Effectiveness of integrated person-centered interventions for older people's care: Review of Swedish experiences and experts' perspective.

Older adults have multiple medical and social care needs, requiring a shift toward an integrated person-centered model of care. Our objective was to describe and summarize Swedish experiences of integrated person-centered care by reviewing studies published between 2000 and 2023, and to identify the main challenges and scientific gaps through expert discussions. Seventy-three publications were identified by searching MEDLINE and contacting experts. Interventions were categorized using two World Health Organization frameworks: (1) Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE), and (2) Integrated People-Centered Health Services (IPCHS). The included 73 publications were derived from 31 unique and heterogeneous interventions pertaining mainly to the micro- and meso-levels. Among publications measuring mortality, 15% were effective. Subjective health outcomes showed improvement in 24% of publications, morbidity outcomes in 42%, disability outcomes in 48%, and service utilization outcomes in 58%. Workshop discussions in Stockholm (Sweden), March 2023, were recorded, transcribed, and summarized. Experts emphasized: (1) lack of rigorous evaluation methods, (2) need for participatory designs, (3) scarcity of macro-level interventions, and (4) importance of transitioning from person- to people-centered integrated care. These challenges could explain the unexpected weak beneficial effects of the interventions on health outcomes, whereas service utilization outcomes were more positively impacted. Finally, we derived a list of recommendations, including the need to engage care organizations in interventions from their inception and to leverage researchers' scientific expertise. Although this review provides a comprehensive snapshot of interventions in the context of Sweden, the findings offer transferable perspectives on the real-world challenges encountered in this field.

Being used for the greater good while fighting on the frontline: care staff's experiences of working with older people during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden.

BAKGROUND: Worldwide, older people were more severely affected during the COVID-19 pandemic than others. In Sweden, those living in residential care facilities had the highest mortality rate, followed by those receiving home care services. The Swedish and international literature on the working environment for assistant nurses and care aides during the pandemic shows an increase in stress, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress syndromes. Care organisations were badly prepared to prevent the virus from spreading and to protect the staff from stress. In order to be better prepared for possible future pandemics, the health and well-being of the staff, the care of older people and the experiences of the staff both during and after a pandemic are important aspects to take into account. Therefore, this study aims to describe the experiences of assistant nurses and care aides working in the care of older people during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden, their working conditions and the impact all this had on their lives. METHODOLOGY: The study has a qualitative, descriptive design. The data was collected in four focus group interviews with 21 participants and analysed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: The results revealed the theme, Being used for the greater good while fighting on the frontline, which was then divided into three categories: portrayed as a risk for older people, not being valued and being burnt out. The worsening working conditions that the pandemic contributed to resulted in a high degree of stress and risk of burnout, with staff members both wanting to and actually leaving their employment. After the pandemic they felt forgotten again and left to cope in an even worse situation than before. CONCLUSIONS: The pandemic had a major effect on assistant nurses and care aides in terms of their working environment and their private lives. To be better prepared for future pandemics or disasters, organisations with responsibility for the care of older people will need to ensure that their staff have the necessary competencies and that there is adequate staffing in place. This also means that adequate government funding and multiple interventions will be needed.

Listen to the voices of nurses: the role of community chief nurses and registered nurses in the provision of care for older people in Sweden during the COVID-19 pandemic - a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: During the pandemic in Sweden, the aim was to protect older people, especially those among them who were sick, frail and vulnerable in residential care facilities. A ban was put on visits at all residential care facilities in March 2020 to prevent the spread of infection among the older people. This study aims to describe the experiences of Community Chief Nurses and Registered Nurses who provided medical and nursing care for older people in residential care facilities and home care during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to examine factors associated with the quality of care. METHODS: The study has a mixed method cross-sectional design (STROBE). Data were collected using a web-based survey that comprised two questionnaires, for Community Chief Nurses and Registered Nurses developed for the study. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression models, as well as qualitative content analyses. RESULTS: The majority of Community Chief Nurses reported adequate opportunities to work with management to handle the COVID-19 pandemic. The Registered Nurses reported that the quality of care, as well as the person's safety, was negatively affected during the pandemic. Factors associated with good care were as follows: information-sharing; ability to comply with hygiene practices; competence in how to care for older persons with COVID-19; a physician at bedside assessing their health; and support from frontline managers. CONCLUSION: The study highlights crucial facets that care organizations must address to enhance their readiness for future pandemics or disasters, ensuring the security and well-being of the older people.

The benefits of caregiver singing and receptive music in dementia care: a qualitative study of professional caregivers' experiences.

BACKGROUND: For persons with dementia, receptive music may reduce negative expressions and increase positive ones. Caregiver singing (CS) is an intervention aimed at facilitating care situations and involves caregivers singing for or together with persons with dementia during care activities. In the literature, CS is commonly addressed as a music activity rather than a care intervention. The aim was to describe caregivers' experiences of the reactions of persons with dementia when using CS and receptive music in dementia care. METHOD: The data comprised three focus group interviews with 12 professional caregivers in dementia care, analysed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: the analysis resulted in two themes: "CS increases interaction and builds companionship" and "Receptive music soothes, awakens memories and reflects the person's self". CONCLUSION: Both CS and receptive music was shown to have positive influences, and while the results were sometimes intertwined, CS was shown to better facilitate problematic care situations.

Intrahospital transport of critically ill patients: Nurse anaesthetists' and specialist ICU nurses' experiences.

BACKGROUND: Intrahospital transport (IHT) is often performed by nurse anaesthetists and specialist intensive care nurses. Studies have shown that IHT increases the risk of mortality and morbidity, with up to 71% negative incidents. Using checklists when preparing for an IHT is important. Several international guidelines exist to ensure IHT safety and reduce the risk of complications. However, existing guidelines are often problematic in clinical practice. AIM: This study aimed to describe the experiences of nurse anaesthetists and specialized intensive care nurses during the IHT of adult patients with critical illnesses. STUDY DESIGN: This study adopted a mixed-methods approach. METHODS: Data were collected through a questionnaire completed by 66 nurses with specialist education in anaesthesia or intensive care. The data were analysed with qualitative content analysis, and the quantitative data were analysed with descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Two categories with two subcategories each emerged from the analysis of the responses of nurse anaesthetists and specialist intensive care nurses regarding their IHT experiences: creating good circumstances (subcategories: being risk-conscious and the importance of meticulous preparations) and the importance of routines and education (subcategories: following guidelines and having adequate training). CONCLUSION: IHT was described as a high risk for patient safety and complications. Routines with good compliance and education can positively impact patient safety during IHT. Checklists and scenario training can better prepare nurse anaesthetists and specialist intensive care nurses to manage complications that may arise during IHT, resulting in safer patient care. RELEVANCE FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE: The findings underscore the importance of written guidelines for IHT, emphasizing awareness and adherence by the entire team. Careful pre-IHT preparations, coupled with an understanding of potential risks, are vital for ensuring patient safety. Clinical training and discussions following incidents during IHT play a crucial role in raising the collective awareness of patient safety within the entire team.

Clarity and adaptability of instructions preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus and its association with individual and organisational factors regarding the psychosocial work environment: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: In Sweden, older people in residential care had the highest mortality rates, followed by those who received home care, during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Staff working in the care of older people assumed responsibility for preventing the spread of the virus despite lacking the prerequisites and training. This study aimed to investigate the psychosocial work environment during the COVID-19 pandemic among staff in the care of older people and examine the factors associated with staff's perceptions of the clarity of instructions and the ability to follow them. METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was employed using a web survey. The staff's perceptions of their psychosocial environment were analysed using descriptive statistics. The association between organisational and individual factors, as well as the degree of clarity of the instructions and the staff's ability to follow them, were assessed using multivariate (ordinal) regression analysis. RESULTS: The main findings show that perceptions of the clarity and adaptability of the instructions were primarily correlated with organisational factors, as higher responses (positive) for the subscales focusing on role clarity, support and encouragement in leadership at work were associated with the belief that the instructions were clear. Similarly, those indicating high job demands and high individual learning demands were less likely to report that the instructions were clear. Regarding adaptability, high scores for demands on learning and psychological demands were correlated with lower adaptability, while high scores for role clarity, encouraging leadership and social support, were associated with higher adaptability. CONCLUSIONS: High job demands and individual learning demands were demonstrated to decrease the staff's understanding and adoption of instructions. These findings are significant on an organisational level since the work environment must be prepared for potential future pandemics to promote quality improvement and generally increase patient safety and staff health.

Anxiety and loneliness among older people living in residential care facilities or receiving home care services in Sweden during the COVID-19 pandemic: a national cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Older people were subjected to significant restrictions on physical contacts with others during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social distancing impacts older people's experiences of anxiety and loneliness. Despite a large body of research on the pandemic, there is little research on its effects on older people in residential care facilities (RCF) and in home care services (HCS), who are the frailest of the older population. We aimed to investigate the effect of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in March-May 2020 on experiences of anxiety and loneliness among older people living in RCF or receiving HCS and the impact of the progression of the pandemic on these experiences. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional design using data from the national user satisfaction survey (March - May 2020) by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare. Survey responses were retrieved from 27,872 older people in RCF (mean age 87 years) and 82,834 older people receiving HCS (mean age 84 years). Proportional-odds (cumulative logit) model was used to estimate the degree of association between dependent and independent variables. RESULTS: Loneliness and anxiety were more prevalent among the older persons living in RCF (loneliness: 69%, anxiety: 63%) than those receiving HCS (53% and 47%, respectively). Proportional odds models revealed that among the RCF and HCS respondents, the cumulative odds ratio of experiencing higher degree of anxiety increased by 1.06% and 1.04%, respectively, and loneliness by 1.13% and 1.16%, respectively, for 1% increase in the COVID-19 infection rate. Poor self-rated health was the most influential factor for anxiety in both RCF and HCS. Living alone (with HCS) was the most influential factor affecting loneliness. Experiences of disrespect from staff were more strongly associated with anxiety and loneliness in RCF than in HCS. CONCLUSION: Older people in RCF or receiving HCS experienced increasing levels of anxiety and loneliness as the first wave of the pandemic progressed. Older people' mental and social wellbeing should be recognized to a greater extent, such as by providing opportunities for social activities. Better preparedness for future similar events is needed, where restrictions on social interaction are balanced against the public health directives.

Factors associated with older persons' perceptions of dignity and well-being over a three-year period. A retrospective national study in residential care facilities.

BACKGROUND: Dignity and well-being are central concepts in the care of older people, 65 years and older, worldwide. The person-centred practice framework identifies dignity and well-being as person-centred outcomes. Older persons living in residential care facilities, residents, have described that they sometimes lack a sense of dignity and well-being, and there is a need to understand which modifiable factors to target to improve this. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between perceptions of dignity and well-being and the independent variables of the attitudes of staff, the indoor-outdoor-mealtime environments, and individual factors for residents over a three-year period. METHODS: A national retrospective longitudinal mixed cohort study was conducted in all residential care facilities within 290 municipalities in Sweden. All residents aged 65 years and older in 2016, 2017 and 2018 were invited to responded to a survey; including questions regarding self-rated health and mobility, the attitudes of staff, the indoor-outdoor-mealtime environments, safety, and social activities. Data regarding age, sex and diagnosed dementia/prescribed medication for dementia were collected from two national databases. Descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression models were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: A total of 13 763 (2016), 13 251 (2017) and 12 620 (2018) residents answered the survey. Most of them (69%) were women and the median age was 88 years. The odds for satisfaction with dignity did not differ over the three-year period, but the odds for satisfaction with well-being decreased over time. Residents who rated their health as good, who were not diagnosed with dementia/had no prescribed medication for dementia, who had not experienced disrespectful attitudes of staff and who found the indoor-outdoor-mealtime environments to be pleasant had higher odds of being satisfied with aspects of dignity and well-being over the three-year period. CONCLUSIONS: The person-centred practice framework, which targets the attitudes of staff and the care environment, can be used as a theoretical framework when designing improvement strategies to promote dignity and well-being. Registered nurses, due to their core competencies, focusing on person-centred care and quality improvement work, should be given an active role as facilitators in such improvement strategies.

Factors associated with perceptions of dignity and well-being among older people living in residential care facilities in Sweden. A national cross-sectional study.

The care of older people living in residential care facilities (RCFs) should promote dignity and well-being, but research shows that these aspects are lacking in such facilities. To promote dignity and well-being, it is important to understand which associated factors to target. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between perceived dignity and well-being and factors related to the attitudes of staff, the care environment and individual issues among older people living in RCFs. A national retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in all RCFs for older people within 290 municipalities in Sweden. All older people 65 years and older (n = 71,696) living in RCFs in 2018 were invited to respond to the survey. The response rate was 49%. The survey included the following areas: self-rated health, indoor-outdoor-mealtime environment, performance of care, attitudes of staff, safety, social activities, availability of staff and care in its entirety. Data were supplemented with additional data from two national databases regarding age, sex and diagnosed dementia. Descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression models were used to analyse the data. Respondents who had experienced disrespectful treatment, those who did not thrive in the indoor-outdoor-mealtime environment, those who rated their health as poor and those with dementia had higher odds of being dissatisfied with dignity and well-being. To promote dignity and well-being, there is a need to improve the prerequisites of staff regarding respectful attitudes and to improve the care environment. The person-centred practice framework can be used as a theoretical framework for improvements, as it targets the prerequisites of staff and the care environment. As dignity and well-being are central values in the care of older people worldwide, the results of this study can be generalised to other care settings for older people in countries outside of Sweden.

Capturing the Unsaid: Nurses' Experiences of Identifying Mental Ill-Health in Older Men in Primary Care-A Qualitative Study of Narratives.

This study describes nurses' experiences in identifying mental ill-health in older men in primary care. The aging population is growing in Sweden and life expectancy is increasing. Age is a risk factor for mental ill-health. Older men are over-represented in deaths from suicide. When older men seek primary care, it is often because of somatic symptoms and rarely for mental health issues. A questionnaire with five open questions was answered by 39 nurses from 10 primary care centres and subjected to inductive qualitative content analysis. The results revealed a main theme-capturing the unsaid-and two categories: (1) feeling secure in the role, with three subcategories (building trust, daring to ask and interpreting signs); and (2) the need for resources, with two subcategories (time and continuity, and finding support in collaboration). The results confirm that nurses in primary care play a key role in identifying mental ill-health in older men. There is a need for resources in the form of time, competence and collaboration with other professionals and patients' relatives. This strategy will establish best practice and provide evidence-based care to facilitate improvements in older men's mental health and prevent suicide.

Being 'alone' striving for belonging and adaption in a new reality - The experiences of spouse carers of persons with dementia.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Spouse carers of a person with dementia report feeling lonely and trapped in their role, lacking support and having no time to take care of their own health. In Sweden, the support available for family carers is not specialised to meet the needs of spouse carers of people with dementia. The aim of the study described in this paper was to explore spouse carers' experiences of caring for a partner with dementia, their everyday life as a couple and their support needs. METHODS: Nine spouse carers of a partner with dementia living at home were recruited through a memory clinic and a dementia organisation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants, focusing on their experiences of providing care, their support needs in relation to their caring situation, their personal well-being and their marital relationship. The interviews were transcribed and underwent qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: The analysis resulted in one overall theme Being 'alone' striving for belonging and adaption in a new reality, synthesized from four sub-themes: (1) Being in an unknown country; (2) Longing for a place for me and us; (3) Being a carer first and a person second; and (4) Being alone in a relationship. CONCLUSIONS: The training of care professionals regarding the unique needs of spouse carers of people with dementia needs improvement, with education, in particular, focusing on their need to be considered as a person separate from being a carer and on the significance of the couple's relationship for their mutual well-being.

Being Treated With Respect and Dignity?-Perceptions of Home Care Service Among Persons With Dementia.

OBJECTIVE: Studies on the quality of home care services (HCS) offered to persons with dementia (PwDs) reveal the prevalence of unmet needs and dissatisfaction related to encounters and a lack of relationships with staff. The objective of this study was to enhance knowledge of the perceptions of PwDs regarding their treatment with dignity and respect in HCS over time. DESIGN: A mixed longitudinal cohort study was designed to study trends in the period between 2016 and 2018 and compare the results between PwDs (cases) and persons without dementia (controls) living at home with HCS. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Persons aged 65 years and older with HCS in Sweden. METHODS: Data from an existing yearly HCS survey by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare (NBHW) was used. The focus was on questions concerning dignity and respect. NBHW data sets on diagnoses, medications, HCS hours, and demographic information were also used. We applied GEE logistic and cumulative logit regression models to estimate effects and trends of interest after controlling for the effects of age, gender, self-rated health, and number of HCS hours. RESULTS: Over the study period, 271,915 (PwDs = 8.1%) respondents completed the survey. The results showed that PwDs were significantly less likely (3%-10% lower odds and cumulative odds) than controls to indicate that they were satisfied in response to questions related to dignity and respect. Both groups experienced a decrease in satisfaction from 2016 to 2018. Females, individuals with poor self-rated health, and individuals granted more HCS hours were found to be more dissatisfied. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The HCS organization needs to shift from a task-oriented system to a person-centered approach, where dignity and respect are of the utmost importance. The HCS organizations need to be developed to focus on competence in person-centered care, and leadership to support staff.

Important aspects of home care service: An interview study of persons with dementia.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Because of the policy of 'ageing in place' and a decreasing number of beds in residential settings, more persons with dementia live at home with support from home care services. However, previous studies have revealed more unmet needs and a lower quality of life in this group than in other groups. Because few qualitative studies are performed in which persons with dementia have the opportunity to tell their own stories and describe what they find important, this study aimed to interview persons with dementia and describe their views on the important aspects of receiving home care service. METHODS: The study used a qualitative approach, and 14 persons with dementia participated in the interviews. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. FINDINGS: The findings revealed one overarching theme. The importance of being supported as a unique and capable human, that is the persons with dementia stated that despite their dementia diagnoses, it was important to be seen as a person with capabilities, although in need of support. This theme was built on three subthemes: being seen as a person, being informed and involved, and being part of a relationship. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that persons with dementia are able to express, formulate and reflect on their needs and preferences about their daily care as well as what is important to them when receiving home care service. Therefore, their point of view should be taken into consideration when planning, providing and evaluating care.

Like a bridge over troubled water - a qualitative study of professional caregiver singing and music as a way to enable person-centred care for persons with dementia.

Purpose: To describe the perspectives of caregivers in terms of using singing and music in their everyday work, and of their effect on care and interaction with the person with dementia.Methods: A qualitative design was used, consisting of group discussions with professional caregivers from three nursing homes in a medium-sized city in a rural area of Sweden.Results: The results demonstrate that caregiver singing and music can be powerful and useful in the care of and in communication with persons with dementia. Music, for example, can be used to facilitate socialization as it opens up for discussion, while caregiver singing was preferable when it came to the facilitation of care situations and interaction.Conclusions: Singing and music can be powerful and useful tools in the care of and in communication with persons with dementia. Regardless of whether singing or music is used, the most important factor is that a person-centred approach is adopted so as to make the music a facilitative tool. Caregiver singing and music are ways to connect with the person with dementia and an understanding of their use can contribute to dementia research. This in turn can increase awareness of the possible ways to strengthen the partnership between caregivers and persons with dementia.

Information and communication technology use in daily life among young adults with mild-to-moderate intellectual disability.

BACKGROUND: Information and communication technology (ICT) increases participation in life activities, and young adults are frequent users. Young adults with intellectual disability (ID) do not use ICT as much as their peers, and little is known about how ICT is used by young adults with ID. This study describes the use of ICT from the perspective of young adults with mild to moderate ID in a municipal social care context. METHOD: Semi-structured interviews were used to collect information from 11 young adults with mild-to-moderate ID living in residential care and analysed using a content analysis. RESULTS: ICT was used for family relationships, daily support, interactions based on interests and amusement, and as support for offline activities. Family members were important providers of support for ICT use. CONCLUSION: Young adults with mild-to-moderate ID use ICT in their daily life. The social care context needs to be further investigated due to its influence on the young adults' access to ICT and need of support.

Previous work experience and age do not affect final semester nursing student self-efficacy in communication skills.

BACKGROUND: With the continuing increase in the older population, being able to communicate with the elderly is one of the many important skills in caring for older people. Therefore, student nurses need support during education to be prepared with the necessary communication skills to meet these demands. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe the development of communication skills during nursing education. DESIGN: A quantitative descriptive and comparative study. SETTINGS: The nursing programme at a university in an urban area of Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: Student nurses in the first and third year in a nursing programme in Sweden in 2015. METHODS: Data were collected with a self-efficacy questionnaire and analysed with descriptive and comparative statistics. RESULTS: The student nurses in the final semester had a higher self-rated ability to communicate with older people than students in the second semester of the education year. There was also a difference in self efficacy between students with or without former experience of health care work or work in care with older persons in the second semester. However, these differences were not seen in the final semester. The age of the students did not affect the self-efficacy rate in either semester. CONCLUSIONS: Student nurses in the present study scored themselves relatively highly, while student nurses in previous studies expressed a need for more communication skills training. Further studies with observations of student nurses' actual communicative skills in clinical and simulations settings are needed, to pinpoint weak spots and targets for such an education.

That mr. Alzheimer you never know what he's up to, but what about me? A discourse analysis of how Swedish spouse caregivers can make their subject positions understandable and meaningful.

The spouses of people suffering from dementia are commonly first-in-line caregivers. This can have a considerable effect on their own lives, health and marriages. Several studies have focused on spouses' experiences, but very few have focused in any depth on their descriptions of themselves as subjects. Therefore, the aim of this study is to describe how spouse caregivers can express themselves when living with and caring for their partners with dementia. The study has a qualitative approach with a discourse analysis design and uses analytical tools such as rhetoric, subject positions and categorization. The results reveal three subject positions: as an actor, as a parent and as a survivor. The results show that as spouses struggle with external and internal clashes as subjects, they therefore need to develop coping strategies. They also experience pronounced loneliness and a risk to their own health. There is thus a need to support these spouses as individuals in their differing and changing needs.

Preliminary study of a communication intervention for family caregivers and spouses with dementia.

OBJECTIVE: This study was to designed to examine the feasibility and preliminary outcomes of CARE: Caring About Relationships and Emotions, a 10-week, home-based, intervention to support married couples affected by dementia. METHODS: Fifteen older couples participated in a single group repeated measures feasibility study. Weekly, video-recorded conversations over 10 weeks were used to rate communication using the Verbal/Nonverbal Interaction Scale for caregivers and care receivers. RESULTS: Accounting for mental status of care recipients, the ratio of social to unsocial communication showed a significant improvement across sessions-an average of 4.46 points per session [ß = 4.46, t(10) = 1.96, p = .039]. Spouse caregiver (CG) communication showed a significant decrease in the number of disabling communications with approximately .65 decreased comments per session [ß = 0.654, t(11) = -2.61, p = .024]. CONCLUSIONS: At home dyadic, relationship-focused psychoeducational intervention to improve communication in spouses affected by dementia has the potential to improve communication outcomes. Creative ways of working with couples are needed to help them sustain their relationships and maintain their health.

Preliminary Psychometric Properties of the Verbal and Nonverbal Interaction Scale: An Observational Measure for Communication in Persons with Dementia.

Little attention has been given to sociable/unsociable communication in persons with dementia despite the importance of these behaviors in maintaining engagement in marital relationships. An observational measure of verbal and nonverbal communication in persons with dementia (Verbal and Nonverbal Interaction Scale-CR) who were engaged in conversations with spouses was tested for reliability and validity. Married persons with dementia were video-recorded at home conversing with spouses over 10 weeks (N = 118 recordings). Reliability [inter-coder (.92), test-retest (r =.61-.77), internal consistency (α =.65 -.79)] were adequate. Following an intervention, the Verbal and Nonverbal Interaction Scale-CR predicted improved communication over 10 weeks. The ratio of sociable to unsociable communication improved by 4.46 points per session [ß = 4.46, t(10) = 1.96, p =.039]. VNVIS-CR is recommended to describe sociable and unsociable communication in persons with dementia as they engage in conversations with spouses.

The care of and communication with older people from the perspective of student nurses. A mixed method study.

BACKGROUND: Undergraduate nurse education needs to prepare student nurses to meet the demands and to have the necessary communication skills for caring for an increasing older population. The challenges involve how best to support and empower student nurses to learn the communication skills needed to care for older people. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate student nurses' views on the care of and communication with older people. DESIGN: A descriptive study with a mixed-method approach was conducted. METHODS: Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from a questionnaire completed by third-year Swedish student nurses in 2015. RESULTS: The student nurses reported positive attitudes to the care of and communication with older people. The findings focus on the central aspects related to relationship building, techniques for communication and external prerequisites. CONCLUSIONS: Despite positive attitudes, student nurses had a limited view of communication with older people. Educators need to increase student nurses' capacity to communicate effectively with older people. Educational interventions to improve and evaluate the communication competency of nurses and student nurses are needed.