Decreased costs and retained QoL due to the 'PACE Steps to Success' intervention in LTCFs: cost-effectiveness analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The number of residents in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) in need of palliative care is growing in the Western world. Therefore, it is foreseen that significantly higher percentages of budgets will be spent on palliative care. However, cost-effectiveness analyses of palliative care interventions in these settings are lacking.

Correction: Technical-efficiency analysis of end-of-life care in long-term care facilities within Europe: A cross-sectional study of deceased residents in 6 EU countries (PACE).

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Technical-efficiency analysis of end-of-life care in long-term care facilities within Europe: A cross-sectional study of deceased residents in 6 EU countries (PACE).

Background: An ageing population in the EU leads to a higher need of long-term institutional care at the end of life. At the same time, healthcare costs rise while resources remain limited. Consequently, an urgency to extend our knowledge on factors affecting efficiency of long-term care facilities (LTCFs) arises.

Effectiveness of a nurse-supported self-management programme for dual sensory impaired older adults in long-term care: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a nurse-supported self-management programme to improve social participation of dual sensory impaired older adults in long-term care homes.

Design: Cluster randomised controlled trial.

Setting: Thirty long-term care homes across the Netherlands.

Evaluation of nurses' changing perceptions when trained to implement a self-management programme for dual sensory impaired older adults in long-term care: a qualitative study.

Objectives: To gain insights into the process of nurses' changing perceptions when trained to implement a self-management programme for dual sensory impaired older adults in long-term care, and into the factors that contributed to these changes in their perceptions.

Design: Qualitative study alongside a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Setting: 17 long-term care homes spread across the Netherlands.

Effectiveness of a training package for implementing a community-based occupational therapy program in dementia: a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Objective: Evaluate the effectiveness of a training package to implement a community occupational therapy program for people with dementia and their caregiver (COTiD).

Design: Cluster randomized controlled trial.

Subjects: A total of 45 service units including 94 occupational therapists, 48 managers, 80 physicians, treating 71 client-caregiver couples.

Screening for hearing, visual and dual sensory impairment in older adults using behavioural cues: a validation study.

Objective: This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Severe Dual Sensory Loss screening tool, a tool designed to help nurses and care assistants to identify hearing, visual and dual sensory impairment in older adults.

Design: Construct validity of the Severe Dual Sensory Loss screening tool was evaluated using Crohnbach's alpha and factor analysis. Interrater reliability was calculated using Kappa statistics.

Pain is not systematically registered in Dutch medical oncology outpatients.

Background: Systematic pain registration and assessment with a visual analog scale (VAS) or numeric rating scale (NRS) at each visit are key recommendations in one of the most recent guidelines on cancer pain management. It is unclear whether this recommendation is applied.

Objectives: The aim was to explore registration of pain in medical records of patients visiting the medical oncology outpatient clinic.

The economics of dementia-care mapping in nursing homes: a cluster-randomised controlled trial.

Background: Dementia-care mapping (DCM) is a cyclic intervention aiming at reducing neuropsychiatric symptoms in people with dementia in nursing homes. Alongside an 18-month cluster-randomized controlled trial in which we studied the effectiveness of DCM on residents and staff outcomes, we investigated differences in costs of care between DCM and usual care in nursing homes.

Methods: Dementia special care units were randomly assigned to DCM or usual care.

Long-term effects of group therapy for patients with mild cognitive impairment and their significant others: a 6- to 8-month follow-up study.

The present study examines the long-term effects of a 10-session cognitive behavioural group therapy for patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and their significant others 6 to 8 months after completion of the intervention. Forty-seven MCI patients and 47 significant others participated in the follow-up assessment. Results of the RAND-36, Illness Cognition Questionnaire, IQCODE, GDS-15 and Sense of Competence Questionnaire at follow-up were compared with the post-intervention assessment.

The experiences and needs of children living with a parent with young onset dementia: results from the NeedYD study.

Background: Children of patients with young onset dementia (YOD) who are confronted with a parent who has a progressive disease, often assist in caregiving tasks, which may have a great impact on their lives. The objective of the present study is to explore the experiences of children living with a young parent with dementia with a specific focus on the children's needs.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews with 14 adolescent children between the ages of 15 and 27 years of patients with YOD were analyzed using inductive content analysis.

Determinants for the effectiveness of implementing an occupational therapy intervention in routine dementia care.

Background: A multifaceted implementation (MFI) strategy was used to implement an evidence-based occupational therapy program for people with dementia (COTiD program). This strategy was successful in increasing the number of referrals, but not in improving occupational therapists' (OTs) adherence. Therefore, a process evaluation was conducted to identify factors that influenced the effectiveness of the MFI strategy.

Effectiveness of a self-management program for dual sensory impaired seniors in aged care settings: study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Background: Five to 25 percent of residents in aged care settings have a combined hearing and visual sensory impairment. Usual care is generally restricted to single sensory impairment, neglecting the consequences of dual sensory impairment on social participation and autonomy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a self-management program for seniors who acquired dual sensory impairment at old age.

The relationship between unmet care needs in young-onset dementia and the course of neuropsychiatric symptoms: a two-year follow-up study.

Background: Little is known about care needs in young-onset dementia (YOD) patients, even though this information is essential for service provision and future care planning. We explored: (1) care needs of people with YOD, (2) the level of agreement within patient-caregiver dyads on care needs, and (3) the longitudinal relationship between unmet needs and neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Methods: A community-based prospective study of 215 YOD patients-caregiver dyads.

More insight into the concept of apathy: a multidisciplinary depression management program has different effects on depressive symptoms and apathy in nursing homes.

Background: Apathy is common in nursing home (NH) residents and it overlaps with depression. This study examines the effects of a multidisciplinary depression program on apathy and depressive motivational and mood symptoms.

Methods: Secondary analyses of a stepped-wedge cluster-randomized controlled trial were conducted with six measurements.

Unmet needs and health-related quality of life in young-onset dementia.

Objectives: Young-onset dementia (YOD) causes specific challenges and issues that are likely to affect health-related quality of life (HRQOL). This study explored patient and caregiver HRQOL and its association with unmet needs in YOD.

Methods: A cross-sectional design was used to study 215 community-dwelling YOD patients and their primary caregivers.

Effects of dementia-care mapping on residents and staff of care homes: a pragmatic cluster-randomised controlled trial.

Background: The effectiveness of dementia-care mapping (DCM) for institutionalised people with dementia has been demonstrated in an explanatory cluster-randomised controlled trial (cRCT) with two DCM researchers carrying out the DCM intervention. In order to be able to inform daily practice, we studied DCM effectiveness in a pragmatic cRCT involving a wide range of care homes with trained nursing staff carrying out the intervention.

Methods: Dementia special care units were randomly assigned to DCM or usual care.

Effectiveness of a multifaceted implementation strategy on physicians' referral behavior to an evidence-based psychosocial intervention in dementia: a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Background: To evaluate the effectiveness of a multifaceted implementation strategy on physicians' referral rate to and knowledge on the community occupational therapy in dementia program (COTiD program).

Methods: A cluster randomized controlled trial with 28 experimental and 17 control clusters was conducted. Cluster included a minimum of one physician, one manager, and two occupational therapists.

A structural multidisciplinary approach to depression management in nursing-home residents: a multicentre, stepped-wedge cluster-randomised trial.

Background: Depression in nursing-home residents is often under-recognised. We aimed to establish the effectiveness of a structural approach to its management.

Methods: Between May 15, 2009, and April 30, 2011, we undertook a multicentre, stepped-wedge cluster-randomised trial in four provinces of the Netherlands.

Learning to live with a loved one with mild cognitive impairment: effectiveness of a waiting list controlled trial of a group intervention on significant others' sense of competence and well-being.

This controlled study examines the efficacy of a comprehensive group program aimed at care partners of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which comprises elements of psychoeducation, cognitive rehabilitation, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Pre- and posttreatment quantitative and qualitative data were collected in the significant others of 84 patients with MCI, 27 of whom had first been assigned to a waiting list, thus serving as their own control group. Also, the significant others rated their sense of competence, well-being, distress, acceptance, helplessness, and awareness.

The use of formal and informal care in early onset dementia: results from the NeedYD study.

Objective: Early onset dementia (EOD) poses specific challenges and issues for both the patient and (in)formal care. This study explores the use of (in)formal care prior to institutionalization, and its association with patient and caregiver characteristics.

Design/setting: Participants were part of a community-based prospective longitudinal study of 215 patients and their informal caregivers.

Prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms in young-onset compared to late-onset Alzheimer's disease - part 1: findings of the two-year longitudinal NeedYD-study.

Background/aims: Knowledge about neuropsychiatric symptoms in young-onset Alzheimer's disease (YO-AD) is scarce, but essential to establish a prognosis and plan care for YO-AD patients. The aim of this study is to assess frequency parameters of neuropsychiatric symptoms in YO-AD over 2 years and investigate whether there are differences compared with late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LO-AD).

Methods: 98 YO-AD and 123 LO-AD patients and caregivers from two prospective cohort studies were included and assessed every 6 months for 2 years, using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory to evaluate neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Predictors of the time to institutionalization in young- versus late-onset dementia: results from the Needs in Young Onset Dementia (NeedYD) study.

Objective: To investigate the time from symptom onset to institutionalization in persons with young-onset dementia (YOD) and compare these findings with late-onset dementia (LOD), and to determine which factors predict institutionalization in persons with YOD compared with LOD.

Design/setting: Longitudinal study of community-dwelling patients with YOD and LOD and their caregivers.

Participants: A total of 226 patients with YOD and 102 with LOD and their informal caregivers were recruited through memory clinics and health care facilities.

Awareness and its association with affective symptoms in young-onset and late-onset Alzheimer disease: a prospective study.

Background: It is unknown whether there are differences between young-onset dementia and late-onset dementia in awareness levels and whether awareness is differentially associated with affective symptoms in both groups. The present study assesses possible differences between young-onset (YO-AD) and late-onset Alzheimer disease (LO-AD) in awareness levels and the association between awareness and affective symptoms.

Methods: This study included 142 YO-AD and 126 LO-AD patients and their caregivers from 2 prospective studies.