Depressive symptoms in newly admitted nursing home residents.

Objectives: To study the relationship between the prevalence of depressive symptoms in newly admitted nursing home residents and their previous place of residence.

Methods: In 65 nursing homes in the Netherlands trained physicians assessed 562 residents (mean age 78.5, range 28-101, 64.

Home care needs of patients with long-term conditions: literature review.

Background: There is a widely felt need to improve the match between long-term patients' care needs and actual use of home care. As this match is not always adequate, it is important to know what factors influence it.

Aim: The aim of this paper is to provide insight into long-term patients' need and actual use of home care, and the factors influencing these.

The implementation of snoezelen in psychogeriatric care: an evaluation through the eyes of caregivers.

Many intervention studies lack an investigation of the extent to which the intervention was implemented as intended, which makes outcome measures difficult to interpret. The aim of the present study was to gain insight into the implementation process of snoezelen in 24-h dementia care. The intervention in each of six experimental wards comprised training sessions in 'snoezelen for caregivers', evaluated using a questionnaire.

An evaluation of the new home-care needs assessment policy in the Netherlands.

The aim of the present study was to describe the realisation of the new-style needs assessment in the Netherlands and how it is evaluated. Furthermore, judgements about the new way of assessing (chronic) patients' needs with respect to home care are presented. Data were gathered by means of a postal survey of all assessment agencies, home-care organisations and health insurers.

The effect of depression on social engagement in newly admitted Dutch nursing home residents.

Purpose: To study the effect of depression (high levels of depressive symptoms) on social engagement.

Design And Methods: In 65 nursing homes in the Netherlands, 562 newly admitted residents were assessed at admission. Social engagement was measured with the MDS Index of Social Engagement.