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Background Persons living with dementia (PLWDs) are hospitalized frequently and are at risk of poor physical, functional, and cognitive outcomes during and after hospitalization. No telehealth nurse-led transitional care interventions for caregivers of PLWDs are currently available. TeleSavvy Caregiver Program is a 43-day evidence-based telehealth psychoeducational intervention developed to improve caregivers' psychological well-being. Aim Test the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of administering Tele-Savvy during PLWDs' hospital-to-home transitions. Method Recruitment, attrition, and videoconference attendance were tracked in this prospective interventional pre-post feasibility study. Measured outcomes included caregiver burden, caregiver competence, frequency of PLWDs' behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, and caregivers' reaction to these symptoms. Results From 1409 caregivers screened, 22 caregivers consented, 20 caregivers started Tele-Savvy, and 15 caregivers completed post-program data collection. Average videoconference attendance rate was 70%. Post-intervention data were not used for two completers who attended no videoconferences. Caregiver competence increased (p=0.046, Cohen's d=0.85). No other outcomes changes were statistically significant. Outcomes with positive changes beyond what could be attributed to measurement error included improvements in caregiver competence and PLWDs' caregiver-reported memory symptoms. Limitations and Implications Recruitment was challenged by pandemic restrictions. Inclusion criteria were liberalized to promote recruitment. Improvement in caregiver competence was noteworthy despite poor attendance. Conclusion Although offering Tele-Savvy during the post-hospitalization period was feasible, attrition and attendance were suboptimal. A shorter, individualized intervention should be designed to accommodate caregivers' schedule post-hospitalization. Keywords dementia, persons living with dementia, PLWD, caregivers, psychoeducation, Tele-Savvy, transitional care interventions, Tele-Savvy Caregiver Program, a telehealth psychoeducational intervention for caregivers of persons living with dementia, was offered to caregivers during their persons' post-hospitalization discharge period. Caregiver competence of participants increased postprogram, [...]

People living with dementia (PLWD) experience pain like other older adults, but with changes due to dementia, they rely more on family caregivers for pain assessment. Many different elements contribute to a pain assessment. Changes in characteristics of PLWD may be associated with changes in the use of these different pain assessment elements. The current study reports associations between PLWD's agitation, cognitive function, and dementia severity and the frequency with which family caregivers use pain assessment elements. In a sample of family caregivers (N = 48), statistically significant associations were found between worsening cognitive function and greater use of rechecking for pain after intervention (rho = 0.36, p = 0.013), and between lower cognitive scores on a subscale of dementia severity and asking others if they have noticed a behavior change in the PLWD (rho = 0.30, p = 0.044). Limited statistically significant associations suggest that, overall, family caregivers of PLWD do not use pain assessment elements more frequently with changes in characteristics of PLWD. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 49(7), 17–23.], People living with dementia (PLWD) represent a large population in the United States, with an estimated 6.2 million Americans aged ≥65 years having Alzheimer's dementia in 2021 (Alzheimer's Association, 2021). [...]

As older adults live longer, individual and societal efforts must be directed toward strategies to promote healthy and successful aging. Planning for aging and frailty offers an opportunity for older adults to optimize their well-being and proactively prepare across their aging trajectory. The current study evaluated the relationship between contextual factors (functional status, frailty, health status, social support) that influence older adults' readiness to engage in planning in five domains of aging (communication, environmental, financial, physical care, cognitive) through the transtheoretical stages of change. Results showed that factors influencing active planning include older age, vulnerability, living situation, and social support. These results add to the discourse on future care planning through a comprehensive approach to planning across a life course perspective, while highlighting the importance of future research at individual and societal levels. Gerontological nurses are well-positioned to lead planning efforts for older adults that promote well-being, patient-centered care, and healthy aging. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 49(2), 27–35.], Aging is a multidimensional experience that affects all people and impacts many aspects of society (Kornadt et al., 2019). The United States projects a doubling of individuals aged 65 years [...]

The number of older adults admitted to acute care hospitals with traumatic injury is rising. The purpose of this study was to examine the location of five prominent geriatric resource programs in U.S. acute care hospitals and trauma centers (The number of older adults admitted to acute care hospitals with traumatic injury is rising. The purpose of this study was to examine the location of five prominent geriatric resource programs in U.S. acute care hospitals and trauma centers (N= 4,865). As of 2010, 5.8% of all U.S. hospitals had at least one of these programs. Only 8.8% of trauma centers were served by at least one program; the majorities were in level I trauma centers. Slow adoption of geriatric resource programs in hospitals may be due to lack of champions who will advocate for these programs, lack of evidence of their impact on outcomes, or lack of a business plan to support adoption. Future studies should focus on the benefits of geriatric resource programs from patients’ perspectives, as well as from business case and outcomes perspectives. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 39(12), 33–42.]