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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Larry W. Lawhorne, MD, CMD, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, B-113 Clinical Center, East Lansing, MI 48824, Mary Margaret Noel, MPH, PhD, RD, Department of Family Practice, Michigan State University, B101 Clinical Center, East Lansing, MI 48824, Courtney AcMoody, Alma College, 614 W. Superior St, Alma, MI 48801, and Robyn L. Anderson, PhD MPH, Dept of Exercise and Health Science, Alma College, 614 W. Superior, Alma, MI 48801, (989) 463-7159, Lawhorne@MSU.edu.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMMS) has identified unintended weight loss (10-15% of nursing residents) as a potential indicator of poor quality of care and, therefore, a major concern for nursing facilities. However, little is known about how care givers perceive weight loss in elders, or how it should be handled. A cross-sectional, convenience sample of nursing facilities in Michigan was surveyed in November-December 2001. In this pilot phase, responders were categorized as family (41%), nurses (23%), nursing assistants (18%) and indirect providers (18%). A total of 17 questions associated with weight loss in nursing home residents (5-point scale) were examined. Seven items were perceived as important (>75% strongly agree/agree) across all four response categories including, weight loss can occur with chronic disease, depression, insufficient meal time assistance, good care, and terminal illness; and, all weight loss should be evaluated, and advanced care directives regarding feeding tubes should be honored. Furthermore, care givers (nurses 5.8%, family members 24.2%, nursing assistants 25%, and indirect care givers 29.6%) did not believe it was important that facilities should be investigated for weight loss. There appears to be consensus among caregivers about a number of issues surrounding unintended weight loss in the nursing facility setting. In addition, only a minority felt that facilities in which a number of residents lost weight should be investigated by regulatory agencies in spite of the current practice of using weight loss as a proxy for potential poor quality of care.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Long-Term Care, Caregivers
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.