From day-to-day care practices to a consensus of experts: Looking at nursing interventions and their prioritization depending on the clinical profiles of geriatric patients hospitalized due to behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia

Research
By Claudia Ortoleva Bucher, Nicole Dubuc, Armin von Gunten, Diane Morin
English

The description of the different profiles of somatic, psychiatric, and socio-relational comorbidites of psychogeriatric inpatients hospitalized due to behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia and their associated nursing interventions are poorly documented. This study aimed to describe the observations and interventions given to patients from the four LPCI clinical profiles and to reach a consensus of experts on relevant interventions per profile. A content analysis was conducted on the computerized nursing notes of forty patients. By combining the individual and collective production phases, the TRIAGE method allowed for an expert consensus to be reached on relevant interventions. The results showed that the current practices are generally similar for all patients, while appropriate interventions from the expert consensus varied depending on the profile. Also, some problems receive little investment, such as the screening, assessment, and treatment of depressive symptoms and the maintenance of functional autonomy. Since most interventions have been tested in long-term institutions, the development of studies to test interventions tailored to the acute psychogeriatric environment is required, along with the implementation of evidence-based practices.

Keywords

  • intervention
  • nursing care
  • dementia
  • aged inpatients
  • classification
  • consensus
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