Differential Association of Aggression With Sadness for People With Moderate and Severe Dementia.

Little is known about how individual behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) impact the person with dementia. This cross-sectional, retrospective study examined the association between one BPSD, aggressive behavior, and a patient-identified outcome, sadness, among people with moderate and severe dementia (n = 5001) using clinical administrative Resident Assessment Instrument 2.0 data. For people with moderate or severe cognitive impairment, the odds of sadness were significantly higher if verbal aggression was exhibited 4 to 6 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.85, P < .001) or 1 to 3 (aOR = 2.28, P < .001) times per week, or daily (aOR = 1.77, P = .003). People with severe cognitive impairment and who displayed physical aggression either daily (OR = 2.16, P = .002) or 1 to 3 times per week (OR = 1.45, P = .023) also had an increased odds of sadness. Aggression may harm the person with dementia's mental well-being, depending on the level of cognitive impairment, and type and frequency of aggression. Prospective studies can build on these correlational findings.

Effectiveness of a community program for older adults with type 2 diabetes and multimorbidity: a pragmatic randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) affects upwards of 25% of Canadian older adults and is associated with high comorbidity and burden. Studies show that lifestyle factors and self-management are associated with improved health outcomes, but many studies lack rigour or exclude older adults, particularly those with multimorbidity. More evidence is needed on the effectiveness of community-based self-management programs in older adults with T2DM and multimorbidity. The study purpose is to evaluate the effect of a community-based intervention versus usual care on physical functioning, mental health, depressive symptoms, anxiety, self-efficacy, self-management, and healthcare costs in older adults with T2DM and 2 or more comorbidities. METHODS: Community-living older adults with T2DM and two or more chronic conditions were recruited from three Primary Care Networks (PCNs) in Alberta, Canada. Participants were randomly allocated to the intervention or control group in this pragmatic randomized controlled trial comparing the intervention to usual care. The intervention involved up to three in-home visits, a monthly group wellness program, monthly case conferencing, and care coordination. The primary outcome was physical functioning. Secondary outcomes included mental functioning, anxiety, depressive symptoms, self-efficacy, self-management, and the cost of healthcare service use. Intention-to-treat analysis was performed using ANCOVA modeling. RESULTS: Of 132 enrolled participants (70-Intervention, 62-Control), 42% were 75 years or older, 55% were female, and over 75% had at least six chronic conditions (in addition to T2DM). No significant group differences were seen for the baseline to six-month change in physical functioning (mean difference: -0.74; 95% CI: - 3.22, 1.74; p-value: 0.56), mental functioning (mean difference: 1.24; 95% CI: - 1.12, 3.60; p-value: 0.30), or other secondary outcomes.. CONCLUSION: No significant group differences were seen for the primary outcome, physical functioning (PCS). Program implementation, baseline differences between study arms and chronic disease management services that are part of usual care may have contributed to the modest study results. Fruitful areas for future research include capturing clinical outcome measures and exploring the impact of varying the type and intensity of key intervention components such as exercise and diet. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02158741 Date of registration: June 9, 2014.

The complexity of caregiving for community-living older adults with multiple chronic conditions: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Older adults with multiple chronic conditions (MCC) rely heavily on caregivers for assistance with care. However, we know little about their psychosocial experiences and their needs for support in managing MCC. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of caregivers of older adults living in the community with MCC. METHODS: This qualitative study was a secondary analysis of previously collected data from caregivers in Ontario and Alberta, Canada. Participants included caregivers of older adults (65 years and older) with three or more chronic conditions. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Interview transcripts were coded and analyzed using Thorne's interpretive description approach. RESULTS: Most of the 47 caregiver participants were female (76.6%), aged 65 years of age or older (61.7%), married (87.2%) and were spouses to the care recipient (68.1%). Caregivers' experiences of caring for community-living older adults with MCC were complex and included: (a) dealing with the demands of caregiving; (b) prioritizing chronic conditions; (c) living with my own health limitations; (d) feeling socially isolated and constrained; (e) remaining committed to caring; and (f) reaping the rewards of caregiving. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare providers can play key roles in supporting caregivers of older adults with MCC by providing education and support on managing MCC, actively engaging them in goal setting and care planning, and linking them to appropriate community health and social support services. Communities can create environments that support caregivers in areas such as social participation, social inclusion, and community support and health services.

Healthcare providers' experiences in supporting community-living older adults to manage multiple chronic conditions: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Living with multiple chronic conditions (MCC), the coexistence of two or more chronic conditions, is becoming more prevalent as the population ages. Primary care and home care providers play key roles in caring for older adults with MCC such as facilitating complex care decisions, shared decision-making, and access to community health and support services. While there is some research on the perceptions and experiences of these providers in caring for this population, much of this literature is focused specifically on family physicians. Little is known about the experiences of other primary care and home care providers from multiple disciplines who care for this vulnerable group. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of primary and home care healthcare providers in supporting the care of older adults with MCC living in the community, and identify ways of improving care delivery and outcomes for this group. METHODS: The study used an interpretive descriptive design. A total of 42 healthcare providers from two provinces in Canada (Ontario and Alberta) participated in individual semi-structured, face-to-face 60-min interviews. Participants represented diverse disciplines from primary care and home care settings. Inductive thematic analysis was used for data analysis. RESULTS: The experiences and recommendations of healthcare providers managing care for older adults with MCC were organized into six major themes: (1) managing complexity associated with MCC, (2) implementing person-centred care, (3), supporting caregivers, (4) using a team approach for holistic care delivery, (5) encountering challenges and rewards, and (6) recommending ways to address the challenges of the healthcare system. Healthcare providers identified the need for a more comprehensive, integrated system of care to improve the delivery of care and outcomes for older adults with MCC and their family caregivers. CONCLUSIONS: Study findings suggest that community-based healthcare providers are using many relevant and appropriate strategies to support older adults living with the complexity of MCC, such as implementing person-centred care, supporting caregivers, working collaboratively with other providers, and addressing social determinants of health. However, they also identified the need for a more comprehensive, integrated system of care.

Optimizing Licensed Practical Nurses in Home Care: Their Role, Scope and Opportunities.

This research examined the role and scope of licensed practical nurses (LPNs) in home care (HC) and case management. Case management is relatively new to LPNs in Alberta having been added to their list of competencies in 2015. The extent to which LPNs are performing functions and the circumstances or criteria that shape their reported case management functions and role are not clear. Our research questions were: a) What roles do LPNs play within HC and case management? and b) What roles could LPNs play within HC and case management given their scope of practice to achieve optimal client outcomes and system efficiencies? We used a mixed methods multiple case study design to engage LPNs in case management practice, their managers and HC leaders from rural, urban and suburban HC offices. Approaches for data collection included semi-structured interviews, participant observation, focus groups, document review and survey.

Factors That Influence Home Care Case Managers' Work and Workload.

BACKGROUND: Home care services are increasing across Canada and in other developed nations. There has been increased pressure on home care programs to not only accept more clients more rapidly but also work more efficiently. Case management is an approach through which clients access and receive home care. With both rising numbers of clients and growing complexity among them, case managers' work and workload are also increasing. The demands on case managers and expansion in caseloads are happening without an increase in resources or funding. With case manager work increasing steadily, an understanding of the factors that influence their work and workload is vital. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore what factors influence case managers' work and workload. METHODS: This study used an ethnographic approach. It took place in Alberta, Canada, in 3 home care offices in urban and suburban geographic areas. Purposive sampling was used, and participants included 28 home care case managers with predominantly long-term clients (>3 months on home care), 3 site managers, and 1 project lead. Data collection methods included semistructured interviews, nonparticipant observation, participant journaling, and focus groups. RESULTS: Case manager works were portrayed in 2 key ways: the number and type of tasks a case manager was required to complete and the amount of time and energy needed to complete a task. The factors that influence case manager work and workload fall into 3 overarching categories: structural, operational, or individual factors. DISCUSSION: The 3 overarching categories, as well as interactions between various factors, contribute to what is known about case managers' work and workload. Participants found it difficult to discuss the factors in isolation because the interaction and "messiness" of the factors were inherent in their actions and stories about their work and workload. Workload includes not only the easily captured work such as direct care and specific activities such as assessment but also diverse forms of invisible work such as problem solving, rapport building, and caseload management, as well as emotional work such as coping, stress management, and team support. IMPLICATIONS FOR CASE MANAGEMENT: Case managers' work and workload in home care are important phenomena. In a climate of budgetary restraint and an aging population, which seemingly prefer home care as much as the system desires to provide it as a main option for care, it is important to capture, recognize, and legitimize an understanding of case managers' work and workload. Increased knowledge in this area could, in turn, transforms both home care and case management.

Experiences of community-dwelling older adults living with multiple chronic conditions: a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to understand the experiences of living with multiple chronic conditions (MCC) from the perspective of community-living older adults with MCC. DESIGN: A qualitative study using an interpretive description approach. SETTING: Participants were recruited from southern Ontario, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: 21 community-living, older adults (≥65 years) with an average of 7.4 chronic conditions including one of diabetes, dementia or stroke. METHODS: Data were collected through digitally-recorded, in-depth, semi-structured in-person interviews. Interview transcripts were analysed and coded using Thorne's interpretive description approach. RESULTS: Five themes were identified representing older adults' experiences of living with MCC: (a) trying to stay healthy while living with MCC, (b) depending on family caregivers for support with just about everything, (c) paying the high costs of living with MCC, (d) making healthcare decisions by proxy and (e) receiving healthcare services that do not address the complex needs of persons living with MCC. CONCLUSIONS: The experience of living with MCC in the community was complex and multi-faceted. The need for a person-centred and family-centred approach to care in the community, which includes the coordination of health and social services that are tailored to the needs of older adults and their informal caregivers, was underscored. Such an approach would facilitate improved information-sharing and discussion of care management options between health professionals and their patients, enable older adults with MCC to actively engage in priority-setting and decision-making and may result in improved health and quality of life for older adults with MCC.

Conceptualization of the Chronic Care Model: Implications for Home Care Case Manager Practice.

One of the greatest challenges for healthcare systems is the management and prevention of chronic diseases. Wagner's Chronic Care Model aims to transform the daily care of patients with chronic illnesses from acute and reactive to proactive, planned, and population-based. The purpose of this article is to provide a review of the available research relating to the Chronic Care Model and consider the implications for Home Care Case Management practice. A total of 18 research studies (5 qualitative and 13 quantitative) were reviewed. A thematic content analysis approach was used. The findings included three themes: Chronic Care Model and positive chronic illness health behaviors and outcomes; Chronic Care Model and delivery of quality chronic illness care; and the importance of the supportive role of the home care nurse in the role of Home Care Case Management. Gaps and limitations of the Chronic Care Model in relation to Home Care Case Management were identified and discussed in relationship to partnership building and reciprocal trust between patients, family caregivers, and the Home Care Case Manager. Finally, implications for the use of the Chronic Care Model in Home Care Case Manager practice, policy development, and future research were presented.

Protocol for a program of research from the Aging, Community and Health Research Unit: Promoting optimal aging at home for older adults with multimorbidity.

BACKGROUND: The goal of the Aging, Community and Health Research Unit (ACHRU) is to promote optimal aging at home for older adults with multimorbidity (≥2 chronic conditions) and to support their family/friend caregivers. This protocol paper reports the rationale and plan for this patient-oriented, cross-jurisdictional research program. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the ACHRU research program are (i) to codesign integrated and person-centered interventions with older adults, family/friend caregivers, and providers; (ii) to examine the feasibility of newly designed interventions; (iii) to determine the intervention effectiveness on Triple Aim outcomes: health, patient/caregiver experience, and cost; (iv) to examine intervention context and implementation barriers and facilitators; (v) to use diverse integrated knowledge translation (IKT) strategies to engage knowledge users to support scalability and sustainability of effective interventions; and (vi) to build patient-oriented research capacity. DESIGN: The research program was informed by the Knowledge-to-Action Framework and the Complexity Model. Six individual studies were conceptualized as integrated pieces of work. The results of the three initial descriptive studies will inform and be followed by three pragmatic randomized controlled trials. IKT and capacity building activities will be embedded in all six studies and tailored to the unique focus of each study. CONCLUSIONS: This research program will inform the development of effective and scalable person-centered interventions that are sustainable through interagency and intersectoral partnerships with community-based agencies, policy makers, and other health and social service agencies. Implementation of these interventions has the potential to transform health-care services and systems and improve the quality of life for older adults with multimorbidity and their caregivers. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02428387 (study 4), NCT02158741 (study 5), and NCT02209285 (study 6).

Home Care Case Managers' Integrated Care of Older Adults With Multiple Chronic Conditions: A Scoping Review.

PURPOSE OF STUDY: The purpose of this scoping review was to explore peer-reviewed research and gray literature to examine the extent, range, and nature of available research that describes how home care case managers (HCCMs) provide integrated care for older adults with multiple chronic conditions (MCCs); identify how case management standards of practice correspond with functions of integrated care; identify facilitators and barriers to case management and integrated care delivery; and propose a framework to describe how HCCMs can use case management standards to provide integrated care to older adults with MCCs. PRIMARY PRACTICE SETTING: Community, home care settings. METHODOLOGY AND SAMPLE: Scoping review; older adults older than 65 years with MCCs, case managers and health care professionals who provide care for older adults with MCCs. RESULTS: The study findings demonstrated that HCCMs consistently used the case management standards assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation to provide all professional and clinical integrated care functions, and were least likely to use the standards of identification of client and eligibility for case management and transition to provide professional and clinical integrated care functions. In addition, HCCM use of professional and clinical integrated care functions was inconsistent and varied based on use of case management standards. All case management standards and integrated care functions were found to be both facilitators and barriers, but were more likely to facilitate HCCM work. Interestingly, the standards of assessment, planning, and implementation were more likely to facilitate functional integration, whereas the integrated care functions of intra- and interpartnerships, shared accountability, person centered of care, and engagement for client self-management were more likely to facilitate normative integration. We also found that HCCMs use case management standards and integrated care functions to provide care for older adults with MCCs at the professional (meso) and clinical (micro) levels. IMPLICATIONS FOR CASE MANAGEMENT PRACTICE: Variations in HCCM practice may impact the delivery of case management standards when caring for older adults with MCCs. This has implications for the comprehensiveness and consistency of HCCM practice, as well as interdisciplinary health professional and the client's awareness of the HCCM role when providing integrated care to older adults with MCCs within home settings. The greatest facilitators and barriers to integrated care are those case management standards and clinical and professional integrated care functions that focus on partnerships, collective and shared responsibility and accountability, coordinated person centered of care for clients, and ensuring engagement and partnership in self-management. This indicates the need for development of case management policies and programs that support the work of HCCMs in the delivery of seamless and collaborative case management and integrated care functions that foster collaboration and partnership-building efforts. The development of a new case management and integrated care conceptual framework that includes case management standards, professional and clinical integrated care functions would guide HCCM integrated care practice, policy and research to support client and family-centered care, and foster shared values for sustainable partnerships across care settings.

Community Program Improves Quality of Life and Self-Management in Older Adults with Diabetes Mellitus and Comorbidity.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the effect of a 6-month community-based intervention with that of usual care on quality of life, depressive symptoms, anxiety, self-efficacy, self-management, and healthcare costs in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and 2 or more comorbidities. DESIGN: Multisite, single-blind, parallel, pragmatic, randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Four communities in Ontario, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling older adults (≥65) with T2DM and 2 or more comorbidities randomized into intervention (n = 80) and control (n = 79) groups (N = 159). INTERVENTION: Client-driven, customized self-management program with up to 3 in-home visits from a registered nurse or registered dietitian, a monthly group wellness program, monthly provider team case conferences, and care coordination and system navigation. MEASUREMENTS: Quality-of-life measures included the Physical Component Summary (PCS, primary outcome) and Mental Component Summary (MCS, secondary outcome) scores of the Medical Outcomes Study 12-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12). Other secondary outcome measures were the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-10), Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA), Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease, and healthcare costs. RESULTS: Morbidity burden was high (average of eight comorbidities). Intention-to-treat analyses using analysis of covariance showed a group difference favoring the intervention for the MCS (mean difference = 2.68, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.28-5.09, P = .03), SDSCA (mean difference = 3.79, 95% CI = 1.02-6.56, P = .01), and CES-D-10 (mean difference = -1.45, 95% CI = -0.13 to -2.76, P = .03). No group differences were seen in PCS score, anxiety, self-efficacy, or total healthcare costs. CONCLUSION: Participation in a 6-month community-based intervention improved quality of life and self-management and reduced depressive symptoms in older adults with T2DM and comorbidity without increasing total healthcare costs.

The association of perceived conflict with sadness for long-term care residents with moderate and severe dementia.

Objectives Research into the lived experiences of long-term care residents with dementia has identified perceived conflict, and its impact on sadness, as priorities for quality of life from the perspectives of people with dementia. However, whether and to what extent perceived conflict and sadness are associated has not been previously tested in this population. This study tested the associations between perceived conflicts with staff, family or friends and co-residents and their experience of sadness, and whether cognitive impairment or functional dependence modified these associations. Methods The study design was cross-sectional, correlational retrospective. Participants were 5001 residents of 613 long-term care facilities in Ontario, Canada with moderate and severe dementia. Clinical administrative data collected from 2012 to 2013 using the Resident Assessment Instrument 2.0 were used to measure the person's perception of conflicts with family/friends, staff, or co-residents, as well as verbal and non-verbal indicators of sadness. Hypotheses were tested using logistic regression, with cluster correction. Results Sadness (adjusting for age, sex, family/friend contact, pain, cognitive impairment, and functional dependence) was positively associated with perceived conflicts with family or friends (OR 1.91; 95% CI 1.26-2.88; p = 0.002) and staff (OR 1.51; 95% CI 1.07-2.13; p = 0.020). These associations did not differ depending on the level of cognitive impairment or functional dependence. The association between co-resident conflict and sadness was statistically significant for people with moderate (OR 2.02; 95% CI 1.45-2.82; p < 0.001) but not for those with severe dementia (OR 1.18; 95% CI 0.72-1.91; p = 0.511). Conclusion Long-term care residents with dementia who perceive conflict with others require support to maintain high quality relationships, particularly with family and friends. Future research should rigorously assess the modifiability of perceived conflict for people with moderate and severe dementia, and whether interventions to ameliorate perceived conflict result in decreased sadness and improved quality of life.

Data for Improvement and Clinical Excellence: a report of an interrupted time series trial of feedback in home care.

BACKGROUND: There is substantial evidence about the effectiveness of audit with feedback, but none that we know have been conducted in home care settings. The primary purpose of the Data for Improvement and Clinical Excellence - Home Care (DICE-HC) project was to evaluate the effects of an audit and feedback delivered to care providers on home care client outcomes. The objective of this paper is to report the effects of feedback on four specific quality indicators: pain, falls, delirium, and hospital visits. METHODS: A 10-month audit with feedback intervention study was conducted with care providers in seven home care offices in Alberta, Canada, which involved delivery of four quarterly feedback reports consisting of data derived from the Resident Assessment Instrument - Home Care (RAI-HC). The primary evaluation employed an interrupted time series design using segmented regression analysis to assess the effects of feedback reporting on the four quality indicators: pain, falls, delirium, and hospitalization. Changes in level and trend of the quality indicators were measured before, during, and after the implementation of feedback reports. Pressure ulcer reporting was analyzed as a comparator condition not included in the feedback report. Care providers were surveyed on responses to feedback reporting which informed a process evaluation. RESULTS: At initiation of feedback report implementation, the percentage of clients reporting pain and falls significantly increased. Though the percentage of clients reporting pain and falls tended to increase and reporting of delirium and hospital visits tended to decrease relative to the pre-intervention period, there was no significant effect of feedback reporting on quality indicators during the 10-month intervention. The percentage of clients reporting falls, delirium, and hospital visits significantly increased in the 6-month period following feedback reporting relative to the intervention period. About 50% of the care providers that read and understand the feedback reports found the reports useful to make changes to the way clients are cared for. CONCLUSIONS: Routinely collected data used over time for feedback is feasible in home care settings. A high proportion of care providers find feedback reports useful for informing how they care for clients. Since reporting on the frequency of quality indicators increased in the post-intervention period, this study suggests that ongoing use of audit with feedback to enhance health outcomes in home care may promote improved reporting on standardized instruments.

Managing multiple chronic conditions in the community: a Canadian qualitative study of the experiences of older adults, family caregivers and healthcare providers.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of multiple chronic conditions (MCC) among older persons is increasing worldwide and is associated with poor health status and high rates of healthcare utilization and costs. Current health and social services are not addressing the complex needs of this group or their family caregivers. A better understanding of the experience of MCC from multiple perspectives is needed to improve the approach to care for this vulnerable group. However, the experience of MCC has not been explored with a broad sample of community-living older adults, family caregivers and healthcare providers. The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of managing MCC in the community from the perspectives of older adults with MCC, family caregivers and healthcare providers working in a variety of settings. METHODS: Using Thorne's interpretive description approach, semi-structured interviews (n = 130) were conducted in two Canadian provinces with 41 community-living older adults (aged 65 years and older) with three or more chronic conditions, 47 family caregivers (aged 18 years and older), and 42 healthcare providers working in various community settings. Healthcare providers represented various disciplines and settings. Interview transcripts were analyzed using Thorne's interpretive description approach. RESULTS: Participants described the experience of managing MCC as: (a) overwhelming, draining and complicated, (b) organizing pills and appointments, (c) being split into pieces, (d) doing what the doctor says, (e) relying on family and friends, and (f) having difficulty getting outside help. These themes resonated with the emotional impact of MCC for all three groups of participants and the heavy reliance on family caregivers to support care in the home. CONCLUSIONS: The experience of managing MCC in the community was one of high complexity, where there was a large gap between the needs of older adults and caregivers and the ability of health and social care systems to meet those needs. Healthcare for MCC was experienced as piecemeal and fragmented with little focus on the person and family as a whole. These findings provide a foundation for the design of care processes to more optimally address the needs-service gap that is integral to the experience of managing MCC.

The ACHRU-CPP versus usual care for older adults with type-2 diabetes and multiple chronic conditions and their family caregivers: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Many community-based self-management programs have been developed for older adults with type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), bolstered by evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that T2DM can be prevented and managed through lifestyle modifications. However, the evidence for their effectiveness is contradictory and weakened by reliance on single-group designs and/or small samples. Additionally, older adults with multiple chronic conditions (MCC) are often excluded because of recruiting and retention challenges. This paper presents a protocol for a two-armed, multisite, pragmatic, mixed-methods RCT examining the effectiveness and implementation of the Aging, Community and Health Research Unit-Community Partnership Program (ACHRU-CPP), a new 6-month interprofessional, nurse-led program to promote self-management in older adults (aged 65 years or older) with T2DM and MCC and support their caregivers (including family and friends). METHODS/DESIGN: The study will enroll 160 participants in two Canadian provinces, Ontario and Alberta. Participants will be randomly assigned to the control (usual care) or program study arm. The program will be delivered by registered nurses (RNs) and registered dietitians (RDs) from participating diabetes education centers (Ontario) or primary care networks (Alberta) and program coordinators from partnering community-based organizations. The 6-month program includes three in-home visits, monthly group sessions, monthly team meetings for providers, and nurse-led care coordination. The primary outcome is the change in physical functioning as measured by the Physical Component Summary (PCS-12) score from the short form-12v2 health survey (SF-12). Secondary client outcomes include changes in mental functioning, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and self-efficacy. Caregiver outcomes include health-related quality of life and depressive symptoms. The study includes a comparison of health care service costs for the intervention and control groups, and a subgroup analysis to determine which clients benefit the most from the program. Descriptive and qualitative data will be collected to examine implementation of the program and effects on interprofessional/team collaboration. DISCUSSION: This study will provide evidence of the effectiveness of a community-based self-management program for a complex target population. By studying both implementation and effectiveness, we hope to improve the uptake of the program within the existing community-based structures, and reduce the research-to-practice gap. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier: NCT02158741 . Registered on 3 June 2014.

Implementing shared decision-making in interprofessional home care teams (the IPSDM-SW study): protocol for a stepped wedge cluster randomised trial.

INTRODUCTION: The frail elderly in Canada face a tough decision when they start to lose autonomy: whether to stay at home or move to another location. This study seeks to scale up and evaluate the implementation of shared decision-making (SDM) in interprofessional (IP) home care teams caring for elderly clients or their caregivers facing a decision about staying at home or moving elsewhere. METHODS: A stepped wedge cluster randomised trial involving 8 Health and Social Service Centers (HSSCs) will be conducted with IP home care teams. HSSCs are the unit of randomisation. A decision guide will be passively distributed to all of the participating HSSCs at the beginning of the project. The participating HSSCs will then be randomised to 1 of 4 intervention start times, separated by 7-month intervals. The primary outcome is whether or not clients and caregivers assumed an active role in decision-making, assessed with a modified version of the Control Preferences Scale. The intervention, targeted at IP home care teams, consists of a 1.5 hour online tutorial and a 3.5 hour skills building workshop in IP SDM. Clients will be eligible for outcome assessment if they (1) are aged ≥65; (2) are receiving care from the IP home care team of the enrolled HSSCs; (3) have made a decision about whether to stay at home or move to another location during the recruitment periods; (4) are able to read, understand and write French or English; (5) can give informed consent. If clients are not able to provide informed consent, their primary caregiver will become the eligible participant. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics committee review approval has been obtained from the Multicenter Ethics Committee of CISSS-Laval. Results will be disseminated at conferences, on websites of team members and in peer-reviewed and professional journals intended for policymakers and managers. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02592525, Pre-results.

How Quality Improvement Practice Evidence Can Advance the Knowledge Base.

Recommendations for the evaluation of quality improvement interventions have been made in order to improve the evidence base of whether, to what extent, and why quality improvement interventions affect chosen outcomes. The purpose of this article is to articulate why these recommendations are appropriate to improve the rigor of quality improvement intervention evaluation as a research endeavor, but inappropriate for the purposes of everyday quality improvement practice. To support our claim, we describe the differences between quality improvement interventions that occur for the purpose of practice as compared to research. We then carefully consider how feasibility, ethics, and the aims of evaluation each impact how quality improvement interventions that occur in practice, as opposed to research, can or should be evaluated. Recommendations that fit the evaluative goals of practice-based quality improvement interventions are needed to support fair appraisal of the distinct evidence they produce. We describe a current debate on the nature of evidence to assist in reenvisioning how quality improvement evidence generated from practice might complement that generated from research, and contribute in a value-added way to the knowledge base.

Developing Navigation Competencies to Care for Older Rural Adults with Advanced Illness.

Navigators help rural older adults with advanced illness and their families connect to needed resources, information, and people to improve their quality of life. This article describes the process used to engage experts - in rural aging, rural palliative care, and navigation - as well as rural community stakeholders to develop a conceptual definition of navigation and delineate navigation competencies for the care of this population. A discussion paper on the important considerations for navigation in this population was developed followed by a four-phased Delphi process with 30 expert panel members. Study results culminated in five general navigation competencies for health care providers caring for older rural persons and their families at end of life: provide patient/family screening; advocate for the patient/family; facilitate community connections; coordinate access to services and resources; and promote active engagement. Specific competencies were also developed. These competencies provide the foundation for research and curriculum development in navigation.

Seniors managing multiple medications: using mixed methods to view the home care safety lens.

BACKGROUND: Patient safety is a national and international priority with medication safety earmarked as both a prevalent and high-risk area of concern. To date, medication safety research has focused overwhelmingly on institutional based care provided by paid healthcare professionals, which often has little applicability to the home care setting. This critical gap in our current understanding of medication safety in the home care sector is particularly evident with the elderly who often manage more than one chronic illness and a complex palette of medications, along with other care needs. This study addresses the medication management issues faced by seniors with chronic illnesses, their family, caregivers, and paid providers within Canadian publicly funded home care programs in Alberta (AB), Ontario (ON), Quebec (QC) and Nova Scotia (NS). METHODS: Informed by a socio-ecological perspective, this study utilized Interpretive Description (ID) methodology and participatory photographic methods to capture and analyze a range of visual and textual data. Three successive phases of data collection and analysis were conducted in a concurrent, iterative fashion in eight urban and/or rural households in each province. A total of 94 participants (i.e., seniors receiving home care services, their family/caregivers, and paid providers) were interviewed individually. In addition, 69 providers took part in focus groups. Analysis was iterative and concurrent with data collection in that each interview was compared with subsequent interviews for converging as well as diverging patterns. RESULTS: Six patterns were identified that provide a rich portrayal of the complexity of medication management safety in home care: vulnerabilities that impact the safe management and storage of medication, sustaining adequate supports, degrees of shared accountability for care, systems of variable effectiveness, poly-literacy required to navigate the system, and systemic challenges to maintaining medication safety in the home. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for policy makers, health system leaders, care providers, researchers, and educators to work with home care clients and caregivers on three key messages for improvement: adapt care delivery models to the home care landscape; develop a palette of user-centered tools to support medication safety in the home; and strengthen health systems integration.

A Scoping Literature Review: The State of Knowledge on Home Care Equipment and Supplies.

We explored the state of knowledge on home care supplies and equipment because not much is known about this topic. We used a scoping review for the literature review because it was the most appropriate approach considering the state of the literature. We searched for articles published in both the gray and peer-reviewed literature. We established five overarching themes based on the findings. These were supply management, durable medical equipment, wound care, best practices, and costs. This review demonstrates that although knowledge about home care supplies and equipment is growing, it is still an understudied area.