Utilizing activity sensors to identify the behavioural activity patterns of elderly home care clients.

PURPOSE: The behavioural activity pattern is a behavioural and biological 24-hour rhythm. Ageing, diseases and memory disorders can change this pattern. Home care staff can utilize knowledge about the behavioural activity pattern of elderly home care clients in many ways. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether home care staff could identify the behavioural activity pattern of elderly home care clients using activity sensors, namely, actigraphs and motion sensors, could identify the behavioural activity rhythms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of four elderly home care clients and one elderly home rehabilitation client took part in the study. The participants wore actigraphs on their wrist and motion sensors were installed in their apartment. In addition to sensor data, home care staff answered one open-ended question during each home care visit. The data collection period was two weeks. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used in the analysis. RESULTS: The behavioural activity pattern was easy to identify from the motion sensor data, whereas actigraph data were difficult to interpret. The home care staff members' answers to open-ended questions reinforced the reliability of motion sensor data. CONCLUSIONS: Motion sensors are relatively cheap, unobtrusive and reliable way to identify and detect changes in the behavioural activity patterns of elderly home care clients.Implications for rehabilitationMotion sensors are cheap, user-friendly and highly accepted technology for identifying and monitoring behavioural activity rhythm.Home care staff members can use the data about elderly home care client's behavioural activity rhythm to monitor deviations to the rhythm and detect changes in client's health.The information about behavioural activity rhythm can also be utilized in planning home care visits and interventions.

Experiences of people with progressive memory disorders participating in non-pharmacological interventions: a qualitative systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review was to identify, critically appraise, and synthesize the available evidence on the experiences of people with progressive memory disorders who are involved in non-pharmacological interventions. INTRODUCTION: Non-pharmacological interventions are widely used to improve the quality of life and general well-being of people with progressive memory disorders. While many intervention effects have been studied, a systematic review of experiences is needed. First-hand knowledge and experience provides insight into noteworthy aspects of the use and timing of non-pharmacological interventions both in the community and institutionalized care. INCLUSION CRITERIA: The review included studies of people of all ages with progressive memory disorders who described their experiences participating in professionally delivered non-pharmacological interventions. Interventions delivered in all settings were eligible, with the aim of supporting the well-being of people with progressive memory disorders. METHODS: The search strategy used a three-step approach and sought to locate both published and unpublished studies. Key databases included MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL (EBSCO), Medic, Scopus (Elsevier), and PsycArticles (ProQuest). MedNar was used to search for unpublished studies. The databases were searched from the date of inception of the database to May 2020, and a mix of controlled vocabulary (ie, MeSH, CINAHL headings) and keywords were used to capture all existing qualitative studies related to the experiences of people of all ages with progressive memory disorders participating in non-pharmacological interventions. Only English, Swedish, and Finnish studies were included during the screening of the study titles and abstracts. The recommended JBI approach was used for study selection, critical appraisal, data extraction, and data synthesis. RESULTS: Forty-six studies were included in the review. The study designs included qualitative descriptions (n = 31), mixed methods (n = 8), grounded theory (n = 5), and ethnography (n = 2). The total number of participants was 444. The overall quality of the studies was rated as low or very low on the ConQual score, with dependability rated as low or moderate and credibility as moderate. Altogether, 189 findings were aggregated into eight categories and three synthesized findings. The synthesized findings describing the experiences of people with progressive memory disorders participating in a non-pharmacological intervention were as follows: i) it strengthened the sense of personhood; ii) it lightened up my life; and iii) what I find meaningful is that it was meant for us. CONCLUSIONS: People with progressive memory disorders welcome non-pharmacological interventions. It is noteworthy that, regardless of what the interventions entailed, the participants experienced strengthened self-esteem and positive alterations to their daily life. To achieve the desired benefits, intervention development should embody communication based on equality and respect for those with memory disorders. However, the level of evidence of the review findings was evaluated as low or very low, which needs to be considered when applying the results in clinical practice.

Nursing students' competence profiles in gerontological nursing-A cross-sectional study.

AIM: The study aimed to describe and explain the self-assessed gerontological nursing competence levels of Finnish nursing students and factors relating to it. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study design, reported by The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology guidelines. METHODS: Data were collected with the GeroNursingCom instrument, which features 53 items relating to 11 competence factors. The K-clustering technique and the Chi-squared, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann Whitney tests were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Seven hundred and ninety-nine nursing students from nine randomly selected higher education institutions were invited to participate in 2019. Three distinct student profiles were identified according to the data (N = 274): Profile A-lower intermediate competence (23.1% of students), Profile B-intermediate competence (45.8%) and Profile C-high competence (31.1%). The strongest competence area for all students was appreciative encounter and interaction, and the weakest was supporting the older person's sexuality. Nursing students have diverse backgrounds and their overall competence in gerontological nursing is shaped in part by their previous education, motivations and work experience. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Recognizing students' different gerontological nursing competence profiles enables the implementation of targeted education to improve competence in clinical practice.

Quality of care plans in long-term care facilities for the older persons-How well is information from RAI assessments utilised in care planning?

BACKGROUND: In Finland, care plans at long-term care facilities (LTCF) for the older persons should be based on information from Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) assessments and the principles of structured data. Hence, managers are responsible for ensuring that the RAI system is used to a satisfactory extent, the provided information is used in care planning, and that staff members are competent at composing high-quality care plans. AIM: To explore the congruence between first-line managers' assessments of the extent to which care plans include RAI information and separately observed RAI-related contents of care plans. METHODS: The study was based on a descriptive, cross-sectional survey of first-line managers (n = 15) from three LTCF organisations and a randomly selected sample of care plans (n = 45) from two LTCF organisations in Finland. Manager responses and analysis of care plans were reviewed at a general level. The data were gathered in 2019 and analysed using statistical methods and content analysis. RESULTS: First-line managers' assessments of the extent to which their units' care plans included RAI information did not match the observed care plan contents. The care plan analysis revealed that managers significantly overestimated the extent to which care plans included RAI-related content. CONCLUSION: Managers at LTCF organisations need more training to be able to sufficiently support their staff in using RAI information to draft high-quality care plans. IMPLICATION FOR PRACTICE: Care plans must include a higher level of information related to RAI assessments. To develop competencies in drafting high-quality care plans, training related to RAI information utilisation on all aspects of the care plan should be emphasised and training should be provided to first-line managers and more broadly across the nursing staff.

Experiences of people with progressive memory disorders receiving non-pharmacological interventions: a qualitative systematic review protocol.

OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aims to identify, critically appraise, and synthesize the best available literature on the experiences of people with progressive memory disorders who are involved in non-pharmacological interventions. INTRODUCTION: Some non-pharmacological interventions have been demonstrated to have a significant effect in reducing functional decline in people with progressive memory disorders. Additionally, there is evidence that people with progressive memory disorders have a need for activities tailored to their abilities and interests. INCLUSION CRITERIA: This review will consider studies that describe the experiences of people with progressive memory disorders with non-pharmacological interventions. No limitations regarding care facilities will be made. METHODS: The databases to be searched will include PubMed, CINAHL, Medic, Scopus and PsycARTICLES, as well as MedNar for unpublished studies. Studies published in English, Finnish and Swedish will be considered for inclusion in this review, which will use a three-step search strategy. The papers selected for retrieval will be assessed by two independent reviewers for methodological validity prior to inclusion in the review using standardized critical appraisal instruments and findings will be pooled using meta-aggregation.

Mental Well-Being of Older People in Finland during the First Year in Senior Housing and Its Association with Physical Performance.

Growing numbers of older people relocate to senior housing, when their physical or mental performance declines. The relocation is known to be one of the most stressful events in the life of older people and affect their mental and physical well-being. More information about the relationships between mental and physical parameters is required. We examined self-reported mental well-being of 81 older people (aged 59⁻93, living in northern Finland), and changes in it 3 and 12 months after relocation to senior housing. The first measurement was 3 months and the second measurement 12 months after relocation. Most participants were female (70%). Their physical performance was also measured, and associations between these two were analyzed. After 12 months, mental capability was very good or quite good in 38% of participants, however 22% of participants felt depressive symptoms daily or weekly. Moreover, 39% of participants reported daily or weekly loneliness. After 12 months participants reported a significant increase in forgetting appointments, losing items and difficulties in learn new things. They felt that opportunities to make decisions concerning their own life significantly decreased. Furthermore, their instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), dominant hand’s grip strength and walking speed decreased significantly. Opportunities to make decisions concerning their life, feeling safe, loneliness, sleeping problems, negative thoughts as well as fear of falling or having an accident outdoors were associated with these physical parameters. In addition to assessing physical performance and regular exercise, the various components of mental well-being and their interactions with physical performance should be considered during adjustment to senior housing.

Social Environment of Older People during the First Year in Senior Housing and Its Association with Physical Performance.

Increasing numbers of older people relocate into senior housing when their physical performance declines. The change in social environment is known to affect their wellbeing, providing both challenges and opportunities, but more information on the relations between social and physical parameters is required. Thus, we elicited perceptions of the social environment of 81 older people (aged 59-93 years, living in northern Finland) and changes in it 3 and 12 months after relocation to senior housing. We also measured their physical performance, then analysed associations between the social and physical variables. Participants reported that they had freedom to do whatever they liked and generally had enough contact with close people (which have recognized importance for older people's wellbeing), but changes in their physical condition limited their social activity. Moreover, their usual walking speed, dominant hand's grip strength and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) significantly decreased. The pleasantness of the residential community, peer support, constraints on social activity imposed by changes in physical condition, meaningful activity at home and meeting close people all affected these physical performance parameters. Clearly, in addition to assessing physical performance and encouraging regular exercise, the complex interactions among social factors, physical performance and wellbeing should be considered when addressing individuals' needs.

Pragmatic exercise-oriented prevention of falls among the elderly: a population-based, randomized, controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of an intervention planned and implemented by regional geriatric care teams in order to prevent falls in an elderly population. METHODS: The study was conducted among 555 (67%) home-dwelling Finnish persons aged 85 years or older of a representative population sample (N=827) in 2000-2003. Altogether 486 subjects (88%) had a history of recurrent falls or at least one risk factor for disability in the activities of daily living or mobility and were randomly assigned to receive suggestions for a programme consisting of home exercise, walking exercise, group activities or self-care exercise or alternatively routine care. Falls were monitored for a median of 16 months during the intervention. RESULTS: The time to first four falls and all falls did not significantly differ in the targeted intervention group (N=217); compared to controls (N=220), hazard ratio 0.88 (95% CI 0.74 to 1.04) and 0.93 (0.80-1.09), respectively. Among those able to move outdoors, the corresponding hazard ratios in the intervention group (N=168) compared to the controls (N=178) were 0.78 (0.64-0.94) and 0.88 (0.74-1.05). After the intervention period, impaired balance was less common in the intervention than in the control subjects; 64 (45%) and 89 (59%) (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A pragmatic intervention was not effective in reducing the falling risk at the population level, but slowed down the reduction of balance performance. Among those able to move outdoors, the intervention was also effective in reducing the risk of first four falls.

Prevention of disability by exercise among the elderly: a population-based, randomized, controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of an intervention planned and implemented by regional geriatric care teams in order to prevent disability in an elderly population. DESIGN: Randomized, controlled trial with intention-to-treat and subgroup analyses. Subjects and setting. All home-dwelling persons aged 85 years or older in the City of Oulu (n = 555, 67%), including 486 persons with a history of recurrent falls or at least one risk factor for disability in the activities of daily living (ADL) or mobility. INTERVENTIONS: Programme consisting of home exercise, walking exercise, group exercise, and self-care exercise. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Change in ADL and mobility during the intervention. RESULTS: Change in ADL performance did not differ (p = 0.462) but a positive change was found in mobility performance (p = 0.013) in the intervention subjects (n = 243) compared with the controls (n = 243). At the end of the intervention period, severe mobility restrictions existed similarly in intervention and control subjects: 48 (34%) and 46 (31%) (p = 0.650) respectively. Frequency of admissions into long-term institutional care were similar in intervention and control groups: 15 (7%) and 13 (6%) (p = 0.669). Impaired balance existed in fewer intervention subjects (64, 45%) than controls (89, 59%) (p = 0.015). Frequency and times of home exercise activity reduced in control subjects (p < 0.001) but did not change in subjects assigned to home exercise intervention (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: A pragmatic intervention slowed down the reduction of movement performance but positive effects could not be found in subjects with severe movement and any ADL dysfunction. Positive effects were also found in balance performance.