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Sturmberg JP, Gainsford L, Goodwin N, Pond D. Systemic failures in nursing home care-A scoping study. J Eval Clin Pract 2024; 30:484-496. [PMID: 38258966 DOI: 10.1111/jep.13961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Nursing homes (also referred to as residential aged care facilities, or long-term care facilities) cater for older people on a respite or long-term basis for those who are no longer able to live independently at home. Globally the sector struggles to meet societal expectations since it is torn between three competing agendas-meeting the needs of residents, meeting the demands of regulators, and meeting the financial imperatives of nursing home proprietors. Competing demands indicate that the system lacks a clear understanding of its purpose-without a clearly understood purpose any system will become dysfunctional overall and across all its levels of organisation. This scoping study aims to summarise and synthesise what is already known about the systemic function and failures in the nursing home system, and the impact this has on the wider health and aged care system. METHOD MEDLINE, EMBASE, PSYCHINFO, CINAHL and SCOPUS were searched using the terms: (nursing home care OR residential aged care OR nursing home) AND (organisational failure OR institutional failure OR systemic failure), limited to English language articles, including all years up to the end of February 2021. In addition, we used snowballing of article references and Google searches of the grey literature. System-focused articles were defined as those that explored how an issue at one system level impacted other system levels, or how an issue impacted at least two different agents at the same system level. RESULT Thirty-eight articles addressed systemic issues as defined in four different contexts: United States (14), Canada (2), Australia (11) and European countries (11). Only four studies reported whole-of-system findings, whereas the remaining 34 more narrowly addressed systemic features of specific nursing home issues. The thematic analysis identified 29 key systemic issues across five system layers which consistently appear across every country/health system context. The negative outcomes of these systemic failings include: high rates of regulatory reprimands for unacceptable or unsafe practices; dissatisfaction in care experiences on the part of residents, families, and care staff-including a fear of being sent to a nursing home; and the perception amongst staff that nursing homes are not preferred places to work. CONCLUSIONS The key issues affecting nursing home residents, and the care home sector more generally, are systemic in nature arising from two key issues: first, the lack of shared agreement on the care home system's purpose; and second, the lack of clear governance and accountability frameworks for system regulation and performance at a national level. Addressing these two key issues must be the starting point for any 'real' nursing home system redesign that can achieve a seamlessly integrated system that delivers the outcomes nursing home residents and their families expect. 'Systems thinking' is required to simultaneously improve care quality and outcomes for residents, strengthen regulation and accountability, and enable financial viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim P Sturmberg
- College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
- International Society for Systems and Complexity Sciences for Health, Australia
| | - Len Gainsford
- Australian Government Tertiary Education Quality & Standards Agency Audit & Risk Committee & Chair, Transport Safety Victoria Audit Committee, Australia
- Centre for Enterprise Performance, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nicholas Goodwin
- Central Coast Research Institute for Integrated Care, University of Newcastle and the Central Coast Local Health District, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Dimity Pond
- Wicking Dementia Research and Training Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
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Hibbert PD, Molloy CJ, Cameron ID, Gray LC, Reed RL, Wiles LK, Westbrook J, Arnolda G, Bilton R, Ash R, Georgiou A, Kitson A, Hughes CF, Gordon SJ, Mitchell RJ, Rapport F, Estabrooks C, Alexander GL, Vincent C, Edwards A, Carson-Stevens A, Wagner C, McCormack B, Braithwaite J. The quality of care delivered to residents in long-term care in Australia: an indicator-based review of resident records (CareTrack Aged study). BMC Med 2024; 22:22. [PMID: 38254113 PMCID: PMC10804560 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-023-03224-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study estimated the prevalence of evidence-based care received by a population-based sample of Australian residents in long-term care (LTC) aged ≥ 65 years in 2021, measured by adherence to clinical practice guideline (CPG) recommendations. METHODS Sixteen conditions/processes of care amendable to estimating evidence-based care at a population level were identified from prevalence data and CPGs. Candidate recommendations (n = 5609) were extracted from 139 CPGs which were converted to indicators. National experts in each condition rated the indicators via the RAND-UCLA Delphi process. For the 16 conditions, 236 evidence-based care indicators were ratified. A multi-stage sampling of LTC facilities and residents was undertaken. Trained aged-care nurses then undertook manual structured record reviews of care delivered between 1 March and 31 May 2021 (our record review period) to assess adherence with the indicators. RESULTS Care received by 294 residents with 27,585 care encounters in 25 LTC facilities was evaluated. Residents received care for one to thirteen separate clinical conditions/processes of care (median = 10, mean = 9.7). Adherence to evidence-based care indicators was estimated at 53.2% (95% CI: 48.6, 57.7) ranging from a high of 81.3% (95% CI: 75.6, 86.3) for Bladder and Bowel to a low of 12.2% (95% CI: 1.6, 36.8) for Depression. Six conditions (skin integrity, end-of-life care, infection, sleep, medication, and depression) had less than 50% adherence with indicators. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study of adherence to evidence-based care for people in LTC using multiple conditions and a standardised method. Vulnerable older people are not receiving evidence-based care for many physical problems, nor care to support their mental health nor for end-of-life care. The six conditions in which adherence with indicators was less than 50% could be the focus of improvement efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter D Hibbert
- Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, 75 Talavera Rd, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia.
- IIMPACT in Health, Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia.
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia.
| | - Charlotte J Molloy
- Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, 75 Talavera Rd, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
- IIMPACT in Health, Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
| | - Ian D Cameron
- John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research, Northern Sydney Local Health District, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Kolling Institute, Reserve Rd, St Leonards, NSW, 2065, Australia
| | - Leonard C Gray
- Centre for Health Services Research, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital Campus, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Richard L Reed
- Discipline of General Practice, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Sturt Rd, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Louise K Wiles
- Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, 75 Talavera Rd, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
- IIMPACT in Health, Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
| | - Johanna Westbrook
- Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, 75 Talavera Rd, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Gaston Arnolda
- Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, 75 Talavera Rd, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Rebecca Bilton
- Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, 75 Talavera Rd, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
- Caring Futures Institute, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Sturt Rd, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Ruby Ash
- Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, 75 Talavera Rd, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Andrew Georgiou
- Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, 75 Talavera Rd, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Alison Kitson
- Caring Futures Institute, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Sturt Rd, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Clifford F Hughes
- Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, 75 Talavera Rd, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Susan J Gordon
- Caring Futures Institute, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Sturt Rd, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Rebecca J Mitchell
- Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, 75 Talavera Rd, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Frances Rapport
- Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, 75 Talavera Rd, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Carole Estabrooks
- Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, 11405-87 Avenue, Edmonton, AB, T6G 1C9, Canada
| | | | - Charles Vincent
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Radcliffe Observatory, University of Oxford, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, England, UK
| | - Adrian Edwards
- PRIME Centre Wales & Division of Population Medicine, Cardiff University, 8Th Floor Neuadd Meirionnydd, Heath Park, Cardiff, Wales, CF14 4YS, UK
| | - Andrew Carson-Stevens
- PRIME Centre Wales & Division of Population Medicine, Cardiff University, 8Th Floor Neuadd Meirionnydd, Heath Park, Cardiff, Wales, CF14 4YS, UK
| | - Cordula Wagner
- Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, Otterstraat 118, Utrecht, 3513 CR, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam University Medical Center/VU University, Van Der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Brendan McCormack
- The Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, City Road, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Jeffrey Braithwaite
- Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, 75 Talavera Rd, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
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Alan J, Randall S, Ferrante A, Porock D. Relationship between residential aged care facility characteristics and breaches of the Australian aged care regulatory standards: non-compliance notices and sanctions. Australas J Ageing 2023. [PMID: 36916188 DOI: 10.1111/ajag.13165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To examine the relationship between structural characteristics of Australian residential aged care facilities (RACFs) and breaches of the aged care quality standards. METHODS Facility-level analysis of audits, sanctions and non-compliance notices of all accredited Australian RACFs between 2015/16 and 2018/19. Structural factors of interest included RACF size, remoteness, ownership type and jurisdiction. Two government data sources were joined. Each outcome was analysed to calculate time trends, unadjusted rates and relative risks. RESULTS Non-compliance notices were imposed on 369 RACFs (13%) and 83 sanctions on 75 RACFs (3%). Compared with New South Wales (NSW), non-compliance notices were less likely in Victoria, Queensland and the Northern Territory (NT), more likely in South Australia (SA), and comparable in Western Australia (WA), Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). RACFs with more than 100 beds and RACFs located in remote and outer regional areas (vs. major cities) also increased the likelihood of non-compliance notices. Compared with NSW, sanctions were less likely in Victoria, Queensland, NT and WA and comparable in SA, Tasmania and ACT. Additionally, the likelihood of sanctions was higher for RACFs with more than 40 beds. For both non-compliance notices and sanctions, no significant relationship was found with RACF ownership type. CONCLUSIONS We partially confirmed other Australian findings about the relationship between RACF structural characteristics and regulatory sanctions and reported new findings about non-compliance notices. Routine and standardised public reporting of RACF performance is needed to build trust that Australia's latest aged care reforms have led to sustained quality improvements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine Alan
- Centre for Research in Aged Care, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Sean Randall
- Centre for Data Linkage, School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.,Deakin Health Economics, Institute for Health Transformation, Burswood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anna Ferrante
- Centre for Data Linkage, School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Davina Porock
- Centre for Research in Aged Care, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia
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