TY - JOUR
T1 - Managing deterioration in older adults in care homes
T2 - A quality improvement project to introduce an early warning tool
AU - Little, Sarah
AU - Rodgers, Geraldine
AU - Fitzpatrick, Joanne M.
PY - 2019/2/2
Y1 - 2019/2/2
N2 - Many older adults living in care homes have complex health needs requiring comprehensive care. Early warning tools can help identify deterioration, but currently they are less often used in care homes. The aim of this quality improvement project was to introduce an early warning tool, the Significant 7, to facilitate identification and management of deterioration in care home residents. The plan, do, study, act (PDSA) method was used, and process mapping informed a tailored intervention. Introducing the tool had positive outcomes for residents and care staff. There was a reduction in the incidence of pressure ulcers and falls, and care staff were more confident in recognising resident deterioration. Next steps include scaling up the project to further examine how this early warning tool can improve resident, staff and organisational outcomes, in order to explore the potential use of the tool by community nurses with older people living at home.
AB - Many older adults living in care homes have complex health needs requiring comprehensive care. Early warning tools can help identify deterioration, but currently they are less often used in care homes. The aim of this quality improvement project was to introduce an early warning tool, the Significant 7, to facilitate identification and management of deterioration in care home residents. The plan, do, study, act (PDSA) method was used, and process mapping informed a tailored intervention. Introducing the tool had positive outcomes for residents and care staff. There was a reduction in the incidence of pressure ulcers and falls, and care staff were more confident in recognising resident deterioration. Next steps include scaling up the project to further examine how this early warning tool can improve resident, staff and organisational outcomes, in order to explore the potential use of the tool by community nurses with older people living at home.
KW - Care homes
KW - Early warning tool
KW - KEY WORDS Deterioration
KW - Older adults
KW - Quality improvement
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85060826223&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.12968/bjcn.2019.24.2.58
DO - 10.12968/bjcn.2019.24.2.58
M3 - Article
C2 - 30698477
AN - SCOPUS:85060826223
SN - 1462-4753
VL - 24
SP - 58
EP - 66
JO - British Journal of Community Nursing
JF - British Journal of Community Nursing
IS - 2
ER -