Nursing home staff can use a simplified version of this standardized observational tool to reliably measure staff-resident interactions related to choice during morning care provision as a first step toward improving resident-directed care practice.

Rehabilitative behavioral interventions that are documented in clinical trials to improve nursing home resident outcomes and are recommended by practice guidelines are often not adapted for daily use in nursing homes and other long-term care (LTC) facilities. Failure to evaluate issues other than clinical efficacy when developing interventions contributes to this gap between efficacy and effectiveness in practice. A potential solution is a research model that supplements traditional clinical intervention research with methodology designed specifically to evaluate the ability of LTC facilities to implement the interventions. This paper discusses several critical issues of intervention and implementation that should be addressed, including targeting interventions, advocacy, cost-effectiveness, training, and quality control. We also describe how clinical trials could be designed and staged to increase the probability that effective interventions will be implemented in the day-to-day care of frail older patients in LTC facilities.

Allowing long-term care (LTC) residents to make choices about their daily life activities is a central tenet of resident-centered care. This study examined whether staff and family rated care episodes involving choice differently from care episodes not involving choice. Seventeen nurse aide and15 family participants were shown paired video vignettes of care interactions. Participants were asked to rate their preferred care vignette using a standardized forced-choice questionnaire. Focus groups were held separately for staff and family members following this rating task to determine reasons for their preferences. Both staff and family rated the vignettes depicting choice as “strongly” preferred to the vignettes without choice. Reasons provided for the preference ratings during the focus group discussions related to resident well-being, sense of control, and respondents’ own personal values. These findings have implications for LTC staff training related to resident-centered care to promote choice.

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate an intervention to improve staff offers of choice to nursing home (NH) residents during morning care. Design A controlled trial with a delayed intervention design. Setting Four community, for-profit nursing homes. Participants A total of 169 long-stay NH residents who required staff assistance with morning care and were able to express their care preferences. Intervention Research staff held weekly training sessions with nurse aides (NAs) for 12 consecutive weeks focused on how to offer choice during four targeted morning care areas: when to get out of bed, when to get dressed/what to wear, incontinence care (changing and/or toileting), and where to dine. Training sessions consisted of brief video vignettes illustrating staff-resident interactions followed by weekly feedback about how often choice was being provided based on standardized observations of care conducted weekly by research staff. Measurements Research staff conducted standardized observations during a minimum of 4 consecutive morning hours per participant per week for 12-weeks of baseline and 12-weeks of intervention. Results There was a significant increase in the frequency that choice was offered for three of the four targeted morning care areas from baseline to intervention: (1) out of bed, 21% to 33% (p< .001); dressing, 20% to 32% (p< .001); incontinence care, 18% to 23%, (p< .014). Dining location (8% to 13%) was not significant. There was also a significant increase in the amount of NA staff time to provide care from baseline to intervention (8.01 ± 9.0 to 9.68 ± 9.9 minutes per person, p< .001). Conclusion A staff training intervention improved the frequency with which NAs offered choice during morning care but also required more time. Despite significant improvements, choice was still offered one-third or less of the time during morning care.