Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes in Caring for Older Adults With Advanced Illness Among Staff Members of Long-Term Care and Assisted Living Facilities

Abstract

In long-term care and assisted living facilities, many groups of health care professionals contribute to the work of the health care team. These staff members perform essential, direct patient care activities. An educational needs assessment was conducted to determine the learning needs and preferences of staff members related to providing care for patients with life-limiting illnesses. Staff members placed importance on understanding topics such as principles of palliative care, pain assessment, pain management, and nonpain symptom management. The majority of survey respondents were also interested in learning more about these topics. The results of this educational needs analysis suggest staff members would benefit from a course tailored to these identified educational needs and designed to overcome previously identified educational barriers.

Caring for people with dementia and challenging behaviors in nursing homes: A needs assessment geriatric nursing

“…27 Another study identifying through a needs assessment, the learning needs and preferences of nursing home staff providing care for patients with life-limiting illnesses found that the participants preferred to receive training online and at their convenience. 28 At the time of the survey, the newer forms of social media, Facebook, and applications for the iPhone were not preferred or not more than likely to be used by the respondents to garner information regarding tools to address challenging behaviors. However, a mobile device application with information from the pocket guides was created and is available through the website.…”

Challenges and Barriers Faced by Home Care Centers: An Integrative Review

“…Today, factors, such as increased long expectancy as well as the prevalence of chronic diseases have transformed the need of population health. Long-term and comprehensive care is one of these needs that can increase the temporal length of hospitalization, thus, giving rise to a wide range of financial and physical consequences for patients and economic systems alike (1). Such needs and their associated challenges have led the global health systems to create and develop counseling and home care services.…”

Culturally Competent Palliative and Hospice Care Training for Ethnically Diverse Staff in Long-Term Care Facilities

“…4,5 There are 3 models for delivering palliative care in nursing homes: (1) partnerships between hospice agencies and nursing homes, (2) external palliative care consultation teams, and (3) facilitybased palliative care expertise and adoption of palliative care practices. 6 Providing high-quality palliative and end-of-life care is a national priority in the United States; however, nursing homes have less resources to offer these services, 5,7 and urban hospital-based palliative care models are not applicable to nursing home environments. 5,8 Studies in long-term care settings indicate there is an underassessment and undertreatment of pain and symptoms 4,9 ; lack of cultural awareness and intervention 10 ; inadequate staffing to provide palliative and hospice care services 7,11 ; and lack of education of health providers.…”

“…6 Providing high-quality palliative and end-of-life care is a national priority in the United States; however, nursing homes have less resources to offer these services, 5,7 and urban hospital-based palliative care models are not applicable to nursing home environments. 5,8 Studies in long-term care settings indicate there is an underassessment and undertreatment of pain and symptoms 4,9 ; lack of cultural awareness and intervention 10 ; inadequate staffing to provide palliative and hospice care services 7,11 ; and lack of education of health providers. 4,12 Hospice care in nursing homes has increased to 33.1% in 2006 from 14.0% in 1999 due to Medicare-certified hospice programs.…”

“…13 Training of staff in palliative and hospice care is imperative to manage advanced illness to relieve suffering and improve the quality of life for patients and their families at the end of life. 7 However, many clinicians in nursing homes lack training and experience necessary to meet the patient needs for these services. 11 Other barriers are related to staff schedules and high staff turnover.…”