningful activities based on the Model of Human Occupation. Screening, individual assessment, tailor-made and client-centred care, self-management support, case management and interdisciplinary cooperation are important principles in delivering the programme. Discussion: The disability-prevention programme seems promising for addressing the needs of frail older people for independent living and for targeting risk factors. Its feasibility and effects are currently being tested in a randomized controlled trial.

The reduction of disability in community-dwelling frail older people: design of a two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial

BackgroundFrailty among older people is related to an increased risk of adverse health outcomes such as acute and chronic diseases, disability and mortality. Although many intervention studies for frail older people have been reported, only a few have shown positive effects regarding disability prevention. This article presents the design of a two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial on the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and feasibility of a primary care intervention that combines the most promising elements of disability prevention in community-dwelling frail older people.Methods/designIn this study twelve general practitioner practices were randomly allocated to the intervention group (6 practices) or to the control group (6 practices). Three thousand four hundred ninety-eight screening questionnaires including the Groningen Frailty Indicator (GFI) were sent out to identify frail older people. Based on their GFI score (≥5), 360 participants will be included in the study. The intervention will receive an interdisciplinary primary care intervention. After a comprehensive assessment by a practice nurse and additional assessments by other professionals, if needed, an individual action plan will be defined. The action plan is related to a flexible toolbox of interventions, which will be conducted by an interdisciplinary team. Effects of the intervention, both for the frail older people and their informal caregivers, will be measured after 6, 12 and 24 months using postal questionnaires and telephone interviews. Data for the process evaluation and economic evaluation will be gathered continuously over a 24-month period.DiscussionThe proposed study will provide information about the usefulness of an interdisciplinary primary care intervention. The postal screening procedure was conducted in two cycles between December 2009 and April 2010 and turned out to be a feasible method. The response rate was 79.7%. According to GFI scores 29.3% of the respondents can be considered as frail (GFI ≥ 5). Nearly half of them (48.1%) were willing to participate. The baseline measurements started in January 2010. In February 2010 the first older people were approached by the practice nurse for a comprehensive assessment. Data on the effect, process, and economic evaluation will be available in 2012.Trial RegistrationISRCTN31954692

Interventions to improve communication between people with dementia and nursing staff during daily nursing care: A systematic review

BACKGROUND To provide adequate nursing care it is important for nursing staff to communicate effectively with people with dementia. Due to their limited communication skills, people with dementia have difficulties in understanding communication and expressing themselves verbally. Nursing staff members often report communication difficulties with people with dementia, which emphasises the urgent need for interventions to improve their communication with people in this specific target group. OBJECTIVES To provide an up-to-date overview of communication interventions that are applicable during daily nursing care activities, irrespective of care setting, and to describe the effects on communication outcomes in people with dementia and nursing staff. DESIGN Systematic literature review DATA SOURCES: The Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Pubmed databases were searched for all articles published until the 23rd of February 2016. REVIEW METHODS Papers were included, if: (1) interventions focused on communication between nursing staff and people with dementia and were applicable during daily nursing care; (2) studies were (randomised) controlled trials; (3) papers were written in English, Dutch, or German. Data were extracted on content and communication outcomes of interventions, and on methodological quality of the studies. The data extraction form and methodological quality checklist were based on the Method Guidelines for Systematic Reviews for the Cochrane Back Review Group. RESULTS Six studies on communication interventions were included. All of the studies incorporated a communication skills training for nursing staff with a broad range in frequency, duration and content. In addition, there was wide variation in the communication outcome measures used. Four studies measured non-verbal communication, all found positive effects on at least some of the communication outcomes. Four studies measured verbal communication, of which three found positive effects on at least one of the measured outcomes. Methodological quality assessment demonstrated a high risk of bias in five of the six studies. CONCLUSIONS Few studies have been identified with wide variation in interventions and outcome measures. In addition, the methodological shortcomings make it difficult, to draw conclusions about the effectiveness. More research is needed to develop and evaluate communication interventions. Additionally, it is useful to reach consensus on defining and measuring communication.

‘Doing with …’ rather than ‘doing for …’ older adults: rationale and content of the ‘Stay Active at Home’ programme:

Background: Owing to increasing age, accidents or periods of illness, home care services are provided to community-dwelling older adults. Traditionally, these services focus on doing things for older adults rather than with them; though from a rehabilitative perspective, it is important to assist older adults to attain and maintain their highest level of functioning. Consequently, a re-orientation of home care services is required away from treating disease and creating dependency towards focusing on capabilities and opportunities and maximising independence. To achieve this behavioural change in home care professionals, the ‘Stay Active at Home’ programme was developed. Aims and methods: The aim of this article is to give a detailed description of the rationale and content of the ‘Stay Active at Home’ programme by making use of the TIDieR (Template for Intervention Description and Replication) Checklist. Approach: ‘Stay Active at Home’ is a comprehensive training programme that aims to equip home care professionals (i.e. community nurses and domestic support workers) with the necessary knowledge, attitude, skills and social and organisational support to deliver day-to-day services at home from a more rehabilitative perspective. More specifically, home care professionals are expected to deliver goal-oriented, holistic and person-centred services focusing on supporting older adults to maintain, gain or restore their competences to engage in physical and daily activities so that they can manage their everyday life as independently as possible.

Interventions to prevent malnutrition in older community-dwelling patients : a systematic review

Background: Cancer is considered as chronic condition, especially in the older people. Prevalence of cancer is especially high in the Nordic countries and Mediterranean countries. People with cance ...Background: To measure the attitudes towards older people and perceptions of working with older people of undergraduate health and social care students in 5 European countries. Questionnaires are one of the most widely used data collection methods. The use of questionnaires constructed and validated in a setting to other setting is an essential aspect in international studies, which have as main objective to compare and deduce similarities and differences within different contexts. There are three main aspects in validation, the linguistic, the cultural and statistic validation,all these three aspects are essential during theprocess. Materials: Two questionnaires were used: Attitudes towards Older People Scale (Kogan1966) and Students’ Perception of Working with Older People Scale (Nolan et al, 2006). Methods: Five Countries were involved in the study namely Ireland, Finland, Germany, Latvia, and Italy. Back translation methodology was used in order to translate questionnaire (Linguistic and cultural validation) while a Cronbach was calculate to assess internal validity (statistic validation). Results: Students (n = 955) completed the two questionnaires. Students’ Perception of Working with Older People Scale, shows a 0.81 a Cronbach for all sample, for Ireland 0.84, Germany, 0.79, Italy 0.79, Finland 0.84 and Latvia 0.59, Attitudes towards Older People Scale shows a 0.83 a Cronbach for all sample,for Ireland 0.85, Germany, 0.83, Italy 0.62, Finland 0.86 and Latvia 0.74. Respondents were generally positive towards older people with few differences between countries. Those with least experience with older people displayed more negative attitudes. Significant relationships were found between positive 50

The Development of a Patient-Reported Outcome Measure for Geriatric Care: The Older Persons and Informal Caregivers Survey Short Form (TOPICS-SF)

BACKGROUND The Older Persons and Informal Caregivers Minimum Data Set (TOPICS-MDS) is a standardized data set that was developed to evaluate the quality of multidimensional geriatric care. There is an inherent need to reduce the number of TOPICS-MDS survey items to core outcomes to allow it to be more easily applied as a patient-reported outcome measure in clinical settings. OBJECTIVES To create a TOPICS-short form (TOPICS-SF) and examine its validity. METHODS Data in the TOPICS-MDS from persons aged 65 years and older in the Netherlands were used for the following analyses. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to select the items and to derive domain weights of TOPICS-SF. A priori hypotheses were made on the basis of psychometric properties of the full-length TOPICS-MDS preference-weighted score (TOPICS-CEP). The validity of TOPICS-SF was evaluated by 1) examining the meta-correlation of the TOPICS-SF score with TOPICS-CEP and two quality-of-life measures, that is, the Cantril Ladder score and the EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire utility index, and 2) performing mixed multiple regression of TOPICS-SF scores across key sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS TOPICS-SF scores were strongly correlated with the TOPICS-CEP (r = 0.96) and had stronger correlation with the EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire utility index compared with the Cantril Ladder (r = 0.61 and 0.38, respectively). TOPICS-SF scores were higher among older persons who were married, living independently, and having higher levels of education. CONCLUSIONS We have developed the 22-item TOPICS-SF and demonstrated its validity, supporting its use as a patient-reported outcome measure in geriatric care.