1. Will to Live in Older Nursing Home Residents: A Cross-Sectional Study in Switzerland.
- Author
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Bornet, Marc-Antoine, Rubli Truchard, Eve, Bernard, Mathieu, Pasquier, Jérôme, Borasio, Gian Domenico, Jox, Ralf J., and Truchard, Eve Rubli
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NURSING home patients , *PHYSICAL mobility , *CROSS-sectional method , *SUBJECTIVE well-being (Psychology) , *INTRACLASS correlation , *NURSES' aides , *RESEARCH , *CAREGIVERS , *RESEARCH methodology , *MEDICAL cooperation , *EVALUATION research , *NURSING care facilities , *COMPARATIVE studies , *GUARDIAN & ward - Abstract
Context: The will to live (WTL) is an important indicator of subjective well-being. It may enable a deeper understanding of the well-being of nursing home residents.Objectives: To evaluate the intensity of WTL, its association with various factors, and its temporal evolution among residents ≥ 65 years old; we also aimed to compare it with proxy assessments of WTL.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in five nursing homes in Switzerland. Participants with decisional capacity were asked to rate the intensity of their WTL on a single-item numerical rating scale ranging from 0-10. A short-term follow-up was conducted among a sub-sample of 17 participants after three and six weeks. Proxy assessment by residents' next of kin and professional caregivers was conducted, and inter-rater agreement was calculated.Results: Data from 103 participants (75.7% women, 87.3 ± 8.0 years) was analyzed. The median intensity of WTL was 8. Higher WTL was significantly associated with better physical mobility and shorter duration of daily care but not with age, gender, pre-admission care setting, or prognosis. Significant independent predictors of WTL were physical mobility and provenance from rehabilitative care. In the short-term follow-up assessment, WTL remained highly stable. Intraclass correlation coefficients were moderate for residents' next of kin and nurse assistants but poor for physicians and nurses; all proxy assessments underestimated the participants' WTL.Conclusion: Nursing home residents expressed a very strong WTL and proxy aents underestimated residents' WTL. It seems pivotal to proactively communicate with residents about their WTL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2021
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