Editorial Editor Lisa Berry Tel: +44 (0)20 8872 3169 Email: [email protected] Managing director Rhonda Oliver Editor in chief Jean Gray Senior editor Gary Bell Assistant editor Sophie Blakemore Head of production Fiona Maclean Senior production editor Julie Hickey Production editor Karen Davies Art directors Ken McLoone, Paul Swainson Picture editor Phil Brecht Digital director John Day IT and new media manager Alex Oldfield Web editor Amanda Carter
Boredom is the enemy
ADMINISTRATION Administration manager Helen Hyland Email: [email protected] Administration assistant Sandra Lynch
What do older patients, particularly those with dementia, experience between episodes of care in hospitals and care homes? Unfortunately, often it is boredom. Waiting for mealtimes, information or treatment, waiting to go home… the day can involve long, empty stretches with limited stimulation or reality orientation.
BUSINESS UNIT Commercial director Tony O’Rourke PA to commercial director Kim Sanders Head of marketing Helen Sumner Deputy head of marketing Michelle Day Marketing executive Ross Wilmot Group educational projects manager Laura Downes Display advertisements Tel: +44 (0)20 8872 3123 Advertisement and sponsorship sales manager Neil Hobson Senior sponsorship and advertising specialist Julia Gomersall Advertisement and sponsorship executives Rachel Fisher, Kelly Smith Advertisement production executive Sally Gauntlett Classified advertisements Tel: +44 (0)20 8423 1333 Classified advertisement manager Andy McCallum Sales project specialist Freddie Collier Classified advertisement executives Mandy Croggon, Shona Gethin
Boredom in any setting may be a precursor to depression and apathy, and have a negative effect on patient experience and recovery. In acute care, there are additional risks of delirium and distress arising from illness and an unfamiliar environment.
CONSULTANT EDITOR Nicky Hayes Nurse consultant for older people, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the Care Homes Support Team, Southwark Primary Care Trust, London EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Dr Clare Abley Nurse consultant, vulnerable older adults, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle Professor June Andrews Director, Dementia Services Development Centre, University of Stirling Professor Lynn Chenoweth Professor of aged and extended care nursing, University of Technology Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Dr Kay De Vries Senior lecturer, Graduate School of Nursing and Midwifery Health, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand Ruthe Isden Programme manager for health and social care, Age UK, London Dr Jacqueline Jones Associate professor, College of Nursing, University of Colorado Abigail Masterson Director, Abi Masterson Consulting, London Deborah Sturdy independent consultant Rachel Thompson Dementia project lead, RCN
So how can we ensure that gaps are addressed, and also that every episode of care is an opportunity to promote individualised, meaningful, therapeutic activity? Is there a role here for nurses to help others, such as assistants, therapists and volunteers, promote activity? The answer is almost certainly yes, but therapeutic activity as part of planned care is a relatively under explored area.
NURSING OLDER PEOPLE RCN Publishing Company, The Heights, 59-65 Lowlands Road, Harrow-on-the-Hill, Middlesex HA1 3AW All profits generated by RCN Publishing Limited are used to benefit nurses and nursing. Nursing Older People is indexed on the following databases: British Nursing Index, Medline and Ovid ABC APPLICATION APPROVED 9,451 (Jan-Dec 2012) SUBSCRIPTION DEPARTMENT Royal College of Nursing Journal subscription department, Copse Walk, Cardiff Gate Business Park, Cardiff CF23 8XG. Tel: +44 (0)345 772 6100
How can we ensure that every episode of care is an opportunity to promote individualised, meaningful, therapeutic activity?
Nicky Hayes Consultant editor
Our research article on dog-assisted intervention for people with dementia in Swedish nursing homes does not have all the answers to these questions, but it does make a contribution to the literature (page 31). A more extensive body of evidence for non-pharmacological interventions such as dog therapy and activities for people with dementia is still needed, for several reasons. First, to verify their effectiveness, and second, to justify the investment in time, training and supervision that is required. Even if we harness the role of volunteers for interventions such as dog therapy, there needs to be investment to ensure that such schemes are supported, safe and sustainable. To justify time spent by nurses in individual assessment of needs and supervision or delivery of person-centred, therapeutic activities, we need evidence of the value of the intervention to patients and services. Do you promote meaningful activity for the older people you nurse?
Personal rates for print edition: from £66 a year in the UK and Europe, and from £121 a year in the rest of the world. Institutional print edition rates: from £446 a year Email: [email protected] ©2014 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers. ISSN 1472-0795 (print). ISSN 2047-8941 (online) Printed by Stephens and George, Merthyr Tydfil Acceptance of an advertisement does not constitute a recommendation or an endorsement of a product or service, either by the RCN or RCN Publishing nop.rcnpublishing.com
Our mission Nursing Older People aims to inform, support and educate nurses in the pursuit of excellence in patient care. Nursing Older People is editorially independent and the opinions expressed in it are not those of the RCN, nor of any contributor’s employing organisation, unless specifically stated.
Follow us: @NSComment
Read more at: nursingblog.rcnpublishing.co.uk
Visit us at: Nursing Older People
NURSING OLDER PEOPLE April 2014 | Volume 26 | Number 3 Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Oct 14, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Boredom is the enemy
ADMINISTRATION Administration manager Helen Hyland Email: [email protected] Administration assistant Sandra Lynch
What do older patients, particularly those with dementia, experience between episodes of care in hospitals and care homes? Unfortunately, often it is boredom. Waiting for mealtimes, information or treatment, waiting to go home… the day can involve long, empty stretches with limited stimulation or reality orientation.
BUSINESS UNIT Commercial director Tony O’Rourke PA to commercial director Kim Sanders Head of marketing Helen Sumner Deputy head of marketing Michelle Day Marketing executive Ross Wilmot Group educational projects manager Laura Downes Display advertisements Tel: +44 (0)20 8872 3123 Advertisement and sponsorship sales manager Neil Hobson Senior sponsorship and advertising specialist Julia Gomersall Advertisement and sponsorship executives Rachel Fisher, Kelly Smith Advertisement production executive Sally Gauntlett Classified advertisements Tel: +44 (0)20 8423 1333 Classified advertisement manager Andy McCallum Sales project specialist Freddie Collier Classified advertisement executives Mandy Croggon, Shona Gethin
Boredom in any setting may be a precursor to depression and apathy, and have a negative effect on patient experience and recovery. In acute care, there are additional risks of delirium and distress arising from illness and an unfamiliar environment.
CONSULTANT EDITOR Nicky Hayes Nurse consultant for older people, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the Care Homes Support Team, Southwark Primary Care Trust, London EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Dr Clare Abley Nurse consultant, vulnerable older adults, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle Professor June Andrews Director, Dementia Services Development Centre, University of Stirling Professor Lynn Chenoweth Professor of aged and extended care nursing, University of Technology Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Dr Kay De Vries Senior lecturer, Graduate School of Nursing and Midwifery Health, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand Ruthe Isden Programme manager for health and social care, Age UK, London Dr Jacqueline Jones Associate professor, College of Nursing, University of Colorado Abigail Masterson Director, Abi Masterson Consulting, London Deborah Sturdy independent consultant Rachel Thompson Dementia project lead, RCN
So how can we ensure that gaps are addressed, and also that every episode of care is an opportunity to promote individualised, meaningful, therapeutic activity? Is there a role here for nurses to help others, such as assistants, therapists and volunteers, promote activity? The answer is almost certainly yes, but therapeutic activity as part of planned care is a relatively under explored area.
NURSING OLDER PEOPLE RCN Publishing Company, The Heights, 59-65 Lowlands Road, Harrow-on-the-Hill, Middlesex HA1 3AW All profits generated by RCN Publishing Limited are used to benefit nurses and nursing. Nursing Older People is indexed on the following databases: British Nursing Index, Medline and Ovid ABC APPLICATION APPROVED 9,451 (Jan-Dec 2012) SUBSCRIPTION DEPARTMENT Royal College of Nursing Journal subscription department, Copse Walk, Cardiff Gate Business Park, Cardiff CF23 8XG. Tel: +44 (0)345 772 6100
How can we ensure that every episode of care is an opportunity to promote individualised, meaningful, therapeutic activity?
Nicky Hayes Consultant editor
Our research article on dog-assisted intervention for people with dementia in Swedish nursing homes does not have all the answers to these questions, but it does make a contribution to the literature (page 31). A more extensive body of evidence for non-pharmacological interventions such as dog therapy and activities for people with dementia is still needed, for several reasons. First, to verify their effectiveness, and second, to justify the investment in time, training and supervision that is required. Even if we harness the role of volunteers for interventions such as dog therapy, there needs to be investment to ensure that such schemes are supported, safe and sustainable. To justify time spent by nurses in individual assessment of needs and supervision or delivery of person-centred, therapeutic activities, we need evidence of the value of the intervention to patients and services. Do you promote meaningful activity for the older people you nurse?
Personal rates for print edition: from £66 a year in the UK and Europe, and from £121 a year in the rest of the world. Institutional print edition rates: from £446 a year Email: [email protected] ©2014 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers. ISSN 1472-0795 (print). ISSN 2047-8941 (online) Printed by Stephens and George, Merthyr Tydfil Acceptance of an advertisement does not constitute a recommendation or an endorsement of a product or service, either by the RCN or RCN Publishing nop.rcnpublishing.com
Our mission Nursing Older People aims to inform, support and educate nurses in the pursuit of excellence in patient care. Nursing Older People is editorially independent and the opinions expressed in it are not those of the RCN, nor of any contributor’s employing organisation, unless specifically stated.
Follow us: @NSComment
Read more at: nursingblog.rcnpublishing.co.uk
Visit us at: Nursing Older People
NURSING OLDER PEOPLE April 2014 | Volume 26 | Number 3 Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Oct 14, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
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