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.

Communication between nurses and simulated patients with cancer: evaluation of a communication training programme.

In this paper the effect of a communication training programme on the instrumental and affective communication skills employed by ward nurses during the admittance interview with recently diagnosed cancer patients was investigated. The training focused on teaching nurses skills to discuss and handle patient emotions. For this purpose, 46 nurses participated in 92 videotaped admittance interviews with simulated patients.

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.

Effects of the implementation of the Resident Assessment Instrument on gaps between perceived needs and nursing care supply for nursing home residents in the Netherlands.

This study evaluated the effects of the implementation of the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) on gaps perceived between residents' needs and nursing care received in Dutch nursing homes. In a controlled group design residents were interviewed before and after the implementation. Most gaps were perceived in the psycho-social area rather than physical or needs with aids and facilities.

Continuity of care for patients on a waiting list for institutional long-term care.

The aim of this study was to examine patients' satisfaction with continuity of care while on a waiting list for residential care or nursing home care. Two hundred and seventy-eight patients participated in the study, all living in the community setting of two cities in the Netherlands. These patients were positively assessed and on a waiting list for admission in a nursing home or a residential home.

Workload, capacity for coping and psychological and physical outcomes amongst home helps in the Netherlands.

Owing to many developments and changes in home care in the Netherlands, a national study was carried out. One of the aims was to examine the differences between the six categories of home help in the Netherlands regarding workload, pressure of work and capacity for coping. A total of 474 home helps from six categories participated in the study.

A job profile of home helps in the Netherlands.

Owing to many developments and changes in home care in the Netherlands, a national study on home help services was carried out. One of the aims was to examine the job content of the six new categories of home help, the differences in their work and the correspondence of daily practice with formal job descriptions. Six home help categories were examined: alpha helps; A home helps; B caring helps; C and D carers; and specialized E carers - self-registration forms and weekly reports were used for data-collection.

Feeling at home in nursing homes.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine determinants of feeling at home and in particular the privacy in nursing homes in The Netherlands. The first question was to what extent nursing homes differed in the degree residents feel at home and experience privacy. The second question was whether feeling at home is related to privacy in the nursing homes.

Improvements in the quality of co-ordination of nursing care following implementation of the Resident Assessment Instrument in Dutch nursing homes.

Aim: To study the effect of implementation of the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) on the quality of co-ordination of nursing care in Dutch nursing homes.

Background: The Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) was designed to improve the quality of care and quality of life in nursing homes. Until now, only noncontrolled studies on the effects of implementation of the RAI have been carried out.

Communication skills of nurses during interactions with simulated cancer patients.

Aim: In this paper the balance of affective and instrumental communication employed by nurses during the admission interview with recently diagnosed cancer patients was investigated.

Rationale: The balance of affective and instrumental communication employed by nurses appears to be important, especially during the admission interview with cancer patients.

Methods: For this purpose, admission interviews between 53 ward nurses and simulated cancer patients were videotaped and analysed using the Roter Interaction Analysis system, in which a distinction is made between instrumental and affective communication.

The relation between quality of co-ordination of nursing care and quality of life in Dutch nursing homes.

Quality of life of nursing home residents is a critical consideration in international health care policies and health care decisions. Yet, there is little relevant research to support decisions about client-tailored and effective nursing care for this population. Because of the permanency of their stay, the care received affects the quality of daily life.

Dutch transmural nurse clinics for chronic patients: a descriptive study.

'Transmural care' can be defined as patient-tailored care provided on the basis of close collaboration and joint responsibility between hospitals and home care organizations. One form of transmural care is transmural nurse clinics for chronically ill. This study describes 62 transmural nurse clinics in the Netherlands.

Evaluation of communication training programs in nursing care: a review of the literature.

An important aspect of nursing care is communication with patients. Nurses' major communication tasks are not only to inform the patient about his/her disease and treatment, but also to create a therapeutically effective relationship by assessing patients' concerns, showing understanding, empathy, and providing comfort and support. In this review, 14 studies, which focus on the evaluation of the effects of communication training programs for nurses, have been evaluated.

Effects of video interaction analysis training on nurse-patient communication in the care of the elderly.

This paper describes an empirical evaluation of communication skills training for nurses in elderly care. The training programme was based on Video Interaction Analysis and aimed to improve nurses' communication skills such that they pay attention to patients' physical, social and emotional needs and support self care in elderly people. The effects of the training course were measured in an experimental and control group.

A comparative study of the financing, provision and quality of care in nursing homes. The approach of four European countries: Belgium, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands.

A comparative study of the financing, provision and quality of care in nursing homes. The approach of four European countries: Belgium, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands As result of an increase in the numbers of frail elderly people, most European countries are facing problems with the financing and provision of services by nursing homes. At the same time, the expectations of quality of these services continue to rise.

Palliative care services in The Netherlands: a descriptive study.

In this paper several types of specialized palliative care services in The Netherlands are presented. These include palliative care units in homes for the elderly, in nursing homes, in a general hospital and in an oncology clinic. In addition, a description is given of private hospices and of a home specializing in the care of terminally ill children.

Nurse-patient communication in cancer care. A review of the literature.

Patients with cancer seem to experience distress particularly in the first period after diagnosis, and are likely to develop an affective disorder in the first 2 to 3 months. Communicative behaviors of nurses seem to play an important role in meeting the cognitive and affective needs of patients with cancer. This review of the literature examines the communicative behaviors of nurses during care activities with patients who have cancer.

Factors related to nurse communication with elderly people.

This study explores variables that might influence nurses' communication with elderly patients. Three groups of variables arise from the literature that seem to affect the quality or quantity of nurse-patient communication: variables related to nurses, to patients, and to the setting in which nursing care takes place. The study was conducted in two different care settings: a home for elderly people and a home care organization.

Effects of the Resident Assessment Instrument on the care process and health outcomes in nursing homes. A review of the literature.

The objective of the paper is to review the effects of the implementation of the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) on process measures (quality of care plans and staff satisfaction) and outcome measures (health problems and quality of life) in nursing homes. All available publications on the effects of the RAI were included in the review. The most positive effects of the RAI were found in improvements in the comprehensiveness and accuracy of the care plans.

Non-verbal behaviour in nurse-elderly patient communication.

This study explores the occurrence of non-verbal communication in nurse-elderly patient interaction in two different care settings: home nursing and a home for the elderly. In a sample of 181 nursing encounters involving 47 nurses a study was made of videotaped nurse-patient communication. Six non-verbal behaviours were observed: patient-directed eye gaze, affirmative head nodding, smiling, forward leaning, affective touch and instrumental touch.

Nurse-elderly patient communication in home care and institutional care: an explorative study.

This study explores communication patterns between nurses and elderly patients in two different care settings. In a sample of 181 video-taped nursing encounters, involving 47 nurses and 109 patients, a study was made of nurse-patient communication. The video recordings were observed using an adapted version of Roter's Interaction Analysis System, which yields frequencies of 23 types of verbal behaviours.

[Perceived quality of life of elderly somatic nursing-home patients. Construction of a measuring instrument].

An instrument to assess perceived quality of life of physically frail elderly persons is needed in nursing home research. Four existing instruments (Pain, Somatic Autonomy, Life Satisfaction, Social Isolation) and two new scales (Perceived Safety, Perceived Autonomy) were tested for internal consistency, validity of the dimensional structure, discriminatory power, and feasibility. The scales were administered to 243 physically frail elderly nursing home patients.