title: Palliative care for advanced dementia: a pilot project in 2 nursing homes.
abstract: This article describes a pilot project involving training, case consultations, and administrative coaching over a period of 1 year aimed at introducing palliative care in 2 nursing homes among 31 residents with advanced dementia. Resident outcomes that examined numerous clinical measures were assessed at 3 points in time. Changes in the knowledge and attitudes of 80 staff members and 33 family members who participated in the multimodal intervention were also assessed at 3 points in time. Limited improvements were demonstrated on measures for residents, staff members, and family members at the first nursing home (site 1) and significant improvements were demonstrated at the other nursing home (site 2). Top leadership turned over 3 times at site 1 which limited the integration of palliative care, whereas leadership of site 2 remained stable. Implications for implementing a program of palliative care in nursing homes are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Rainbow Hospice and Palliative Care, Mount Prospect, IL 60056, USA. dkuhn@rainbowhospice.org
authors.forename: Daniel R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.forename: Jeannine M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Forrest
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000451:nursing; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D017028:Caregivers; D003704:Dementia / Q000451:nursing*; D005190:Family; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009735:Nursing Homes; D009740:Nursing Staff; D010166:Palliative Care; D010865:Pilot Projects