Home Healthc Nurse
· 2013 Mar · PMID 23462562
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Provision of culturally and linguistically appropriate care for home care and hospice patients is a national mandate. Finding patient-education materials in languages other than English can be a challenge for clinicians...Provision of culturally and linguistically appropriate care for home care and hospice patients is a national mandate. Finding patient-education materials in languages other than English can be a challenge for clinicians in workplaces lacking affiliation with a hospital that provides multilingual resources to its patients. Many hospitals, government agencies, and foundations have made appropriate resources freely available on the Internet. However, identifying them is time consuming. This article reviews a variety of sources for access to patient-education materials in the multiple languages of Europe.
Home Healthc Nurse
· 2013 Mar · PMID 23462560
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Hoarding is a mental health disorder characterized by difficulties with discarding possessions, yielding cluttered and chaotic home environments that can pose significant safety concerns, impairment to functioning, and d...Hoarding is a mental health disorder characterized by difficulties with discarding possessions, yielding cluttered and chaotic home environments that can pose significant safety concerns, impairment to functioning, and distress for those who live in and encounter these situations. Understanding the condition and the strategies available to support individuals who hoard are important skills for the home care provider and are described here in the context of one community organization's response via the development of a Community Clutter and Hoarding Toolkit.
Lednik L, Baker M, Sullivan K
… +3 more, Poynter M, OʼQuinn L, Smith C
Home Healthc Nurse
· 2013 Mar · PMID 23462558
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Clinical practice based on best evidence can help ensure that patients receive safe and appropriate care from nurses. Members of a nursing inquiry council at a pediatric-based organization addressed the issue of patient-...Clinical practice based on best evidence can help ensure that patients receive safe and appropriate care from nurses. Members of a nursing inquiry council at a pediatric-based organization addressed the issue of patient-administered immunoglobulin therapy in the home care setting through conducting an evidence-based practice (EBP) project. Following the steps of EBP, an EBP change was implemented that allowed families the option of immunoglobulin therapy administration by the patient (or a caregiver) or a home healthcare nurse. Outcomes measured indicated that self-administration positively impacted patient and family satisfaction and posed no additional safety risks.
Home Healthc Nurse
· 2013 Feb · PMID 23385178
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In New Zealand, the state registration of nurses was instituted in 1901. This was a marker that nursing had achieved professional status. Although many registered nurses (RNs) worked in private practice or as district nu...In New Zealand, the state registration of nurses was instituted in 1901. This was a marker that nursing had achieved professional status. Although many registered nurses (RNs) worked in private practice or as district nurses in people's homes, lay home nurses had an essential role in caring for the sick. This article reports a comparative analysis of information available to lay home nurses in domestic health guides with information for RNs in professional nursing textbooks, for the period 1900-1935. It shows that despite RNs' professional status, domestic health guides gave more detailed information than nursing textbooks on many subjects until the end of the research time period. The boundary between registered and lay home nurses' knowledge and practice was therefore blurred. Exploring this indistinct boundary challenges understandings about the clear division between professional and lay knowledge and practice. This has particular relevance in a time when health systems increasingly depend on care provided in the home by family members. Home nursing has always been a crucial component in any system for the care of the sick. Historically, caring for people at the end of life or those with chronic and acute illnesses depended largely on the commitment of untrained women, nursing their own family members at home and supporting neighbors to care for the ill in other households.
Home Healthc Nurse
· 2013 Feb · PMID 23385176
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Mounting evidence demonstrates the significant impact of cognitive impairment on the lives of older adult patients and their caregivers. In addition, cognitive impairment presents challenging conditions for healthcare pr...Mounting evidence demonstrates the significant impact of cognitive impairment on the lives of older adult patients and their caregivers. In addition, cognitive impairment presents challenging conditions for healthcare providers who are frequently unprepared to manage the care of these patients. These developments have spawned a wide range of research to more effectively identify and diagnose individuals with cognitive impairments, to develop better strategies to differentiate the types of cognitive impairment, and more accurately estimate the incidence and prevalence of the different types of impairments within different treatment settings. The 4 articles presented in this article represent a small sampling of recent research on these topics. Each article possesses methodological and other limitations that limit the generalizability of their findings. Nonetheless, there are important lessons to be learned from each. The first article examines the effectiveness of using a single-item measure to screen for delirium, one form of cognitive impairment. The second article presents the findings of a systematic review of research articles that estimate the prevalence of missed and delayed diagnoses of dementia. Efforts to understand factors that contribute to missed or delayed diagnoses may result in more robust strategies to improve timely diagnoses and effective interventions. The third article attempts to differentiate the prevalence of cognitive impairment that does not progress to a diagnosis of dementia. The findings suggest that, contrary to conventional thought, not every patient with cognitive impairment will ultimately have dementia. The final article illustrates the difficulties of identifying community-dwelling older adults with dementia. Once identified, the authors determined that patients and their families have wide range of unmet needs that may be addressed with better preparation of healthcare providers. Future research may produce more robust evidence on these important topics.
Home Healthc Nurse
· 2013 Feb · PMID 23385174
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Skin tears experienced by older adults require special skills to promote healing. Home healthcare providers are in key positions to manage skin tears and prevent further skin trauma. Several guidelines, risk assessments,...Skin tears experienced by older adults require special skills to promote healing. Home healthcare providers are in key positions to manage skin tears and prevent further skin trauma. Several guidelines, risk assessments, classifications, and products exist to manage high-risk patients. Frequent evaluation of the effectiveness of the treatment and prevention strategies in an overall skin care protocol for home care patients is critical to reduce skin tear incidence and promote prompt healing when skin tears are present.
Home Healthc Nurse
· 2013 Feb · PMID 23385171
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Polypharmacy-the use of more medications than are clinically indicated-is a problem that affects many older adults. Adults aged 65 years and older make up approximately 13% of the population, but they consume nearly one...Polypharmacy-the use of more medications than are clinically indicated-is a problem that affects many older adults. Adults aged 65 years and older make up approximately 13% of the population, but they consume nearly one third of all prescriptions dispensed. Older adults are more prone to adverse drug reactions and drug-drug interactions because of physiological changes and multiple comorbidities. It can be difficult to address the problem because there are many contributing factors, including multiple prescribers and specialists, the use of multiple pharmacies, and gaps in communication. The initial step is to avoid the problem. However, when this does not work, it must be identified and then treated by carefully changing medication regimens to improve the quality of care to patients. The home healthcare nurse has an essential role in this process, which will be reviewed in this article. Some of the barriers that may be encountered and examples of communication with providers are included.
Home Healthc Nurse
· 2013 Feb · PMID 23385170
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Clinicians caring for people with a life-limiting illness may aspire to speak about the patient's approaching death as part of the holistic care being provided. However, the intensity of the illness may affect the patien...Clinicians caring for people with a life-limiting illness may aspire to speak about the patient's approaching death as part of the holistic care being provided. However, the intensity of the illness may affect the patient's ability to express his or her thoughts about dying. This article explores the challenges that the patient experiences in communicating at this time.
Home Healthc Nurse
· 2013 Mar · PMID 23314203
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This article is a review of relevant literature exploring the factors that contribute to new graduate nurses' transition to home healthcare nursing. The results revealed themes that include introducing the nurse to home...This article is a review of relevant literature exploring the factors that contribute to new graduate nurses' transition to home healthcare nursing. The results revealed themes that include introducing the nurse to home healthcare nursing, knowledge and confidence, and developing the professional role. The review findings suggest that home healthcare leaders should consider recruiting new graduate nurses to home healthcare nursing and provide a structured orientation program in a supportive and welcoming work environment.