Residential Aged Care Facilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Staff Survey on Impact and Resources.

The current study explored the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on staff in residential aged care facilities (RACFs). A hardcopy, voluntary, anonymous survey was circulated to local RACFs (June-July 2020), exploring challenges, staffing effects, mood within RACFs, and staff perceptions of supports. Overall, 105 staff members responded, which were mainly nursing personnel (67.6%) and owners/managers (10.5%). Seventy percent believed they were equipped to handle patients with COVID-19. One quarter reported personal protective equipment shortages. Respondents reported pressures to accept patients with COVID-19 from hospitals and/or keep residents in the RACF. One third reported staff "calling in sick" related to COVID-19/quarantine. Common compensatory strategies included increasing part-time workers' hours. Reported mood was largely positive. Most (86.4%) respondents felt supported by general practitioner and local geriatric outreach services. Opportunities to best support RACF staff require further research and dialogue. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 49(3), 13-17.].

Development and pilot testing of the revised Patients' Attitudes Towards Deprescribing questionnaire for people with cognitive impairment.

OBJECTIVES: (i) To develop a version of the revised Patients' Attitude Towards Deprescribing (rPATD) questionnaire for people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild-to-moderate dementia (rPATDcog); and (ii) to capture the beliefs and attitudes of this population and their carers about deprescribing through a pilot study. METHODS: First, the rPATDcog was modified from the rPATD and tested in a small group of participants with MCI or mild dementia, and then, we conducted a pilot study of the rPATDcog and the carers' rPATD. RESULTS: Twenty-one participants with cognitive impairment and 11 carer participants (forming dyads) participated in this study. Eighty-one per cent (17/21) of participants said that they would stop one or more of their medications if their doctor said it was possible. There was an excellent agreement of corresponding questions between dyads. CONCLUSION: The rPATDcog was feasible to administer in this study. Further work is required to provide generalisable results and determine utility in practice.