Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Engagement by Seniors in nursing homes is important

In BC the province where I live seniors in homes do not have the minimum care required by law and our provincial government is in no hurry to fix this problem. However, in other parts of the world, there is much being done. For example, in a survey of staff from 172 Swedish nursing homes, most residents had been outside the nursing home during the previous week, but only one-fifth had been on an outing or excursion.
Very few residents visited a restaurant, engaged in an education program, went to the cinema, or even engaged in activities such as hobbies and parlour games.
The findings can inform staff and managers to promote increased engagement in everyday activities for nursing home residents to support their wellbeing.
"The study demonstrates that activities are an important approach to increasing thriving, and that everyday activities can be conceptualised and implemented as nursing interventions to facilitate resident thriving as opposed to resident surviving in nursing home care", said Sabine Björk, lead author of the Journal of Advanced Nursing study.

The most commonly occurring everyday activities were receiving hugs and physical touch, talking to relatives/friends and receiving visitors, having conversation with staff not related to care and grooming. The least commonly occurring everyday activities were going to the cinema, participating in an educational program, visiting a restaurant and doing everyday chores. Positive associations were found between activity engagement and thriving, where engagement in an activity program, dressing nicely and spending time with someone the resident likes had the strongest positive association with resident thriving.

Engagement in everyday activities can support personhood and thriving and can be conceptualized and implemented as nursing interventions to enable residents to thrive in nursing homes.


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