Multiple and multidimensional life transitions in the context of life-limiting health conditions: longitudinal study focussing on perspectives of young adults, families and professionals.

Background: There is a dearth of literature that investigates life transitions of young adults (YAs) with life-limiting conditions, families and professionals. The scant literature that is available has methodological limitations, including not listening to the voice of YAs, collecting data retrospectively, at one time point, from one group's perspective and single case studies. The aim of this study was to address the gaps found in our literature review and provide a clearer understanding of the multiple and multi-dimensional life transitions experienced by YAs and significant others, over a period of time.

What happens for informal caregivers during transition to increased levels of care for the person with dementia? A systematic review protocol.

Background: Dementia is a globally prevalent disease that requires ongoing and increasing levels of care, often provided in the first instance by informal caregivers. Supporting transitions in informal caregiving in dementia is a pertinent issue for caregivers, care providers and governments. There is no existing systematic review that seeks to identify and map the body of literature regarding the review question: 'What happens for informal caregivers during transition to increased levels of care for the person with dementia?'

Methods/design: ASSIA, CINAHL+, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, SCIE, Social Service Abstracts and Web of Science will be systematically searched.

Information-sharing with respite care services for older adults: a qualitative exploration of carers' experiences.

Respite services play an important role in supporting older adults and their carers. When an older person is unable to fully represent themselves, provision of respite care relies on effective information-sharing between carers and respite staff. This study aimed to explore, from carers' perspectives, the scope, quality and fit of information-sharing between carers, older people and respite services.

Sliding doors: Did drama-based inter-professional education improve the tensions round person-centred nursing and social care delivery for people with dementia: A mixed method exploratory study.

This educational intervention takes place when the population of older people with dementia is increasing. Health and Social care professionals must work jointly in increasingly complex contexts. Negative attitudes towards older people are cited as a contributor to poor care delivery, including the use of dismissive and/or patronising language, failing to meet fundamental needs and afford choice.

School-based child sexual abuse prevention programs: moving toward resiliency-informed evaluation.

Although recent years have seen an increase in the range of child sexual abuse prevention programs delivered in schools, there have been relatively few efficacy studies. Those conducted have focused primarily on intrinsic child factors and have often lacked an explicit theoretical framework. We offer resiliency theory as a useful and apposite theoretical framework for program evaluation.

Older people's views on what they need to successfully adjust to life with a hearing aid.

This article reports a study exploring what older people believe would enable them to adjust to and gain maximum benefit from wearing a hearing aid. A mixed methods approach was employed during 2006 involving interviews with key stakeholders, a survey across three Scottish health board areas and focus groups. Nine key stakeholders from six national and local organisations were interviewed about the needs of older people being fitted with hearing aids.

Constructing a new approach to developing evidence-based practice with nurses and older people.

Purpose: Providing evidence-based nursing care to older people is central to the international development agenda. This paper is a report on the first 5 years (2000-2005) of a participatory research project, the purpose of which was to collaborate with practitioners and older people to develop approaches to promote the attainment of evidence-based nursing care across Scotland.

Design: Many theoretical influences shaped the design of this action research study including realistic evaluation, participatory social learning theory, and descriptions of communities of practice.

Describing gerontological nursing: an academic exercise or prerequisite for progress?

Aims And Objectives: To develop a practitioner-led description of gerontological nursing and articulate the principles which underpin its practice.

Background: As the population ages expertise in gerontological nursing will become increasingly important. However, a complete and widely accepted delineation of the rationale, philosophy, knowledge base and special skills for gerontological nursing is yet to be developed.