Pain and hospice care in nursing home residents with dementia and terminal cancer.

Aim: One condition associated with severe end-of-life pain that can lead to a poor quality of death is cancer. Cancer pain in people with dementia is of particular concern because of communication problems that occur with worsening disease. The aim of the current pilot study was to examine the association between hospice enrolment, dementia severity and pain among nursing home residents who died from advanced cancer.

Washington State Death with Dignity Act: implications for long-term care.

The Washington Death with Dignity Act (DWDA) allows competent, terminally ill adults to request a lethal dose of medication from a physician. The purpose of this study was to explore knowledge of Directors of Nursing (DONs) in long-term care (LTC) and assisted living facilities regarding the DWDA. Findings of the survey provide insight into DONs' understanding of the law and whether they have provided staff education regarding how to respond to resident requests.

The application of facial expressions to the assessment of orofacial pain in cognitively impaired older adults.

Background: The anticipated rapid growth in the number of cognitively impaired older adults, declining edentulism and increasing oral health expectations suggest a greater need for comprehensive dental care and effective ways to evaluate orofacial pain in people with compromised mental function and impaired communication skills. The authors conducted a study to evaluate facial expressions as a means of identifying orofacial pain in cognitively impaired and cognitively intact older adults, compared with other available pain assessment tools.

Methods: The authors conducted a prospective comparative study using three alternative pain measurement tools in a sample of 22 older adults.

Frail older patient care by interdisciplinary teams: a primer for generalists.

Frail older patients-unlike younger persons in the health care system or even well elders-require complex care. Most frail older patients have multiple chronic illnesses. Optimum care cannot be achieved by following the paradigm of ongoing traditional health care, which emphasizes disease and cure.

Treatment of pain for older hip fracture patients across settings.

Purpose: To examine the treatment of pain following hip fracture across settings (hospital to nursing home or rehabilitation facility).

Design: This was a secondary data analysis of two survey design studies that collected data on hip fracture patients in the hospital and for posthospital days at an institutional setting.

Sample: 115 subjects, 65 years or older, who had undergone surgical treatment of a hip fracture.

Older adults with hip fractures. Treatment of pain following hospitalization.

This study examined pain experiences and treatment for older adults in long-term care or rehabilitation settings 3 week after surgical repair of a hip fracture. Pain report and pain treatment for cognitively intact residents were compared with cognitively impaired residents. Two thirds of all participants reported pain.

Gerontologic nurse practitioner preceptor guide.

Geriatric nurse practitioners (GNPs) often serve as clinical preceptors for nurse practitioner students. The Nursing Interest Group of the John A. Hartford Foundation's Geriatric Interdisciplinary Team Training Program recognized a need for a condensed guide that clarifies the role of a GNP preceptor.