Detection of Acute Deterioration in Care Home Residents: A Multicenter Qualitative Exploration of Barriers and Enablers.

Introduction: Delay in detecting acute deterioration in older adults in care homes is associated with avoidable hospitalizations and adverse outcomes, including premature death. Objective: Underpinned by the Knowledge to Action Framework, this study aimed to understand the barriers and enablers to d...

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Published in:Journal of Nursing Scholarship Vol. 57; no. 4; pp. 576 - 587
Main Authors: MacAndrew, Margaret, Sriram, Deepa, Chambers, Shirley, Spooner, Amy, Schnitker, Linda, Jack, Leanne, Yates, Patsy, Beattie, Elizabeth, Parker, Christina
Format: research tables/charts Journal Article
Published: Wiley-Blackwell Jul2025
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: Jul2025
      vid: 57
      iid: 4
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      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
      place: Malden, Massachusetts
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        10.1111/jnu.70005
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        atl: Detection of Acute Deterioration in Care Home Residents: A Multicenter Qualitative Exploration of Barriers and Enablers.
      aug:
        au:
          MacAndrew, Margaret
          Sriram, Deepa
          Chambers, Shirley
          Spooner, Amy
          Schnitker, Linda
          Jack, Leanne
          Yates, Patsy
          Beattie, Elizabeth
          Parker, Christina
        affil: School of Nursing, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane Queensland,, Australia
      sug:
        subj:
          Clinical Deterioration Diagnosis
          Clinical Deterioration Prevention and Control
          Nursing Home Residents
          Health Services Accessibility
          Nursing Home Personnel Psychosocial Factors
          Nursing Staff, Hospital Psychosocial Factors
          Nurse Attitudes
          Human
          Aged
          Male
          Female
          Funding Source
          Multicenter Studies
          Qualitative Studies
          Exploratory Research
          Interviews
          Nursing Staff, Hospital
          Random Sample
          Urban Areas
          Thematic Analysis
          Descriptive Statistics
          Decision Making
          Scope of Nursing Practice
          Communication
          Teamwork
          Experiential Learning
          Health Resource Utilization
          Support, Social
          Workforce
          Work Capacity Evaluation
          Aged: 65+ years
          Male
          Female
      ab: Introduction: Delay in detecting acute deterioration in older adults in care homes is associated with avoidable hospitalizations and adverse outcomes, including premature death. Objective: Underpinned by the Knowledge to Action Framework, this study aimed to understand the barriers and enablers to direct care staff detecting and responding to the early signs of acute deterioration in care home residents. Study Design: Online focus groups or interviews with regulated (registered and enrolled nurses) and unregulated (assistants in nursing and personal care workers) direct care staff from participating care homes were conducted. Homes were recruited using disproportionate stratified random sampling to include metropolitan, inner regional, and outer regional care homes. Interview and focus group recordings were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Results: Eighty direct care staff (n = 48 regulated; n = 32 unregulated) from eight care homes participated. Fifteen focus groups (n = 7 unregulated staff, n = 8 regulated staff) and two interviews (n = 1 regulated staff, n = 1 unregulated staff) were conducted between July 2021 and October 2022. Four themes related to the barriers and enablers of detecting and responding to acute deterioration were generated: decision‐making within the scope of practice; resource availability; streamlined communication; and teamwork. Conclusion: Findings highlight the challenges direct care staff encounter in being able to detect early signs of acute deterioration and implement appropriate care pathways. Perceived barriers and enablers highlighted in this study need to be considered when developing and implementing programs to optimize the timely detection of, and response to, acute deterioration in care homes. Clinical Relevance: Workforce knowledge, experience, and confidence deficits are significant barriers to detecting acute deterioration, while the unique workforce mix in care homes poses additional challenges for the accurate detection of early signs of acute deterioration. Knowing the resident, working as a team, and valuing the contribution of aged care staff and families in managing acute deterioration are enablers to achieving better outcomes for residents experiencing acute deterioration.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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