How To Get Families More Involved In The Nursing Home

Health care providers and social workers at nursing homes may feel they have little time to design programs for the family members of their residents, yet you will learn in How to Get Families More Involved in the Nursing Home that the benefits of such programs are immense and the time investment will pay off. You learn of four family programs that can be put into use immediately or can be changed or expanded to fit the needs of an individual setting. In addition, you will witness how educational workshops, support groups, family councils, and holiday socials increase family involvement in the nursing home, which in turn improves the quality of care and life that long-term residents experience.In the daily bustle of trying to meet the needs of all residents, staff members do not generally have time to devote to family members who often feel awkward during their visits and do not realize their help would be welcomed. Nursing home coordinators and social workers can use the model support groups and workshops this book provides to open the lines of communication between staff and families and enable them to work together to assess and meet residents’ needs. Implementation of these programs encourages families to take an active role in the operation of the nursing home and to participate in the decisions and events that affect the residents’ lives. How to Get Families More Involved in the Nursing Home provides easy, step-by-step procedures for the installation of family programs without overtaxing social workers and directors already under pressure.In addition to the four model programs developed and presented by author Tammy LaBrake, a Public Health Social Work Consultant, this book examines research findings on the lack of family participation in nursing homes despite the offering of family programs. You learn how to overcome barriers to communication and collaboration between staff members and family members and capitalize on the amount of participation that does exist within a nursing home. You also learn how to convey to families that they are equally responsible for the well-being of their resident and that their input and assistance are necessary to correct problems that cannot be remedied by staff members alone. Finally, How to Get Families More Involved in the Nursing Home demonstrates that workshops, social gatherings, and councils do contribute to the formation of a community where family members and staffers find the mutual support necessary to provide excellent health care and soften the institutional atmosphere.

Written by leading international experts, this book discusses the latest advances in the field of dementia in nursing homes. The topics and findings covered are based on their survey and on a scientific literature review. Dementia is spreading worldwide, placing a growing burden on healthcare systems and caregivers, as well as those affected. With increasing and complex care needs, nursing home admission is often necessary. Globally, over half of nursing home residents suffer from dementia. The book provides essential information on the most important issues in dementia in nursing homes today, including meaningful activities, patient-/person-centered care, psychosocial interventions, challenging behavior, inclusion and support of family members, pain, staff training and education, communication, polypharmacy, quality of life, end-of-life care and advanced care planning, depression, delirium, multidisciplinary approaches, physical restraints and care dependency. Each topic is covered by an international expert in dementia. As such, the book will appeal to professional nurses, nursing scientists, nursing students, other healthcare professionals, and to a broad readership, and will provide a valuable resource for those working in nursing homes, as well as researchers in the field.

Hospitals and nursing homes are responding to changes in the health care system by modifying staffing levels and the mix of nursing personnel. But do these changes endanger the quality of patient care? Do nursing staff suffer increased rates of injury, illness, or stress because of changing workplace demands? These questions are addressed in Nursing Staff in Hospitals and Nursing Homes, a thorough and authoritative look at today's health care system that also takes a long-term view of staffing needs for nursing as the nation moves into the next century. The committee draws fundamental conclusions about the evolving role of nurses in hospitals and nursing homes and presents recommendations about staffing decisions, nursing training, measurement of quality, reimbursement, and other areas. The volume also discusses work-related injuries, violence toward and abuse of nursing staffs, and stress among nursing personnelâ€"and examines whether these problems are related to staffing levels. Included is a readable overview of the underlying trends in health care that have given rise to urgent questions about nurse staffing: population changes, budget pressures, and the introduction of new technologies. Nursing Staff in Hospitals and Nursing Homes provides a straightforward examination of complex and sensitive issues surround the role and value of nursing on our health care system.

Family caregiving affects millions of Americans every day, in all walks of life. At least 17.7 million individuals in the United States are caregivers of an older adult with a health or functional limitation. The nation's family caregivers provide the lion's share of long-term care for our older adult population. They are also central to older adults' access to and receipt of health care and community-based social services. Yet the need to recognize and support caregivers is among the least appreciated challenges facing the aging U.S. population. Families Caring for an Aging America examines the prevalence and nature of family caregiving of older adults and the available evidence on the effectiveness of programs, supports, and other interventions designed to support family caregivers. This report also assesses and recommends policies to address the needs of family caregivers and to minimize the barriers that they encounter in trying to meet the needs of older adults.

Outlines ways in which care homes can help families to become partners in the caring process.

This volume outlines the belief that nursing homes can and should support the physical, psychological, and social needs of residents, and that residents can thrive in nursing homes when these needs are met. The book's contributors explore the role that palliative or comfort care plays in enhancing the quality of life of nursing home residents as well as the medical, familial, psychological, cultural, and financial issues that influence decision-making about end-of-life care. The book is designed to be a tool to prepare social workers to advocate for a greater incorporation of palliative care and psychosocial care into the culture of nursing home care. The book includes discussions of the psychosocial needs of nursing home residents and families, the financing of long-term care and end-of-life care, ethical issues in chronic care and end of life, trends and characteristics in nursing home care, rituals and grief at end-of-life, and considerations for the future. Each chapter includes case examples to further illustrate points made.

"Nurses play a vital role in improving the safety and quality of patient car -- not only in the hospital or ambulatory treatment facility, but also of community-based care and the care performed by family members. Nurses need know what proven techniques and interventions they can use to enhance patient outcomes. To address this need, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), with additional funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has prepared this comprehensive, 1,400-page, handbook for nurses on patient safety and quality -- Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. (AHRQ Publication No. 08-0043)." - online AHRQ blurb, http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nurseshdbk/