A qualitative study of older people with minimal care needs experiences of their admission to a nursing home with Registered Nurse care

Intercultural adaptation and influencing factors analysis of the Chinese version of the anxiety scale for the older adults in a long-term care population

Objective

The purpose of this study was to translate the Geriatric Anxiety Scale-Long-Term Care into Chinese and to assess its reliability and validity in a long-term care population, as well as to explore factors contributing to anxiety in older adults requiring long-term care.

Methods

The study recruited 399 older adults residents requiring long-term care and used the Brislin double translation-back-translation method to create the initial Chinese version of the Geriatric Anxiety Scale-Long-Term Care. The study used internal consistency and split-half reliability to assess the reliability of the scale, as well as exploratory factor analysis, validation factor analysis, and content validity to assess the validity of the scale. Linear regression was used to analyze the relationship between the independent variables and anxiety levels in the long-term care population.

Results

The Cronbach's coefficient value of the Chinese version of the Geriatric Anxiety Scale-Long-Term Care was 0.81, and the split-half reliability was 0.80. The results of exploratory factor analysis showed support for a one-dimensional factor structure. The results of the validation factor analysis indicated a good fit for the one-factor model. Gender (β = 0.190, 95% CI:0.540 ~ 1.546, p < 0.001), self-rated health (β = 0.220, 95% CI:0.379 ~ 0.953, p < 0.001), life satisfaction (β = -0.315, 95% CI: -1.355 ~ -0.734, p < 0.001) and participation in activities (β = -0.106, 95% CI: -1.122 ~ -0.084, p < 0.05) were significant predictors of anxiety levels in the long-term care population.

Conclusion

The Chinese version of the Geriatric Anxiety Scale-Long-Term Care has good reliability and validity in the long-term care population. The Geriatric Anxiety Scale-Long-Term Care is effective in assessing the anxiety level of the Chinese long-term care older adults population and provides an opportunity to detect and observe anxiety disorders in the long-term care population.

Do You Feel Safe at Home? A Qualitative Study among Home-Dwelling Older Adults with Advanced Incurable Cancer

Many older adults with cancer prefer to live at home, and home treatment and outpatient care have been recommended for such patients. To improve their mental health, it is important to identify the challenges that are faced by home-dwelling older adults with cancer. This study aimed to examine the impact of the home on older adults with advanced cancer who were receiving treatment and follow-up care. In a cross-sectional design with criterion-based sampling, eight qualitative interviews were transcribed and interpreted thematically. We identified three themes of home-safety management: good home-safety management, uncertain home-safety management, and home-safety management collapse. Moreover, we revealed eight sub-themes important to the participants' home-safety experience. Ensuring that older adults feel safe at home will afford them the opportunity to enjoy living at home, which in turn may alleviate their symptom burden and enhance their mental health.

Virtual Reality Therapy for Depression and Mood in Long-Term Care Facilities

Virtual reality (VR) describes a family of technologies which immerse users in sensorily-stimulating virtual environments. Such technologies have increasingly found applications in the treatment of neurological and mental health disorders. Depression, anxiety, and other mood abnormalities are of concern in the growing older population-especially those who reside in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). The transition from the familiar home environment to the foreign LTCF introduces a number of stressors that can precipitate depression. However, recent studies reveal that VR therapy (VRT) can promote positive emotionality and improve cognitive abilities in older people, both at home and in LTCFs. VR thus holds potential in allowing older individuals to gradually adapt to their new environments-thereby mitigating the detrimental effects of place attachment and social exclusion. Nevertheless, while the current psychological literature is promising, the implementation of VR in LTCFs faces many challenges. LTCF residents must gain trust in VR technologies, care providers require training to maximize the positive effects of VRT, and decision makers must evaluate both the opportunities and obstacles in adopting VR. In this review article, we concisely discuss the implications of depression related to place attachment in LTCFs, and explore the potential therapeutic applications of VR.