The quality of the built environment can impact the quality of life and the sense of home of nursing home residents. This study investigated (1) which factors in the physical and social environment correlate with the sense of home of the residents and (2) which environmental factors are most meaningful. Twelve participants engaged in a qualitative study, in which photography was as a supportive tool for subsequent interviews. The data were analysed based on the six phases by Braun and Clarke. The four themes identified are (1) the physical view; (2) mobility and accessibility; (3) space, place, and personal belongings; and (4) the social environment and activities. A holistic understanding of which features of the built environment are appreciated by the residents can lead to the design and retrofitting of nursing homes that are more in line with personal wishes.
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The transition from home to a nursing home can be stressful and traumatic for both older persons and informal caregivers and is often associated with negative outcomes. Additionally, transitional care interventions often lack a comprehensive approach, possibly leading to fragmented care. To avoid this fragmentation and to optimize transitional care, a comprehensive and theory-based model is fundamental. It should include the needs of both older persons and informal caregivers. Therefore, this study, conducted within the European TRANS-SENIOR research consortium, proposes a model to optimize the transition from home to a nursing home, based on the experiences of older persons and informal caregivers. These experiences were captured by conducting a literature review with relevant literature retrieved from the databases CINAHL and PubMed. Studies were included if older persons and/or informal caregivers identified the experiences, needs, barriers, or facilitators during the transition from home to a nursing home. Subsequently, the data extracted from the included studies were mapped to the different stages of transition (pre-transition, mid-transition, and post-transition), creating the TRANSCITmodel. Finally, results were discussed with an expert panel, leading to a final proposed TRANSCIT model. The TRANSCIT model identified that older people and informal caregivers expressed an overall need for partnership during the transition from home to a nursing home. Moreover, it identified 4 key components throughout the transition trajectory (ie, pre-, mid-, and post-transition): (1) support, (2) communication, (3) information, and (4) time. The TRANSCIT model could advise policy makers, practitioners, and researchers on the development and evaluation of (future) transitional care interventions. It can be a guideline reckoning the needs of older people and their informal caregivers, emphasizing the need for a partnership, consequently reducing fragmentation in transitional care and optimizing the transition from home to a nursing home.
Due to societal developments, like the introduction of the ‘civil society’, policy stimulating longer living at home and the separation of housing and care, the housing situation of older citizens is a relevant and pressing issue for housing-, governance- and care organizations. The current situation of living with care already benefits from technological advancement. The wide application of technology especially in care homes brings the emergence of a new source of information that becomes invaluable in order to understand how the smart urban environment affects the health of older people. The goal of this proposal is to develop an approach for designing smart neighborhoods, in order to assist and engage older adults living there. This approach will be applied to a neighborhood in Aalst-Waalre which will be developed into a living lab. The research will involve: (1) Insight into social-spatial factors underlying a smart neighborhood; (2) Identifying governance and organizational context; (3) Identifying needs and preferences of the (future) inhabitant; (4) Matching needs & preferences to potential socio-techno-spatial solutions. A mixed methods approach fusing quantitative and qualitative methods towards understanding the impacts of smart environment will be investigated. After 12 months, employing several concepts of urban computing, such as pattern recognition and predictive modelling , using the focus groups from the different organizations as well as primary end-users, and exploring how physiological data can be embedded in data-driven strategies for the enhancement of active ageing in this neighborhood will result in design solutions and strategies for a more care-friendly neighborhood.
The main objective is to write a scientific paper in a peer-reviewed Open Access journal on the results of our feasibility study on increasing physical activity in home dwelling adults with chronic stroke. We feel this is important as this article aims to close a gap in the existing literature on behavioral interventions in physical therapy practice. Though our main target audience are other researchers, we feel clinical practice and current education on patients with stroke will benefit as well.
Kwetsbare thuiswonende ouderen met een acute zorgvraag worden regelmatig opgenomen in het ziekenhuis. Het voorkómen van een onnodige acute opname is belangrijk. Een acute opname leidt namelijk vaak tot negatieve uitkomsten voor ouderen, zoals het vergroten van kwetsbaarheid, lichamelijke achteruitgang en functieverlies. Uit meerdere gespreksrondes met wijkverpleegkundigen blijkt dat zij het lastig vinden om de medische urgentie van een acute zorgvraag van ouderen goed in te schatten, en zodanig over te dragen naar de huisarts, zodat deze de urgentie begrijpt en oppakt. Ambulancezorgprofessionals geven aan dat zij de medische toestand juist goed in beeld hebben, maar de ondersteuningsbehoefte bij kwetsbare oudere moeilijk in kunnen schatten en niet weten wiens verantwoordelijkheid het is om de ondersteuningsbehoefte aan over te dragen. Beide disciplines kunnen van elkaar leren. Met dit project beogen wij door ontwerpgericht onderzoek kennisuitwisseling tot stand te brengen en nieuwe toepasbare kennis en handvatten te ontwikkelen om de handelingsverlegenheid van wijkverpleegkundigen en ambulancezorgprofessionals bij kwetsbare ouderen te verminderen. Hiermee dragen we bij aan het oplossen van de knelpunten in de acute zorgverlening voor kwetsbare ouderen in de thuissituatie en ondersteunen we maatschappelijke ontwikkelingen gericht op het organiseren van zorg dicht bij de patiënt. De eerste stap van het plan van aanpak is om knelpunten en oorzaken verder in kaart te brengen, met behulp van een PRISMA-analyse van echte ‘vastgelopen’ casuïstiek van kwetsbare ouderen met een acute zorgvraag. Vervolgens worden instrumenten in kaart gebracht via een rapid literatuurreview, aangevuld met via een enquête verkregen gegevens onder professionals in Nederland. Deze informatie wordt verwerkt in een drietal ontwerpsessies, waarbij handvatten voor wijkverpleegkundigen en ambulancezorgprofessionals in co-creatie worden ontwikkeld. Vervolgens worden deze handvatten in een pilot getest op haalbaarheid. Met deze uitkomsten worden handvatten zo nodig aangepast en vervolgens verspreid onder betrokken professionals via diverse kanalen, kennissessies en in het HBO-onderwijs opgenomen.
