Nursing home environments typically have detrimental effects on the quality of life for residents and the job satisfaction of nursing staff. The paucity of meaningful communicative interactions between residents and staff is thought to cause these environments to appear bleak and sterile. The purpose of the proposed study is to both increase the rate and quality of staff-resident communicative interactions and decrease the frequency of resident disruptive behavior. Nursing aides (NAs) will be randomly assigned by units to one of two groups: (1) a combined prosthetic memory aid and staff management intervention to increase the quantity and quality of Interactions with residents, and (2) a no treatment control condition. The intervention condition will last 4 weeks; pre and post-assessments will occur 6 weeks prior to and 8 weeks after intervention. To assess long term effects, all participants will be reassessed 3 months after intervention. Due to the large number of NAs and residents needed to detect intervention effects, and the broad expertise required in developing these treatment techniques, this study will involve two teams of researchers with a collaborative history and will be conducted In 8 nursing homes across two geographic sites, Pittsburgh, PA and Birmingham, AL There are 3 specific aims: 1): to assess the efficacy of a Combined Memory Aid + Staff Management treatment for increasing the frequency of interaction between NAs and residents; 2): to assess the effects of the intervention on the quality of staff-resident interactions; and 3): to assess the effects of the treatment on resident disruptive behaviors. Secondary aims of this study are to examine differences between groups in NA's attitudes, job satisfaction, and resident quality of life.
| Allen, Rebecca S; DeLaine, Shermetra R; Chaplin, William F et al. (2003) Advance care planning in nursing homes: correlates of capacity and possession of advance directives. Gerontologist 43:309-17 |
| Allen, Rebecca S; Thorn, Beverly E; Fisher, Susan E et al. (2003) Prescription and dosage of analgesic medication in relation to resident behaviors in the nursing home. J Am Geriatr Soc 51:534-8 |
| Allen, Rebecca S; Burgio, Louis D; Roth, David L et al. (2003) The Revised Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist--Nursing Home: instrument development and measurement of burden among certified nursing assistants. Psychol Aging 18:886-95 |
| Burgio, L D; Allen-Burge, R; Roth, D L et al. (2001) Come talk with me: improving communication between nursing assistants and nursing home residents during care routines. Gerontologist 41:449-60 |
