Dementia-literate informal caregivers: An evolutionary concept analysis.

BACKGROUND: Previous concept analyses have not conceptualized an evidence-based definition of the concept of dementia literacy. METHODS: Rodger's evolutionary method was used to conceptualize dementia literacy among informal caregivers of persons living with dementia (PLWD) in the United States. A comprehensive search across four databases and a thorough review process resulted in 22 relevant articles between 2011 and 2023. DISCUSSION: Dementia literacy is defined as the ability to acquire dementia-related knowledge to inform decision-making, self-identify gaps in caregiving support, and secure access to necessary resources to enable long-term care, all while maintaining relationships with an interdisciplinary team of specialized providers. CONCLUSION: The nursing profession can promote dementia literacy by recognizing the needs of racial and ethnic groups, the complexity of culture and language, and being mindful of potential implicit bias toward informal caregivers who are working diligently to be prepared and proactive for PLWD.

Successes and Shortcomings of COVID-19 Vaccine Access for Older Americans.

PURPOSE: To understand perceived facilitators and barriers older adults experienced in accessing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines. METHOD: An electronic survey was distributed to older adults and those familiar with experiences of older adults accessing COVID-19 vaccines. Analysis included descriptive statistics and directed content analysis of open-ended responses, guided by the National Institute on Aging Health Disparities Research Framework. RESULTS: Most participants (n = 294) identified as White (79.5%), 33.8% identified as Hispanic, 8.1% identified as Black, and 12.4% identified as Other. Two thirds of respondents were male (68.6%), and the median age was 67 years. Five key themes emerged: Availability and Accessibility, Information, Cost, Safety and Side Effects, and Sense of Security. CONCLUSION: Barriers and facilitators to accessing COVID-19 vaccines for older populations paralleled those seen in other demographics. Similar needs likely exist for access to other vaccines and health care in general. Vaccine rollouts, particularly in public health emergencies, must be carried out with care and an awareness of the barriers faced by vulnerable groups. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 50(9), 12-17.].

Dementia-Related Disparities in Adult Day Centers: Results of a Bivariate Analysis.

PURPOSE: Adult day services (ADS) are a valuable resource for people living with Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) and serve a large population of late-life immigrants, often with limited English proficiency (LEP). This secondary data analysis examined potential disparities in diagnosis, dementia severity, medical complexity, and dementia-related behavioral problems in persons with AD/ADRD with LEP within the ADS setting. METHOD: The current study used data from TurboTAR, the electronic health record for ADS in California. Bivariate analyses were conducted to examine differences in clinical management for those with and without LEP. RESULTS: Of 3,053 participants included in the study, 42.3% had LEP. Participants with LEP had higher rates of emergency department use and medication mismanagement. However, due to non-standard data collection, there was a significant amount of missing data on language preference (38.1%) and race/ethnicity (46.5%). Although these findings suggest LEP may play a role in the clinical management of persons with AD/ADRD in ADS, missing data caused by lack of standardized collection compromise the results. CONCLUSION: It is essential to improve data collection practices in ADS on language, race, and ethnicity to help identify health disparities and promote equitable care for marginalized older adults. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 50(4), 42-47.].

The relationship between nurse burnout, missed nursing care, and care quality following COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the relationship between nurse burnout, missed nursing care, and care quality following the COVID-19 pandemic. BACKGROUND: Quality of care and missed nursing care can be consequences of nurse burnout. Little is known about how these factors related to nurse burnout following the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: This study used a cross-sectional correlational design and was conducted in 12 general hospitals across Thailand from August to October 2022. METHODS: 394 nurses providing direct nursing care to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic completed the survey. The Emotional Exhaustion (EE) subscale of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS), MISSCARE survey, and quality of care reported by nurses were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Approximately thirty-six percent of nurses had burnout following the COVID-19 pandemic. Missed nursing care was higher among nurses with burnout. Most participants reported illness/symptoms such as anxiety, fatigue, a lack of concentration, and sleeping problems. After adjusting for demographic characteristics, every additional unit of emotional exhaustion was associated with 1.61 times higher odds of missed nursing care, 3.37 times higher odds of poor quality of nurse care, and 2.62 times higher odds of poor quality of care for the overall unit. CONCLUSION: The study findings demonstrate that burnout is associated with missed nursing care and poor quality of care following the COVID-19 pandemic. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Policymakers, hospital administrators, and nurse managers should invest in strategies to reduce nurse burnout, which can increase patient safety and quality of care.

Warning Signs of Acute Infectious Disease-Related Illness in Persons Living With Dementia: Perspectives of Primary Care Providers, Adult Day Service Center Staff, and Family Care Partners.

In the current study, we conducted one-on-one interviews with primary care providers (PCPs) and family care partners (FCPs) and held focus groups with interdisciplinary adult day service center (ADSC) staff to understand the perspectives of care providers across community settings regarding early warning signs of acute illnesses in persons living with dementia (PLWD). We used content analysis to analyze qualitative data. Warning signs of acute illnesses in PLWD fell into one of five categories, including new onset changes in (a) physical functions, (b) moods or behaviors (psychological), (c) social interactions, (d) speech, or (e) appearance. FCPs (n = 11) focused on physical changes, whereas ADSC staff (n = 33) emphasized changes in speech and social interactions in addition to the other categories. Although ADSC staff and PCPs (n = 22) focused on changes in functions and moods, each group described these changes differently. ADSC staff possess rich information that can be used to identify acute changes in PLWD and describe a broader range of warning signs compared to PCPs and FCPs. FCPs may benefit from further training in distinguishing between normal disease progression and acute illness. Future research should focus on the implementation of standardized tools across community-based care providers to simplify the identification and reporting of early warning signs in PLWD. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 61(5), 35-43.].

Exploring the Relationship between Nurse Practitioner Full Practice Authority, Nurse Practitioner Workforce Diversity, and Disparate Primary Care Access.

In this study, we examine how full nurse practitioner (NP) practice authority affects racial and ethnic diversity of the NP workforce. Specifically, the purpose of our research is to understand the relationship between the racial and ethnic composition of the NP workforce, NP level of practice authority, and the communities they service. In this paper, we compare the ethnic and racial composition of the NP workforce to the composition of the state's population, and then observe if there are any noticeable differences in the patients served by NPs when we compare full practice authority (FPA) and non-FPA states. We also estimate how FPA affects the race and ethnicity of Medicare patients served by NPs.

Adult Day Services, Health Equity for Older Adults With Complex Needs, and the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 have unduly affected older adults from racial and ethnic minority groups. In this article, we highlight the experiences and vulnerabilities of diverse older adults with complex health and social needs when their access to vital, but overlooked, community-based adult day service centers (ADSCs) was abruptly cut off during a pandemic. Pandemic-related ADSC closures left vulnerable older adults and their care partners without essential daily support and services, such as health monitoring and socialization. However, the magnitude of the impact of ADSC closures on well-being, particularly among members of racial/ethnic minority groups, has yet to be measured with any form of "big data" because large-scale, nationally representative data sets consisting of participant-level information and outcomes associated with ADSC participation do not yet exist. Unmet needs of older adults resulting from pandemic-related ADSC closures are underrecognized because of a lack of systematic data collection, undermining efforts to achieve health equity. We call on ADSCs to link rigorous collection of racial and ethnic data to quality measures of access to equitable "age-friendly" care as a means of better supporting diverse community-dwelling older adults beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(10):1421-1428. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.306968).

Multimorbidity patterns in adult day health center clients with dementia: a latent class analysis.

BACKGROUND: Persons living with dementia (PLWD) in adult day centers (ADCs) represent a complex and vulnerable population whose well-being is at risk based on numerous factors. Greater knowledge of the interaction between dementia, chronic conditions, and social determinants of health would enable ADCs to identify and target the use of their resources to better support clients in need of in-depth intervention. The purpose of this paper is to (a) classify PLWD in ADCs according to their level of medical complexity and (b) identify the demographic, functional, and clinical characteristics of those with the highest degree of medical complexity. METHODS: This was a secondary data analysis of 3052 clients with a dementia diagnosis from 53 ADCs across the state of California between 2012 and 2019. The most common diagnosis codes were organized into 28 disease categories to enable a latent class analysis (LCA). Chi-square test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Kruskal-Wallis tests were conducted to examine differences among latent classes with respect to clinical and functional characteristics. RESULTS: An optimal 4-class solution was chosen to reflect chronic conditions among PLWD: high medical complexity, moderate medical complexity, low medical complexity, and no medical complexity. Those in the high medical complexity were taking an average of 12.72 (+/- 6.52) medications and attending the ADC an average of 3.98 days (+/- 1.31) per week-values that exceeded any other class. They also experienced hospitalizations more than any other group (19.0%) and met requirements for the nursing facility level of care (77.4%). In addition, the group experienced the greatest frequency of bladder (57.5%) and bowel (15.7%) incontinence. CONCLUSIONS: Our results illustrate a high degree of medical complexity among PLWD in ADCs. A majority of PLWD not only have multimorbidity but are socially disadvantaged. Our results demonstrate that a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach that involves community partners such as ADCs is critically needed that addresses functional decline, loneliness, social isolation, and multimorbidity which can negatively impact PLWD.

"Advocating Every Single Day" so as Not to be Forgotten: Factors Supporting Resiliency in Adult Day Service Centers Amidst COVID-19-Related Closures.

Adult day centers (ADCs) are nonresidential settings that support the health and social needs of vulnerable older adults. Due to ADCs' congregate nature and participants' compromised health status, many ADCs have been forced to close during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is unknown how closures have impacted service delivery at ADCs. Guided by the Resiliency Activation Framework, we (a) identified consequences resulting from closures of ADCs during the COVID-19 pandemic and (b) described factors that have enabled the ADC community to remain resilient in the wake of challenges brought on by the pandemic. We conducted 2 focus groups in California (n = 12), and individual interviews with ADC staff members (n = 8) in 7 other states. The results of a directed content analysis revealed perceived declines in physical, cognitive, and mental health of ADC users and increased caregiver strain. Access to human, social, economic, and political capital were essential for supporting ADCs in buffering the impacts of the pandemic on the older adults they serve but were not consistently available. Research is urgently needed that quantifies the impacts of the pandemic on ADC users and their caregivers to inform policy and advocacy efforts in the wake of the pandemic.

Enriching Nutrition Programs to Better Serve the Needs of a Diversifying Aging Population.

Racial minorities experience a high burden of food insecurity relative to non-Hispanic whites. Government-subsidized nutrition programs can positively impact food insecurity and nutritional risk among older adults. Yet, in New York City, where nearly 60% of people over 65 years are non-white, older minorities participate in government nutrition programs at very low rates. In this commentary, we focus on 2 programs: the Child and Adult Care Food Program and Older Americans Act Nutrition Services Programs. We identify opportunities for strengthening these programs to improve their reach and engagement with diverse older adults in New York City and similarly diverse urban communities.

Strategies for overcoming language barriers in research.

AIM: This paper seeks to describe best practices for conducting cross-language research with individuals who have a language barrier. DESIGN: Discussion paper. DATA SOURCES: Research methods papers addressing cross-language research issues published between 2000-2017. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Rigorous cross-language research involves the appropriate use of interpreters during the research process, systematic planning for how to address the language barrier between participant and researcher and the use of reliably and validly translated survey instruments (when applicable). Biases rooted in those who enter data into "big data" systems may influence data quality and analytic approaches in large observational studies focused on linking patient language preference to health outcomes. CONCLUSION: Cross-language research methods can help ensure that those individuals with language barriers have their voices contributing to the evidence informing healthcare practice and policies that shape health services implementation and financing. Understanding the inherent conscious and unconscious biases of those conducting research with this population and how this may emerge in research studies is also an important part of producing rigorous, reliable, and valid cross-language research. IMPACT: This study synthesized methodological recommendations for cross-language research studies with the goal to improve the quality of future research and expand the evidence-base for clinical practice. Clear methodological recommendations were generated that can improve research rigor and quality of cross-language qualitative and quantitative studies. The recommendations generated here have the potential to have an impact on the health and well-being of migrants around the world.

Family- and Person-Centered Interdisciplinary Telehealth: Policy and Practice Implications Following Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth was thrust to the forefront, becoming one of the most predominant forms of care almost overnight. Despite years of research, practice, and policymaking, tenets for providing telehealth in an interdisciplinary, family- and person-centered fashion, and across a wide breadth of settings remain underdeveloped. In addition, although telehealth has the potential to increase equity in care, it can also further exacerbate disparities. The current article discusses the opening created by the pandemic and provides recommendations for how to make permanent changes in telehealth policy and practice to allow for interdisciplinary, person- and family-centered care while also taking care to address issues of equity and ethics and privacy issues related to telehealth and remote monitoring. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 46(9), 9-13.].

Cardiovascular Risk in Middle-Aged and Older Immigrants: Exploring Residency Period and Health Insurance Coverage.

PURPOSE: It is reported that while immigrants are, initially, healthier than the native-born upon resettlement, this advantage erodes over time. In the United States, uninsured aging immigrants are increasingly experiencing severe complications of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The purpose of this study was to compare overall CVD risk and explore the importance of health insurance coverage on CVD risk relative to other health access barriers, from 2007 to 2012, in recent and long-term immigrants >50 years of age. METHODS: This study was based on secondary cross-sectional analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (N = 1,920). The primary outcome, CVD risk category (high or low), was determined using the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association Pooled Cohort equation. Differences between immigrant groups were examined using independent-samples t tests and chi-square analysis. The association between insurance and CVD risk was explored using a hierarchical block logistic regression model, in which variables were entered in a predetermined order. Changes in pseudo R2 measured whether health insurance explained variance in cardiac risk beyond other variables. RESULTS: Recent immigrants had lower overall CVD risk than long-term immigrants but were twice as likely to be uninsured and had higher serum glucose and lipid levels. Based on regression models, being uninsured contributed to CVD risk beyond other health access determinants, and CVD risk was pronounced among recent immigrants who were uninsured. CONCLUSIONS: Health insurance coverage plays an essential part in a comprehensive approach to mitigating CVD risk for aging immigrants, particularly recent immigrants whose cardiovascular health is susceptible to deterioration. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Nurses are tasked with recognizing the unique social and physical vulnerabilities of aging immigrants and accounting for these in care plans. In addition to helping them access healthcare coverage and affordable medication, nurses and clinicians should prioritize low-cost lifestyle interventions that reduce CVD risk, especially diet and exercise programs.

A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of a Nurse-Led Community-Based Health Home for Ethnically Diverse Older Adults With Multimorbidity in the Adult Day Health Setting.

Multimorbidity affects 75% of older adults (aged 65 years and older) in the United States and increases risk of poor medical outcomes, especially among the poor and underserved. The creation of a Medicaid option allowing states to establish health homes under the Affordable Care Act was intended to enhance coordinated care for Medicaid beneficiaries with multimorbidity. The Community-Based Health Home (CBHH) model uses the infrastructure of the Adult Day Health Center (ADHC) to serve as a health home to improve outcomes for medically complex vulnerable adults. Between 2017 and 2018, we used a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach to (a) quantitatively examine changes in depression, fall risk, loneliness, cognitive function, nutritional risk, pain classification, and health care utilization over the course of 12 months in the program and (b) qualitatively explore the perspectives of key stakeholders (registered nurse navigators, participants, ADHC administrators, and caregivers) to identify the most effective components of CBHH. Using data integration techniques, we identified components of CBHH that were most likely driving outcomes. After 12 months in CBHH, our racially diverse sample (N = 126), experienced statistically significant (p < .05) reductions in loneliness, depression, nutritional risk, poorly controlled pain, and emergency department utilization. Stakeholders who were interviewed (n = 40) attributed positive changes to early clinical intervention by the registered nurse navigators, communication with providers across settings, and a focus on social determinants of health, in conjunction with social stimulation and engagement provided by the ADHC. CBHH positions the ADHC as the locus of an effective health home site and is associated with favorable results. CBHH also demonstrates the unique capacity and skill of registered nurses in integrating health and social services across community settings. Continued exploration of CBHH among diverse populations with multimorbidity is warranted.

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Among Older Immigrants in the United States: A Comparison of Risk Measures.

BACKGROUND: In the United States, 16 million immigrants are 50 years and older, but little is known about their cardiometabolic health and how to best assess their cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Aging immigrants may therefore not be benefitting from advances in CVD prevention. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we estimate and compare CVD risk in a nationally representative sample of aging immigrants using 3 different measures. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional analysis using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. Immigrants 50 years and older with no history of CVD were eligible. The Framingham Risk Score (FRS), the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Pooled Cohort Risk Equation, and presence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) were used to estimate risk. Bivariate statistics were analyzed using SPSS version 23.0 Complex Survey module to account for National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey unique weighting scheme. RESULTS: The mean age of the sample was 61.3 years; 40% had hypertension, 17% had diabetes, 10% were smokers, and 95% did not meet the recommended physical activity guidelines. Proportions at an elevated CVD risk were as follows: American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association, 42% female and 76% male; FRS, 17.4% female and 76% male; and MetS, 22% female and 24% male. CONCLUSIONS: Immigrants had a lower overall risk using MetS and the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association equation than has been found using these tools in similarly aged samples. The opposite was true for the FRS. The discrepancy between the proportion at risk and those being treated may reflect healthcare access gaps that warrant further investigation. A more holistic approach to risk measurement is needed that accounts for determinants of health that disproportionately affect immigrants, including language and socioeconomic status.

Correlates of Physical Activity Among Middle-Aged and Older Korean Americans at Risk for Diabetes.

PURPOSE: To explore correlates of meeting recommended physical activity (PA) goals among middle-aged and older Korean Americans at risk for diabetes mellitus (DM). DESIGN AND METHODS: PA patterns and their correlates were assessed among 292 middle-aged and older Korean Americans at risk for DM living in New York City using cross-sectional design of baseline information from a diabetes prevention intervention. PA was assessed by self-report of moderate and vigorous activity, results were stratified by age group (45-64 and 65-75 years), and bivariate analyses compared individuals performing less than sufficient PA and individuals performing sufficient PA. Logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios predicting sufficient PA. FINDINGS: After adjusting for sex, age group, years lived in the United States, marital status, health insurance, and body mass index (BMI), sufficient PA was associated with male sex, older age, lower BMI, eating vegetables daily, and many PA-specific questions (lack of barriers, confidence, and engagement). When stratified by age group, male sex and eating vegetables daily was no longer significant among Koreans 65 to 75 years of age, and BMI was not significant for either age group. CONCLUSIONS: PA interventions targeting this population may be beneficial and should consider the roles of sex, age, physical and social environment, motivation, and self-efficacy. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Clinical providers should understand the unique motivations for PA among Korean Americans and recognize the importance of culturally driven strategies to enable lifestyle changes and support successful aging for diverse populations.

Policy Implications of a Literature Review of Cardiovascular Disease in Uninsured Immigrant Older Adults.

The number of older adults emigrating to the United States is expected to quadruple by 2050. The health of immigrant older adults is complicated by the limited options for low-cost health insurance available to this population. Welfare reform has limited new immigrants' access to public assistance programs, such as Medicaid; and low-cost private insurance options rarely exist for individuals older than 65, even with the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Uninsured immigrant older adults have been found to forgo preventive care due to cost and are among the leading users of emergency departments for preventable complications of chronic disease, primarily cardiovascular disease (CVD). A review of the literature found that insurance coverage has a significant impact on CVD risk among immigrant older adults. The current article discusses the implications of welfare reform initiatives and the shortcomings of the PPACA in addressing the health care needs of immigrant older adults.