"She Had a Smile on Her Face as Wide as the Great Australian Bite": A Qualitative Examination of Family Perceptions of a Therapeutic Robot and a Plush Toy.

Background And Objectives: Recent years have seen social robotic pets introduced as a means of treating behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, and many show promising potential. In this study, we sought to explore family members' perceptions of the Japanese-developed baby harp seal, Paro (version 9), and a look-alike, nonrobotic Plush Toy, when used by their relative with dementia for 15 min, 3 afternoons per week for 10 weeks.

Research Design And Method: The study employed a descriptive qualitative approach, which was nested within a larger cluster randomized controlled trial.

Long-term cognitive impairment and delirium in intensive care: A prospective cohort study.

Background: Whilst there is a growing body of research exploring the effect of delirium in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, the relationship between patient delirium and long-term cognitive impairment has not been investigated in settings where low rates of delirium have been reported.

Objectives: To assess the association between the incidence of delirium, duration of mechanical ventilation and long term cognitive impairment in general ICU patients.

Methods: Prospective cohort study conducted in a tertiary level ICU in Queensland, Australia.

A family intervention to reduce delirium in hospitalised ICU patients: A feasibility randomised controlled trial.

Background: Family members could play an important role in preventing and reducing the development of delirium in Intensive Care Units (ICU) patients. This study sought to assess the feasibility of design and recruitment, and acceptability for family members and nurses of a family delivered intervention to reduce delirium in ICU patients.

Method: A single centre randomised controlled trial in an Australian medical/surgical ICU was conducted.

Infusion phlebitis assessment measures: a systematic review.

Rationale, Aims And Objectives: Phlebitis is a common and painful complication of peripheral intravenous cannulation. The aim of this review was to identify the measures used in infusion phlebitis assessment and evaluate evidence regarding their reliability, validity, responsiveness and feasibility.

Method: We conducted a systematic literature review of the Cochrane library, Ovid MEDLINE and EBSCO CINAHL until September 2013.

Health-related quality of life in older people with severe dementia: challenges for measurement and management.

The current dementia epidemic, coupled with the absence of a cure for the disease, means that an increasing number of people with dementia are likely to experience the severe stage. Given that this final stage adversely impacts not only the person living with the disease (i.e.

The effect of massage on agitated behaviours in older people with dementia: a literature review.

Aims And Objectives: To review the literature on massage used to manage agitated behaviours in older people with dementia, assess its efficacy as a non-pharmacological approach and provide recommendations for future research.

Background: Agitation has traditionally been managed with chemical or physical restraint. There has been a growing interest in complementary therapies such as massage.

Assessing quality of life of older people with dementia: a comparison of quantitative self-report and proxy accounts.

Aims: This article reports on a study of quality of life of older people with dementia, as assessed by the person with dementia, family carer and care staff.

Background: People with dementia can give meaningful assessments of their quality of life, but these often differ from proxy ratings. In understanding this discrepancy, the influence of age, extent of cognitive impairment and activity limitation has been investigated.

Care staff attitudes and experiences of working with older people with dementia.

Aim:   To determine care staff attitudes to dementia, assess levels of job satisfaction and explore how these attitudes and experience may relate to each other.

Methods:   Forty-nine staff from four long-term care facilities were surveyed using the Approaches to Dementia Questionnaire and the Staff Experience of Working with Demented Residents Questionnaire.

Results:   Attitudes were positive, focusing most on 'person-centred' care (4.

Assessing quality of life of older people with dementia in long-term care: a comparison of two self-report measures.

Aims And Objectives: This study sought to compare two well-known and well-used self-report quality of life questionnaires in terms of completion rates, reliability and assessment of quality of life.

Background: People with dementia have a meaningful experience of quality of life and several disease-specific instruments have been designed to capture self-report assessments.

Design: A quantitative survey design, with a convenience sample of older people with dementia from four long-term care facilities.

A randomized controlled trial exploring the effect of music on agitated behaviours and anxiety in older people with dementia.

Objectives: This study, as part of a larger programme of research, sought to investigate the effect that participation in a 40-min live group music programme, involving facilitated engagement with song-singing and listening, three times a week for eight weeks, had on agitation and anxiety in older people with dementia.

Methods: A randomized cross-over design, with music and reading control groups, was employed. Forty-seven participants with mild-moderate dementia, from two aged care facilities in Queensland, Australia, were recruited.