Responsive Behaviors More Likely in NH Residents Receiving Rushed vs Slow Care

Compared to slow completion of care tasks, rushed care caused additional responsive behaviors such as yelling and hitting among nursing home residents with cognitive impairment, according to findings published in The Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine.

“Residents with cognitive impairment favor ‘slow care,’ so rushed care may cause additional responsive behaviors (eg, verbal threats, hitting) among residents,” researchers wrote.

The cross-sectional survey analysis involved 3547 staff members across 87 nursing homes in Western Canada. Researchers saw a response rate of 69.97% and collected data between September 2019 and February 2020.

Staff self-reported 4 types of verbal and physical responsive behavior, rushed physical care, and rushed social care.

After controlling for nursing home characteristics, authors observed the following:

• 2182 care aides (61.5%) reported having rushed at least 1 physical care task; and
• 1782 (50.2%) reported having rushed talking with residents (social care task).

Staff had 8% higher odds of experiencing yelling and screaming by residents when they rushed an additional physical care task [odds ratio (OR) 1.08, 95% CI 1.01-1.15; P=.019], and 70% higher odds when rushing social care (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.28-2.25; P<.001).

Researchers noted the same pattern in the incidence of other types of responsive behaviors.

“One approach to reducing both rushed care and resident responsive behaviors may be to improve the care environment for care aides and residents,” authors concluded.

Reference:
Song Y, Thorne TE, Norton PG, Poss J, DeGraves B, Estabrooks CA. Rushing care by care aides associated with experiences of responsive behaviors from residents in nursing homes [published online ahead of print November 21, 2021]. JAMDA. doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2021.10.017