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Abstract: Rich social relationships contribute to improved well‐being and health outcomes, yet aged care client assessments tend to focus almost exclusively on physical issues. We aim to explore the experiences of aged care staff following their use of social engagement and well‐being instruments as part of routine assessments for home‐care clients. The social engagement (Australian Community Participation Questionnaire, ACPQ) and well‐being (ICEpop CAPability Measure for Older Adults, ICECAP‐O) instruments were embedded into the centralised information system of an Australian aged care provider. Staff administered these instruments during routine client assessments across a 9‐month period involving 289 assessments. Semistructured interviews with 12 staff members were conducted and themes explored using qualitative content analysis. Key factors related to the acceptability of instrument adoption were found. Staff reported the instruments were convenient to use and were valuable in eliciting information for care plan development. Staff found that the instruments complemented their standard assessment procedures and did not disrupt their routine workload. They emphasised that the information gained greatly assisted their discussions with clients, identified social needs, and enhanced client involvement in decisions about desired services. There were also some challenging elements, including staff concerns regarding their ability to deal with emotional responses from clients evoked by the survey questions. ACPQ and ICECAP‐O are useful tools for identifying psychosocial client needs, are feasible for use by large‐scale aged care organisations and provide valuable information to guide decision‐making about services. Future research should identify the long‐term effects on improving social participation and client outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Adverse incident research within residential aged care facilities (RACFs) is increasing and there is growing awareness of safety and quality issues. However, large-scale evidence identifying specific areas of need and at-risk residents is lacking. This study used routinely collected incident management system data to quantify the types and rates of adverse incidents experienced by residents of RACFs. Methods: A concurrent mixed-methods design was used to examine 3 years of incident management report data from 72 RACFs in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Qualitative thematic analysis of free-text incident descriptions was undertaken to group adverse incidents into categories. The rates and types of adverse incidents based on these categories were calculated and then compared using incidence rate ratios (IRRs). Results: Deidentified records of 11 987 permanent residents (aged ≥65 years; mean (±s.d.) age 84 ± 8 years) from the facilities were included. Of the 60 268 adverse incidents, falls were the most common event (36%), followed by behaviour-related events (33%), other impacts and injuries (22%) and medication errors (9%). The number of adverse incidents per resident ranged from 0 (42%) to 171, with a median of 2. Women (IRR 0.804; P < 0.001) and residents with low care needs (IRR 0.652; P < 0.001) were significantly less likely to adverse incidents compared with men and residents with high care needs respectively. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that data already collected within electronic management systems can provide crucial baseline information about the risk levels that adverse incidents pose to older Australians living in RACFs. What is known about the topic?: To date, research into aged care adverse incidents has typically focused on single incident types in small studies involving mitigation strategies. Little has been published quantifying the multiple adverse incidents experienced by residents of aged care facilities or reporting organisation-wide rates of adverse incidents. What does this paper add?: This paper adds to the growing breadth of Australian aged care research by providing baseline information on the rates and types of adverse incidents in RACFs across a large and representative provider. What are the implications for practitioners?: This research demonstrates that the wealth of data captured by aged care facilities' incident management information systems can be used to provide insight into areas of commonly occurring adverse incidents. Better use of this information could greatly enhance strategic planning of quality improvement activities and the care provided to residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Social networks have a critical role in delaying dementia. • Being male, using more aged care services was related to higher cognitive function. • Higher social networks with family and friends was linked with better cognition. Social engagement has been linked to preserved cognitive functioning in later life. Yet, little is known about the specific network factors that best predict cognitive function in older adults. This study aimed to (i) characterize the quality and quantity of interpersonal relationships and (ii) explore the relationship between social network types and cognitive function in older adults receiving home- and community-based aged care services. Participants (n = 175) receiving aged care services participated in a structured interview regarding their cognitive function (Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status-Modified), social networks (Lubben Social Network Scale-12) and quality of life (European Quality of Life Scale). Socio-demographic and aged care service use factors were obtained from provider electronic management systems. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between the size and composition of clients' social networks, aged care service use and cognition. The sample had a median age of 81 years (range 61-96) and most were women (65.8%). Over a third (37.6%) had cognitive impairment and reported moderately high social networks. Males had higher social networks, were receiving fewer hours but more types of services, and had significantly better cognitive performance. Age, network size and composition were not associated with cognitive performance. More extensive social networks were associated with maintenance of cognitive health for older adults in community aged care. Whether this is causal or a marker of better cognitive health requires a longitudinal approach, and ideally should be tested with interventions at community levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Health-related apps on mobile devices (mHealth apps) have become an effective selfmanagement tool and treatment support for patients. There is limited research, however, on how older people (50 and over) perceive the opportunity of using mHealth apps. Our aim was to investigate the perceptions of older people in Australia regarding the opportunity of using prescribed or doctor-recommended mHealth apps and provide insights which can enhance their uptake of mHealth. Methods. This was a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews involving 21 participants aged 51-82 years. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to categorise the factors that influence the adoption of mHealth apps by older adults. Results. We show that beyond the prominent influencing factors from technology adoption research (such as performance and effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions), health-specific factors such as a trusting doctor-patient relationship and strong health self-efficacy positively influence the intended adoption of mHealth apps among older adults. In addition, the IT security and accurate interpretation of participants' input in an mHealth app can present barriers to mHealth app adoption. Conclusion. Our analyses provide additional insights complementing existing technology adoption research. Their successful adoption and utilisation require further empirical evidence on its effectiveness along with attention to the voices of those who are meant to use them. To address potential barriers, improve the quality and security of mHealth apps, and thus achieve greater patient safety, the involvement of consumers, regulators and health professionals is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social participation is critical to the health and well‐being of older adults, however, participation often declines with age. Research has identified that personal and environmental factors such as high socioeconomic status and accessible transportation are associated with higher levels of social participation. However, the barriers and facilitators to social participation experienced by older adults receiving community aged care services remains largely unexplored. This qualitative study aimed to generate context‐rich data and identify the barriers and facilitators to effective community care services that can support older adults' participation in the community and contribute to individual well‐being. Semi‐structured focus groups were conducted with 40 community aged care clients and 21 staff members between January to July 2018 and thematic analysis was undertaken. Environmental factors, such as availability and accessibility of transportation services emerged as the most important factors influencing participation. Older age, self‐attitude towards one's own functional ability and limited social networks were important personal factors affecting participation. Proactive aged care services (e.g., engaged staff, tailored activities) were reported to assist with continual engagement in aged care services. In contrast, the type, location and accessibility of the activity, associated costs and limited options for accessible transportation were key barriers to older adults' social participation. Pathways contributing to positive engagement were complex and variable, but personal well‐being and local community resources emerged as important factors encouraging higher social participation. These findings are discussed in the context of the ongoing pandemic and implications for future aged care services are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Little is known about the use of antidementia medications in Australia. Other countries have reported sociodemographic disparities in use. Our objective was to estimate prevalence, duration, and time to initiation of antidementia medication (cholinesterase inhibitors or memantine) among Australians with dementia in residential aged care facilities and to evaluate resident and facility factors associated with use.Methods: Dynamic retrospective cohort study of people with dementia in 68 residential aged care facilities during 2014 to 2017 using electronic health record and medication administration data. Regression evaluated relationships between medication use (prevalence, duration, and time to initiation) and resident and facility characteristics.Results: Five thousand three hundred fifty-four residents with dementia were included in the analyses. Annual prevalence of antidementia medication use was less than 10% each year and decreased during the study period by 2-percentage points by 2017 (relative to 2014). Antidementia medication use varied by sociodemographic characteristics (3-points lower for single, 4-points lower for divorced relative to married residents, and 3-points higher for Australian-born). Each point in ADL score was associated with 0.1-point lower medication use. Antidementia medication use was lower in outer regional facilities. Most comorbidities were associated with lower antidementia medication use (myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular disease and heart failure 3-points lower, respiratory disease, and diabetes 2-points lower). Age had a complex relationship with antidementia medication use that varied by sex and if medication was started before or after admission. After admission, males initiated antidementia medication earlier than females.Conclusions: Antidementia medication use in Australian facilities was lower than in other countries and varied by clinical and sociodemographic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]